NCL vs RCL, comparisons please

[kernow]

We've done over 20 cruises on various lines but RCL or Celebrity is usually our first choice. We've never tried NCL, mainly because we're not sure about the freestyle dining but are looking for a cruise in Europe for this winter and have spotted some great deals on NCL Jade sailing from Barcelona or Malaga. RCL/X are out of the question as they have little choice in Europe to suit our dates.

I'd really appreciate some opinions from people who've sailed both lines. We're looking at a balcony or minisuite which is not much more expensive, does this compare to a JS?

We have a 17 year old who loves the teen club, so would like to hear how that is.

Also would like to know about food and how the dining works in practice, and anything else you think might be of interest.

 

 

 

I'll post on RCL board too.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Julie

[MMMD]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1306219

 

 

Check out this thread. I think you may get some of the answers you're looking for.

 

Have fun on your cruise! We loved NCL.

[inlinesick]

I can say that both have theirs plus/cons, one thing is sure RCI is no better than NCL at all,Its different. So far NCL is the one who suit us the best, but all major cruise lines had major cut back in quality imo.

[geegee1]

Here is a review I did comparing NCL Gem Mini Suite vs RC EOS Junior Suite

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1168763

[FLAHAM]

A substantial number of RCI cruisers on this board seem to miss the "wow" factor of an atrium when they try NCL.

[sdmike]

I was an RCI cruiser until I sailed Norwegian Epic and found that freestyle suits me/us much better. Lots of restaurants, no assigned dining times, no need for a jacket or tie. We loved the differences.

[kernow]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Geegee1, I read your review and found it helpful particularly as we did a similar cruise on EOS in April 09 so I know exactly what you are comparing to.

 

I think we are going to give the Jade a try, I know it will be different and I'm still not really sure about the Freestyle dining but we'll go into with an open mind and I know we'll enjoy ourselves.

 

I have lots more specific questions so I'll be on the boards a lot in the next few months:)

 

Julie

[aidanht]

We (DH and I plus DD 17, DS 14, and DS 12) are just back from our first NCL cruise (Pearl to Alaska 7/3/11). DH and I were on Celebrity (Solstice class) during the winter of 2011 and winter of 2010, and all five of us were on RCI Explorer of the Seas during spring break 2009 and there Disney cruises the three years before that.

 

Here are my thoughts on comparisons between RCI, Celebrity, and NCL:

 

1. NCL definitely has a more casual feel to it. That was fine for us--in fact, we chose NCL this time because other family members were cruising with us for the first time and they did not want a formal atmosphere. The decor is less elegant and the staff is more friendly and less formal. Someone above mentioned the lack of "wow factor" on the ships and I would second that. No royal promenade like RCI, no gorgeous bar and lounge areas like on Celebrity. That said, the Pearl was spotless and well maintained, our cabins (one balcony and one inside) were 100% comparable to those types of cabins on the other ships we've been on--small, but well laid out and plenty of storage. The spa was also every bit as nice as the spas on our other ships.

 

2. If you are concerned about freestyle dining then you probably won't like it. It is not really "any time" dining if you are interested in seeing the shows, because you have to fit your dinners in around the show times. Everyone else is doing the same. So the idea that you can just walk in and eat whenever you feel like it is just not true. Our first night on board there was a 45 minute wait for dinner at 7:30. I will say that there was a large group on board that had the Indigo (the second main dining room) booked after 6 p.m. every night. I'm not sure how much of a difference that really made, since all of those passengers would've had to have eaten somewhere anyway, but many people on our ship seemed to think it made a huge difference.

 

3. After waiting for a table, our experience with the main dining room was dismal. It was so loud in there that it was hard for the servers to hear/understand us, and vice versa, which made it hard to ask questions about the menu, etc. We were given 5 pieces of bread in our bread basket for 7 people, and although we asked 3 different times for more bread, none ever came. We were never asked if we wanted wine or cocktails, and we had to ask, and then wait, for drink refills. Service was a little better the second time we went, when it was not very crowded because most people were still in port, but still not very attentive. The wait staff was working very hard, but it seemed they had too many tables to take care of, plus for most of the tables they have to go a ridiculous distance to get food, drinks, etc., and navigate through a very crowded room to get back to you. The food was decent, but not, in our opinion, nearly as good as RCI or Celebrity. And some of it was really not good at all. We all decided that if we were to do NCL again it would be with the expectation that we would pay for specialty dining every night, so we would add that to the price of the cruise when comparing prices. (We usually do 2 specialty restaurants during a 7-day cruise, so we would factor in 5 additional nights). And the specialty restaurants we tried (four in all) were good, but not fabulous; we would rate the specialty restaurants on Celebrity and RCI as consistently 95/100 and NCL as between 80 and 90.

 

4. The buffet on the Pearl was our favorite cruise buffet for breakfast and lunch, and the staff working in the buffet was great--clearing plates, refilling coffee, etc.

 

5. The staff on the Pearl was fantastic. Very friendly and helpful. Our kids did not think the staff on RCI was very kid-friendly; for example, they would seem put out when the kids would ask for sodas with their soda cards, and they did not find the RCI teen club very inviting. They had no problems at all on NCL, were treated well by all of the staff they dealt with, and loved the teen club. (We were disappointed that NCL would not budge on their rule and let our son, who was 3 weeks shy of his 13th birthday, join the teen club activities with his siblings. That said, their rule is clearly stated and they say there are no exceptions, so while other lines have let him move up to be with his brother, we can respect that they have a firm rule.)

 

6. We all agreed the entertainment offerings on NCL were the best we've seen. Actually, the production company seemed off--my daughter commented that they were clearly chosen for their dancing skills not their singing skills--but we liked the variety of shows that were offered throughout the week.

 

Overall, I would certainly choose NCL if you like the itinerary better. Just go into it with the expectation that it will be a different experience that you are probably used to, at least where dinner is concerned. We liked not having to pack dressy clothes for dinner, so that was a plus for us. We did miss the traditional cruise dinner experience, but we knew going in that we were trading that for the more casual atmosphere. We certainly did not go hungry and we would not hesitate to choose NCL again if the itinerary was good and if -- factoring in paying for specialty dining every night -- the price was right.

[graphicguy]

I'm not loyal to any particular cruise line. And, my most recent cruise was on the Epic. I'll say up front, it was wonderful.

 

Personally, I had a good cruise on RCL (Liberty of the Seas) too. The only down side on that cruise was the feeling that I was on a floating mall. I can get the mall experience at home. The newer RCL ships (while I've not been on them) seem to be more of the same, just bigger, more mall. Again, some folks like that. I don't.

 

The food, the balcony cabin (especially the bed), the staff, the service, entertainment (Blue Man, Cirque), etc....all were better on the Epic than it was on the Liberty of the Seas.

 

Just to be clear, I had a grand time on RCL. I enjoyed the Epic even more.

Edited July 17, 2011 by graphicguy

[chrispb]

We loved The Jade and found nothing to complain about. We thought the shows, food, etc were much better than some other lines including RCI. We'll definitely sail NCL again.

[npsh]

We've done over 20 cruises on various lines but RCL or Celebrity is usually our first choice. We've never tried NCL, mainly because we're not sure about the freestyle dining but are looking for a cruise in Europe for this winter and have spotted some great deals on NCL Jade sailing from Barcelona or Malaga. RCL/X are out of the question as they have little choice in Europe to suit our dates.

I'd really appreciate some opinions from people who've sailed both lines. We're looking at a balcony or minisuite which is not much more expensive, does this compare to a JS?

We have a 17 year old who loves the teen club, so would like to hear how that is.

Also would like to know about food and how the dining works in practice, and anything else you think might be of interest.

 

 

 

I'll post on RCL board too.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Julie

 

On NCL I can/did wear my clean levis and a t-shirt/golf/polo shirt in all venues any time of day/night. I am not required/asked/suggested that I wear a shirt/tie/suit to any dining times because there are no formal dressing nights on NCL. It's the beauty of freestyle.

[Majestic-NJ]

Thanks for this thread. Considering our first NCL cruise (on the Getaway) after sailing several times on RCL, Disney, and Carnival. Great links to other reviews as well.

[melinda0222]

Thanks for this thread. Considering our first NCL cruise (on the Getaway) after sailing several times on RCL, Disney, and Carnival. Great links to other reviews as well.

 

I fall in this category as well. We have cruised Disney 3 times, RCL twice, Carnival once, and Celebrity once. We set sail on the Getaway in 5 days. I am so excited and anxious to compare to other cruise lines. I am a huge fan of Disney, so it will be interesting to compare the two.

[beerman2]

Just off the Epic compared to RCI Freedom we did in Oct.

These are my observations

RCI waitstaff ( food/bars) better/ more friendly

 

NCL freestyle dining/ dress code liked the casual however ate at Cagneys and a person had on shorts and tee shirt didn't think that was suppose to be the case

 

NCL entertainment is better

 

RCI thought dining room food was served at correct temps 3 different times on Epic food temp was below par and had incorrect entree served

 

Buffet is what it is .

RCI had better carving station for lunch

 

NCL their Pizza on buffet puts RCI sorrentos to shame

 

NCL had fantastic chix fingers on buffet for a quick bite at lunch and their Burgers were good.

 

RCI seemed to have more seating available on the Freedom than the Epic had in the buffet area.

 

Staff can make a cruise much more pleasant and IMHO RCI far better than NCL

 

 

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[Majestic-NJ]

I fall in this category as well. We have cruised Disney 3 times, RCL twice, Carnival once, and Celebrity once. We set sail on the Getaway in 5 days. I am so excited and anxious to compare to other cruise lines. I am a huge fan of Disney, so it will be interesting to compare the two.

 

I'd be very interested in hearing your post cruise analysis. Can you be sure to reply with a follow up? :)

[melinda0222]

I'd be very interested in hearing your post cruise analysis. Can you be sure to reply with a follow up? :)

 

 

I will follow up and let you know. 53 hours.

[Majestic-NJ]

i will follow up and let you know. 53 hours.

 

enjoy your cruise!! :) :d

[UPNYGuy]

We were on the Jade in October. DW and I were devoted to sailing on HAL (3 star mariner working to 4). That is until we sailed on Breakaway. We sailed on her again, 3 months after. We came back, booked the cruise on Jade, and are now going to be leaving on another cruise on BA next month. YMMV, but we have found the staff, service, food, and ship condition and cleanliness to be a full tick above HAL (possibly x too in your case).

 

 

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[MATHA531]

Big difference...RCL serves coke products and as a matter of fact, some of their ships have the new coke machines with 100 different flavours. With NCL, you're stuck with a small variety of pepsi products. UGH.