Opinions pls - VOS vs Norwegian Spirit

[art4u]

Hi there ...

we have been on RCCL Grandeur and really enjoyed the ship, size of the cabins, service and the size/passenger capacity etc...

Fall of 2009 went on a Med Cruise on Celebrity Summit - again enjoyed ship and size etc....

We have booked another Med Cruise June 2012, but this time on Norwegian Spirit -

we do like the RCCL ships, but didn't book the Voyageur only because the passenger capacity is 1300+ more than the other ones we were on previously.

We were concerned that "home" wouldn't feel as cozy and the line ups, service, embarkation etc might suffer because of the increased numbers...

Anyone gone down this road - experience? thoughts?

Cheers

[cruise maniac 15]

i would say voyager no doubt! Voyager is a great class of ships, the only thing is im not sure how the condition of the ship is.

[adjburch]

Voyager is in great shape. I have not been on NCL Spirit so I don't know what shape she is in.

[firefly333]

I loved Voyager more than RCL's smaller ships. Voyager hands down. I was wow'd by its beauty.

[arby70]

I have not been on VOS, but have been on the NCL Spirit. I liked this ship. My balcony cabin was not overly large but it was quite comfy. Our cabin steward kept it very clean. I thought the crew was very nice on the Spirit.

 

My biggest problem was the food. The only place we found any food we liked was the Blue Lagoon (kind of a fast food cafe) and the MDR for breakfast was good. Otherwise, we had trouble finding something we liked. Desserts were the worst ever! But food is very subjective.

[BellaBaci4]

I can't answer as to Voyager, but we cruised once with NCL. Yes, it was cheaper, but the only dinners we enjoyed were in the up-charge restaurants.

Bella

[TEXASMUNK]

Worried about size? Nope! The layout of the ship, the methodology they use for disembarkation at ports, never a problem!

And the WOW factor of Voyager!!!!

 

I am not the one to ask about any NCL ship...We dislike the product offering! and dislike is a mild word. I wold caution you if you decide to do NCL, the food in the no charge restaurants is not up to "par" Be prepared to spend $$$ on food if it is important to you.

[Caleo]

We sailed on the Star, which is 300 people less at capacity than the Spirit. I've never felt like cattle so much in my life than on the Star. There's a reason why I'm now Loyal to Royal, and even sailing on the Freedom which is what...about 1500 people more than the Star at capacity - we NEVER felt like cattle, never felt that the ship was "too full" (even though we were at capacity for our cruise) and we always had individualized attention (something we NEVER got on NCL).

[art4u]

Thanks everyone - great replies and excellent points - think we are sold and will go with the Voyageur.

 

cheers!

[inlinesick]

i would recommend you to stay away from the NCL Spirit, in fact stay away from NCL at all.

[EaglesRock]

i would recommend you to stay away from the NCL Spirit, in fact stay away from NCL at all.

This is nothing but a trollish answer without any useful information. Although RCI is my favorite cruise line, I would not hesitate to cruise on the Spirit again. I've been on the Spirit twice and both times we had a great time and really enjoyed the ship. The Spirit has a unique Asian decor and many open areas that let you experience being at sea on a ship instead of feeling like you're in a floating hotel. I especially love the Raffles Terrace area at the back of the Spirit and spent many hours there drinking coffee or beer (not at the same time :D ) and enjoying the sea breeze while looking at the ship's wake.

[negc]

We have sailed on both and my definite preference is for the Voyager. Spirit is one of the few NCL ships where I wasn't put off by the decor and we had a great cruise to Bermuda on her, but the ship had definite shortcomings, mostly associated with the food service. Our only really good meals, and they were excellent, were in Cagney's steakhouse, the Bistro, and the Italian restaurant (which is simply a curtained off section of the buffet restaurant), all extra charge restaurants. Service in the main dining rooms was impersonal and the food ranged from mediocre to good (not great). The electronic bulletin boards which supposedly tell passengers how full any dining room is at the moment were totally inaccurate and thus worthless. When the boards showed low occupancy we were required to wait thirty or more minutes to be seated, while at times when the board showed that a particular dining room was nearly at capacity, there were plenty of tables available even many by the windows.:rolleyes:

On Voyager we found the buffet was a better option for breakfast than the buffet restaurant on Spirit and the entertainment was a step above, although the Second City improv group on Spirit had its moments. Our stateroom with verandah was slightly smaller than our similar room on Voyager. If I had no other option than the Spirit I know we would have a good time but if it came down to NCL vs RCI, RCI would win hands down. NCL Spirit was a tremendous improvement over NCL Majesty which it replaced on Boston to Bermuda itineraries and NCL Dawn may be an even better choice when it begins sailing out of Boston this summer, but I'd much prefer to see RCI base one of their ships in Boston for the summer months.:)

[inlinesick]

we've been on the NCL Dawn this February for the first time with NCL. We did carnival, Star Clipper and NCL. WE NEVER, EVER gonna sail NCL again. If you want reason check this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1361818&highlight=limping+from+port+to

 

they are a LOT of reason why i recommend the op to stay away it is not trolling at all

[Twaincruisers]

We've been on the NCL Spirit for a Caribbean cruise and have been on the Voyager twice, though we never left the dock. We love Voyager-class (and above) but enjoyed our Spirit cruise a lot. Maybe it was the weather...rainy and rocky, just the way we like it!

[jfarri4230]

We have sailed on both ships to Western Caribbean. Although we especially loved two things about the Spirit (Freestyle Dining and the docking pier in Roatan), we prefer the Voyager ship. While the sheer number of pax on VOS can make me claustrophobic in dining venues such as Windjammer, we love the Royal Promenade so much that it makes up for the crowds. I agree with some other posters that NOLA is a better starting point than Galveston since we always go in a day early. Much more to do in NOLA. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. Bottom line: don't let the bigger size of VOS scare you away from a great cruise experience.

[NordicPrince]

i would recommend you to stay away from the NCL Spirit, in fact stay away from NCL at all.

 

Hey OP, why don't you try posting the same thread on the NCL board and

see if you get the same "home field" response that you're getting here.

[Holstebro]

We truly enjoyed our Valentine's cruise onboard the Spirit and the crew there made our cruise the most enjoyable ever. We never had any problems getting seated in the MDR - or finding a deckchair - and from day one we felt that all staff members did their utmost to make us feel welcome and well catered for. We are not loyal to any one cruise line, having cruised on RCCL and Carnival before, but we would definitely recommend the Spirit:)