Princess vs. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)

[dee66]

Hi,

 

We just finished our first cruise ever on the Coral Princess to Alaska. We are considering doing a cruise on the NCL Epic. I was wondering what are the differences between Princess and NCL. We really enjoyed the Coral Princess and the Princess way of doing things.

 

Thanks for the information.

[JMHAM1]

We were wondering the same thing but in the opposite direction....familiar with NCL and trying Princess for the first time. On NCL we loved the freestyle dining and thought the Blue Lagoon was wonderful. I really love the NCL Bliss bedding. Haven't tried the Epic yet as there have been mixed reviews of that Super Ship.

 

All I can say is try it and see for yourself!

[more cruises]

It's not so much which cruiseline is better. It's about which cruiseline is a better fit for you. We've cruised both lines several times and Princess wins for us. For some reason we just feel a little more special on Princess. I like that both lines have nice dinner buffets. (Carnival RCI and HAL do not.) Princess will usually have some of their main dining room entrees in the buffet. NCL doesn't.

 

I guess the only solution is to try them both and see for yourself. We did that once as a b2b. It was a hoot. First week on Emerald Princess. Second week on NCL Jewel. Loved them both.

[SteveH2508]

Follow the link in my Sig block for my review comparing Princess and NCL (from 2010 in Europe)

[doktor]

Hi,

 

We just finished our first cruise ever on the Coral Princess to Alaska. We are considering doing a cruise on the NCL Epic. I was wondering what are the differences between Princess and NCL. We really enjoyed the Coral Princess and the Princess way of doing things.

 

Thanks for the information.

I have told via friend who is a loyal Princess fan who sailed the Epic this past January. She said, it was the worst ship she had ever been on.(done at least 80 sailings) It has some serious design flaw, like the sink in the bedroom, and not a real bathroom.

[Cruzman]

Sailed NCL once; that was enough for me. I simply do not like the way things are done on NCL. It's hard to describe, but I would call it helter skelter.

[cynbar]

We prefer Princess first, then Celebrity, then NCL, but we will sail any of them if the itinerary and price are right. NCL has a totally different ambiance than Princess, VERY casual all the time. There are no required formal nights,which we didn't really miss, but we found the dress code to be non-existent. It is not unusual to see people in the MDR at night in rumpled shorts or sweatpants, which I do think detracts from the atmosphere of a nice dining venue. We also found the food a step down, at least in the MDR. We had to go to a specialty restaurant to get a dinner equivalent to what we have had on Princess or Celebrity. But the staff on NCL was wonderful, ships were clean and the decor quite lively,and we liked the variety of specialty dining available. Just be ready for a very different experience from Princess, which is elegant and refined vs. NCL's active and casual. I haven't been on Epic, however, but I expect the overall atmosphere to be about the same.

[billco]

We have 10 cruises on Princess and one on NCL. Last year, we did a Transatlantic cruise on the NCL Sun from Dover to Port Canaveral. While we prefer Princess and will achieve Elite status next year, there were some things I liked better on the Sun:

1. As a runner I preferred the Promenade Deck on the Sun to any of the Princess ships. The Sun's Promenade Deck was wide. one level, had clear direction markers and lanes designated for runners and walkers.

2. My wife liked having a couch and coffee maker in our balcony stateroom.

3. Freestyle Dining had lots of tables for two. Though we asked if we would mind sharing, we were always led to a table for two if that was our preference.

[FawnRiver]

We've only cruised on Princess, so I can't comment directly on any other cruiseline, but when we first started looking, a friend of ours (a seasoned cruiser) told us to avoid NCL, because of the food.

She was on an Alaska cruise with her family and one night in the MDR, her brother ordered the roast turkey and got deli turkey (you know, the rolled stuff that doesn't look anything like turkey). That was enough for us. That was a long time ago and she may have just been unlucky, but it was enough for us to put NCL lower on the list of cruiselines to try.

[Tyskie]

We've been on 2 NCL (both times the Jewel) and 6+ Princess. I was sold on Princess...............they took me dragging and kicking on NCL in 2010 and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Balcony rooms are smaller on NCL but loved the way the balconies opened up (we had 3 cabins in a row). Bedding about the same, beds more comfortable than Princess. Both lines, very clean, loved the crew. Food, although it's more subjective..............hands down Princess is better. Did I dislike the food on NCL, nope ! I think to me it's more about pricing and ports. NCL is more casual which is nice not to have to pack the dressy stuff but I do feel like more of a "princess" on Princess. They tell me Princess does Alaska the best.............NCL, does Hawaii the best. Still waiting for those trips.:D

[hubofhockey]

They tell me Princess does Alaska the best.............NCL, does Hawaii the best. Still waiting for those trips.:D

 

We have a Princess lined up for British Isles and RCI on the Allure for the next two years (2012 & 2013). After that, we'd like to do Alaska and none of the cruiselines are sending newer ships there. Lots of time for research. But I'd be nervous about older ships on Carnival and NCL and we'll focus more on Princess, Celebrity, and RCI.

[Tyskie]

We have a Princess lined up for British Isles and RCI on the Allure for the next two years (2012 & 2013). After that, we'd like to do Alaska and none of the cruiselines are sending newer ships there. Lots of time for research. But I'd be nervous about older ships on Carnival and NCL and we'll focus more on Princess, Celebrity, and RCI.

 

From the research I have done on Alaska, do the land tour first and then the cruise. Island Princess gets the best rating but many love the Coral. Everyone I ever spoke to about Alaska said Princess is tops!

[GROOVERS]

As you can see from the sig, we've been with NCL for a while, but after looking around, we dumped NCL. They tried to jerk the price up, too far up. And they were not friendly, so my money goes else where! If you like being with masses, and herded with folks, NCL is great, but I want a little bit of TLC, and don't mind paying for it, I changed cruise lines...It's my money, and I choose who who I make company with. ;)

[dbeckett]

In this thread two people commented that you could see from the sig which cruises they had done (or were upcoming). I used to see the sigs and the countdowns for each poster but they seem to have gone (maybe due to IE9 or windows 7) but if anyone knows how to turn them on I'd appreciate knowing.

 

Thanks

[rdsqrl]

We've only cruised on Princess, so I can't comment directly on any other cruiseline, but when we first started looking, a friend of ours (a seasoned cruiser) told us to avoid NCL, because of the food.

She was on an Alaska cruise with her family and one night in the MDR, her brother ordered the roast turkey and got deli turkey (you know, the rolled stuff that doesn't look anything like turkey). That was enough for us. That was a long time ago and she may have just been unlucky, but it was enough for us to put NCL lower on the list of cruiselines to try.

OMG, same here! It was the first night, of my first-ever cruise, an an NCL ship whose name escapes me for the moment. The least unappealing dinner selection was the turkey (and I really don't like turkey enough to eat it more than once a year at Thanksgiving, so that'll tell you how pitiful the menu was). When it arrived, yes, pressed! Like you'd get in a school cafeteria or something. If we hadn't already been out to sea, I might have disembarked there and then. Years later, that remains my most vivid memory of an entire cruise's worth of food. So, OP, you've been warned . . .

[Lineaway]

You will get alot of opinions on both lines. However, you mentioned the Epic. I suggest you look online at NCL website and look at the cabin layouts. The toilet is in one corner of the room and the shower in the other. The sink is right by the bed. Its the most screwball design I can imagine. Now, you probably think there is some sort of divider between and that I may be stretching things a bit. So, go on youtube and type in epic cabin and see the video of the cabin interior.

 

We almost booked the Epic until I was warned about the cabins. It was a deal breaker. I have been on three NCL and have my first Princess cruise booked for Jan.

[PescadoAmarillo]

My experience on NCL is old (11 years) and short (7 days). But I have to say it was the only cruise we've ever been on where we ate the first night in the dining room and, based on that experience, ate every subsequent night in specialty dining. Luckily, back then, the cost was $5 per person. And the specialty restaurant was on the top level of the ship with ceiling to floor windows and this was Alaska with 10pm semi-sunsets. So, a table for two by one of those windows with those views...it was a pretty memorable cruise.

 

But we haven't returned to NCL. Just too many negatives compared to our then favorites, RC and Celebrity.

[mr green]

I gave up on NCL some years ago. Unless you wish to go with a younger crowd, go with Princess, this line IMO, and my TA will not two bit you to death as it seems NCL still does. As of three years ago it was reported on these boards that while Princess spent about $13.00 per person per day for food, NCL spent a mere $7.20c!!!

 

john

[KansasCityGuys]

I have sailed on both Princess and NCL and as you can tell from my signature my next cruise is on Princess and the one after that is on NCL. I agree with others that the taste of the food is subjective but I think Princess is a little better in the food category. As for the cabins; it all depends on whether you want more space in the actual cabin itself or you are an over packer like we are. Even on the inside staterooms on NCL, there is a little loveseat in the room. But for the over packers, the closet/bathroom layout is much better. The closet is a lot bigger and gives you more space for all your clothes than NCL does. One of my main grips about NCL is; if someone is trying to get something out of the closet or one of the drawers at the same time as the other person is coming out of the bathroom, that person will get hit by the bath room door.

 

Scott

[ThanxMM]

We are really looking forward to our first Princess cruise, but we have sailed NCL and there were several things we didn't like.

 

1. There was often an hour or more wait to eat in one of the dining rooms at popular dinner times.

 

2. We booked an interior cabin for 4, which we have done comfortably on many other cruises (kids are small, luckily). We expected two twins and two pull-downs. Instead, there were two twins, one pull down, and one bed that rolled out from under another. You could not walk between the beds when that one was out. VERY uncomfortable set-up.

 

3. It seemed that there was a charge for every little thing on NCL, making us feel like we were nickeled and dimed to death.

[Highlander1]

One thing about CC members, they are loyal to a flaw. Post the same comparison on the NCL board and you'll get the NCL fans supporting their favorite line. Truth is, there are small differences but for the most part, all major cruise lines are very good at what they do, so choose the itinerary, ship, and cost that best fits your needs. We tried all the major lines except Carnival over the last 3 years and wouldn't hesitate to book with any of them again. Enjoy!!

[curlygirlygirl]

We have 10 cruises on Princess and one on NCL. Last year, we did a Transatlantic cruise on the NCL Sun from Dover to Port Canaveral. While we prefer Princess and will achieve Elite status next year, there were some things I liked better on the Sun:

1. As a runner I preferred the Promenade Deck on the Sun to any of the Princess ships. The Sun's Promenade Deck was wide. one level, had clear direction markers and lanes designated for runners and walkers.

2. My wife liked having a couch and coffee maker in our balcony stateroom.

3. Freestyle Dining had lots of tables for two. Though we asked if we would mind sharing, we were always led to a table for two if that was our preference.

 

How wonderful! Princess really needs this on their ships. It's so frustrating getting stuck behind a family of 4 waddling alongside each other, totally clueless about what's going on around them...

[sbflcruiser]

While I will not say never, it was by far our least favorite as far as cruise lines go. We travelled with some great friends so that was the best part. The rooms are the smallest I have ever encountered on a cruise line, however I did like their shower better for the curve out curtain and the removeable shower head(one you could hold). The food was not to our liking, everything was extremely salty or lack in flavor. However, the price was dirt cheap for the cruise and we were with great friends, so if the circumstances were right again, might be considered.

 

Our favorite line is Princess, however, we also like Royal and Carnival, will be doing a Celebrity in November. So far the only line I would be recultant to book again to date is NCL. Not everyone has that experience as many people like the line, that is the wonderful thing about cruising, so many to choose from and something for all.

[itzmered]

We have sailed both and these were our opinions:

 

Food - Princess better in the MDR NCL much better buffet

NCL had several pay restuarants and we really enjoyed the variety to chose from Princess only has 2.

 

Entertainment - Princess is ok NCL was had much better shows and we loved the Second City comedians I have read that the entertainment on the EPIC is awesome and we plan on booking a cruise to find out :)

 

Activities - I enjoyed both but really like MUTS which NCL does not have and I think NCL had a better variety of daily activities than Princess does. I can only play Trivia so much or do exercise classes so many times :)

 

Cabins - Love love love Princess closet space NCL was a little on the small side. NCL balcony cabins have a small sitting area but I am not willing to pay for a minisuite on Princess to get that. NCL's showers were better than Princess shower

 

All said and done I have no problem booking either one and look at the itinerary to make my decision. So far Princess has had several itineraries that we have liked but we will go back to NCL in the future.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have said for years I would not book NCL, but if you look at my signature you will see I did go on a NCL cruise in May (never say never...lesson learned). We are booking cruises primarily for itinerary these days, and for our first ever trip to Hawaii the NCL POA cruise was perfect for us. We combined the cruise with shore vacation time pre and post cruise. Combined with an overnight in both Maui and Kaui, it was perfect.

 

We had a very enjoyable time, but on the NCL Boards they will warn you that the POA is not a fair comparison to the other ships in the fleet. It is designed expressly for the port intensive Hawaii itinerary and is not equipped with all the amenities of the other ships. However, we did like the casual atmosphere for Hawaii & not having to worry about a formal night when we were in port every day (& I usually like formal nights). We ate dinner in the buffet a couple of nights and it was excellent Dinner in the MDR was better some nights than others. Since you have different servers each night we found that our experiences coincided with the ability of our server. No pressed turkey, though. The food was good.

 

The best thing that impressed me was how NCL handled our Roll Call's M&M. I contacted them with only a couple of days to spare that we planned our M&M at a certain time. They changed our location from a public lounge to a private room, but kept the same time. When we arrived we found all the major officers from the Captain to the hotel manager & head chef waiting for us, including the CD on the busy turn-around day just a couple of hours before sailing. They had a reception line for us, had non-alcoholic beverages, cookies and sandwiches for us. A bartender was there for those who wanted to have a more adult beverage. They greeted us and then told us they were hoping we would live up to our name as "Cruise Critics" and asked us to meet once again on the last day of the cruise to give honest feedback, which we did. The Captain explained that this was the method NCL was using across the fleet to improve customer service at the ship level. I can tell you our service was outstanding, which was far above reviews from sailings of a year or two before. We all felt as if they really cared and went out of the way to give us a wonderful week.

 

On Princess we have gotten one bar tender and a few dried snacks in a carafe. No officers have ever shown up in my two experiences. One time we were shooed out of the Princess provided venue after 45 minutes so they could set up for a wedding. We definitely felt more valued as a group on NCL.

 

The Princess ships are more elegant and the staff more white glove and formal than the mostly American, casual but friendly crew on the POA. However, if the itinerary were right I would not hesitate to book an NCL cruise again. I agree to check out each ship on it's own merits if itinerary is not your main focus. I have also read some concerning reviews about the Epic. Maybe the input of Cruise Critic members will have an impact on that ship, too.:cool: