How would you compare NCL to Celebrity?

[cjcruises]

Hi :)

 

We have sailed X twice, most recently Solstice for a 12-night Med last Fall. NCL's recent offering of "Kids Sail Free" made a Dec Panama Canal aboard NCL Star to good an offer to pass up.

 

I am expecting that NCL will be significantly different from X. (I'm expecting it to be more casual and probably catering to a younger demographic - which is fine as we are in our 30s and sailing with 3 kids ages 10 & 12).

 

Having only ever sailed X, Princess (including the Panama Canal) and once on RCI (which was our least favourite cruise), I am curious how others, who have sailed any of those lines (but, specifically, X) compare them with NCL.

 

TIA

[Shake]

This is just a guess, no experience here.

 

NCL would be somewhere between RCCL and Carnival. Not even close to Celebrity.

[NLH Arizona]

Hi :)

 

We have sailed X twice, most recently Solstice for a 12-night Med last Fall. NCL's recent offering of "Kids Sail Free" made a Dec Panama Canal aboard NCL Star to good an offer to pass up.

 

I am expecting that NCL will be significantly different from X. (I'm expecting it to be more casual and probably catering to a younger demographic - which is fine as we are in our 30s and sailing with 3 kids ages 10 & 12).

 

Having only ever sailed X, Princess (including the Panama Canal) and once on RCI (which was our least favourite cruise), I am curious how others, who have sailed any of those lines (but, specifically, X) compare them with NCL.

 

TIA

I've cruise on both lines. My next cruise will be on NCL (with my Harrah's card, I get a great discount).

 

They are two different experiences, in my estimation. Celebrity is much more dressy, while NCL is very casual. Celebrity has formal nights and when I was on NCL, they had a dress up or not night. NCL has many more "fee" restaurants; I did not eat in the MDR and chose to eat in the "fee" restaurants and all but one was excellent. From what I saw, there is a lot more things for your children to do on NCL. I was in a balcony cabin on NCL, which was quite a bit smaller than those on Celebrity, but had adequate storage space. The crew on NCL was excellent, as is the crew on Celebrity. And yes, I would imagine that the average age of passengers is much lower (and more children) than that of Celebrity, but there are still passengers of all ages. On NCL, there is smoking in the casino and on balconies, where on Celebrity both are non-smoking.

 

If you go in, not expecting NCL to be Celebrity, you should have a great time. In my opinion, any cruise is a great cruise and I don't sweat the small stuff, because after all I'm on vacation.

[kitty9]

Some will say they think any cruise line is fine, while others will say they won't cruise certain lines again. For me, after sailing NCL twice, I won't sail that line again. Food and service just isn't up to par on NCL when compared to X. Plus, I'm not into the all casual atmosphere on NCL. But if the deal is too good, then go for it and set your expectations accordingly.

[wallie5446]

Would'nt. Last NCL was over 15 yrs ago and we have not read or heard enought to get us to try them again.

[gelo7]

I've cruise on both lines. My next cruise will be on NCL (with my Harrah's card, I get a great discount).

 

They are two different experiences, in my estimation. Celebrity is much more dressy, while NCL is very casual. Celebrity has formal nights and when I was on NCL, they had a dress up or not night. NCL has many more "fee" restaurants; I did not eat in the MDR and chose to eat in the "fee" restaurants and all but one was excellent. From what I saw, there is a lot more things for your children to do on NCL. I was in a balcony cabin on NCL, which was quite a bit smaller than those on Celebrity, but had adequate storage space. The crew on NCL was excellent, as is the crew on Celebrity. And yes, I would imagine that the average age of passengers is much lower (and more children) than that of Celebrity, but there are still passengers of all ages. On NCL, there is smoking in the casino and on balconies, where on Celebrity both are non-smoking.

 

If you go in, not expecting NCL to be Celebrity, you should have a great time. In my opinion, any cruise is a great cruise and I don't sweat the small stuff, because after all I'm on vacation.

I concur and I will add, that the demographics on a Panama Canal cruise will be different from the shorter itineraries.

[Turtles06]

I've sailed both lines. I love NCL's freestyle dining -- eat when you want, where you want. There's a lot to be said for that, which is why the other cruise lines have tried to copy the concept, but really don't have the necessary dining facilities on their ships to do it as well as NCL does it. The food on X is better and X is a more upscale cruise line than NCL. X has a far better no-smoking policy, and that's a huge plus. NCL is more casual than X.

 

I've enjoyed my cruises on both lines, but I think the two are very different.

[dwjoe]

I've sailed X once and NCL twice.

 

X was an older crowd, more traditional, with some nice elegant touches and more sophisticated onboard activities.

 

NCL is younger, more casual (you won't need to pack a suit), and has very good entertainment and shows.

 

I found service on both lines efficient. More elegant on X, friendlier on NCL.

 

I enjoyed both lines.

[Macadian]

I've sailed both lines. I love NCL's freestyle dining -- eat when you want, where you want. There's a lot to be said for that, which is why the other cruise lines have tried to copy the concept, but really don't have the necessary dining facilities on their ships to do it as well as NCL does it. The food on X is better and X is a more upscale cruise line than NCL. X has a far better no-smoking policy, and that's a huge plus. NCL is more casual than X.

 

I've enjoyed my cruises on both lines, but I think the two are very different.

 

We have sailed three past cruises with NCL and we really like the free style dining. Other than the smoking policy NCL has, I have no complaints at all, all our cruises with them have been really good. However, we will be trying Celebrity next time around, only for their 'No smoking' policy on state room balconies. As they say, a change is as good as a rest and we look forward to comparing them with our forth coming 'Celebrity' experience.

[omeinv]

Some will say they think any cruise line is fine, while others will say they won't cruise certain lines again. For me, after sailing NCL twice, I won't sail that line again. Food and service just isn't up to par on NCL when compared to X. Plus, I'm not into the all casual atmosphere on NCL. But if the deal is too good, then go for it and set your expectations accordingly.

 

 

The above exactly mirrors my experience. Service not even close, food not even close. Entertainment not even close. I found the anytime dining to be a hassle, since you have to either make reservations much earlier, or wait.

 

The other thing that I wasn't used to, and found unpleasant, was the really constant hard-sell for everything. constant announcements, trying to sell pull tickets before the shows, just not a pleasant experience.

 

If I won a free NCL cruise I would certainly take it; but otherwise, no thanks,

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Kam55]

I have sailed both and think Turtles06 is spot on. I love Celebrity for what I look for in sailing (good food , great service, relaxing, etc.) but think it is a little sedate for younger people. But having said that we meant many couples your age who only do Celebrity. I was on NCL's Epic on a European cruise and really enjoyed it mostly due to the friendly bar staff and their entertainment was better. I prefer Celebrity but would sail NCL again if the itinerary and price was right.

[Poconolady]

I've sailed X once and NCL twice.

 

X was an older crowd, more traditional, with some nice elegant touches and more sophisticated onboard activities.

 

NCL is younger, more casual (you won't need to pack a suit), and has very good entertainment and shows.

 

I found service on both lines efficient. More elegant on X, friendlier on NCL.

 

I enjoyed both lines.

 

Been on both, and definitely prefer X , exp now that we are a little older.

NCL was great when we cruised as a family. much more for kids to do, and more eating venues that would appeal to kids. Agreed that Panama Canal will be a different crowd than Caribbean, but with Kids Cruise Free, all routes will probably be packed with families.

 

Only you really know your kids, can they sit quietly thru a multi-course meal in the dining room? Do they balk at wearing long pants or dresses, in order to meet the dress code? Can they entertain themselves in the evening? If the above would be problem with your family,then your obvious choice would be NCL where your kids would be more comfortable.

[cjcruises]

Thanks for the responses. We have enjoyed both of our X cruises immensely and, all things being equal, I'd choose X over any line every time (with Princess a close 2nd). I have no doubt we'll sail with X again soon. Again, the deal was too sweet to pass up. Kids sailing free and a suite for an amazing price, ... I'm willing to "downgrade" a bit if it means a 14 night vacation in lieu of a 7-nighter!

 

I'm not expecting the NCL cruise to be the same experience as X. We're pretty easy to please, so I think we'll be just fine. As long as the food is good and I'm not surrounded by drunks, I'm happy. We didn't find the entertainment aboard Solstice to be good at all (aside from the Hot Glass Show, which we LOVED), yet we still loved our experience aboard that ship. If the entertainment on Star isn't our cup of tea, we'll be fine regardless.

 

No line is perfect, I suppose, and yet we've enjoyed every cruise thus far. I don't expect this one to be any diffferent. Really, cruising for 2 weeks with my husband and kids, ... service and food would have to be pretty awful to turn this into a bad experience.

[jackdiamond]

Shake is correct. However, I understand that NCL (with the exception of their significant suites) is much cheaper. One of my favorite aphorisms is: "You get what you pay for".

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks for the responses. We have enjoyed both of our X cruises immensely and, all things being equal, I'd choose X over any line every time (with Princess a close 2nd). I have no doubt we'll sail with X again soon. Again, the deal was too sweet to pass up. Kids sailing free and a suite for an amazing price, ... I'm willing to "downgrade" a bit if it means a 14 night vacation in lieu of a 7-nighter!

 

I'm not expecting the NCL cruise to be the same experience as X. We're pretty easy to please, so I think we'll be just fine. As long as the food is good and I'm not surrounded by drunks, I'm happy. We didn't find the entertainment aboard Solstice to be good at all (aside from the Hot Glass Show, which we LOVED), yet we still loved our experience aboard that ship. If the entertainment on Star isn't our cup of tea, we'll be fine regardless.

 

No line is perfect, I suppose, and yet we've enjoyed every cruise thus far. I don't expect this one to be any diffferent. Really, cruising for 2 weeks with my husband and kids, ... service and food would have to be pretty awful to turn this into a bad experience.

I was very apprehensive about my first NCL cruise (last April), since I usually cruised with Crystal and Celebrity. But I was quite surprised, especially with the service. And since then, I've got two more NCL cruises booked and, of course, one more on Celebrity. You're going in with the right attitude - don't expect NCL to be the same experience as Celebrity - and I'll bet you will have a great time. I'm not one to go to the entertainment, but have heard nothing but rave reviews about NCL's. Enjoy!

[chill6x6]

I'll be on the Star in about three weeks. I've sail NCL once before. Was aboard the Ruby Princess in November. The Ruby Princess IMO is probably the IDEAL cruise ship. Really excellent. Beyond that....I thought NCL compared very favorably. Staff as a whole was better. No where near as pretentious!

 

I don't see how anyone could NOT enjoy the current NCL product!

[jd1966]

I was very apprehensive about my first NCL cruise (last April), since I usually cruised with Crystal and Celebrity. But I was quite surprised, especially with the service. And since then, I've got two more NCL cruises booked and, of course, one more on Celebrity. You're going in with the right attitude - don't expect NCL to be the same experience as Celebrity - and I'll bet you will have a great time. I'm not one to go to the entertainment, but have heard nothing but rave reviews about NCL's. Enjoy!

I would totally agree with these comments after taking our first NCL cruise last September. Being a ten day cruise during school season made it an older crowd (of which I am a member). We also really liked the freestyle atmosphere and didn't bother taking formal wear:D The food was very good but probably not up to Celebrity level. The entertainment (on the GEM) was some of the best we have seen! Crew was super friendly and we had no problems with dining arrangements. We certainly won't give up X (next two cruises are booked) but we have also booked another NCL cruise. Go with an open mind and you will have a blast!

[mcrcruiser]

Comparing NCL to Celebrity is like comparing apples to Oranges. A better comparison would be NCL & Carnival .:p

 

Celebrity first off gets a demographic age group between 40 to 80 as the greater majority of it's passengers ;where as NCL attracts more younger people because of the Free Style Cruising (non dress up for formal nights ie ):o .If you compare ship size to ship size the space ratio on NCL in the public areas is more in line with Carnival ,where Celebrity & Holland are more alike with more elbow room for it's guests:D

[4liberty]

The entertainment on NCL far exceeds Celebrity's offerings. You should have no complaints there. The food is another matter.

 

NCL's buffet is fine, but last time we sailed with them, I felt their main dining room food was comparable to a Denny's (their menu *sounds* delicious, but imagine what you would expect to receive if you ordered a steak at Denny's!). Halfway through the cruise we decided to eat dinner in the extra-pay restaurants for the rest of the nights, and then we were happy.

 

Upon returning home, we decided we wouldn't sail NCL again without planning to avoid the main dining room every night. Budget $10-$25 per person per evening for dining in one of their specialty restaurants (which are excellent and varied), and your family will have a fantastic time.

 

Hope this helps!

[CathyCruises]

I'll be on the Star in about three weeks. I've sail NCL once before. Was aboard the Ruby Princess in November. The Ruby Princess IMO is probably the IDEAL cruise ship. Really excellent. Beyond that....I thought NCL compared very favorably. Staff as a whole was better. No where near as pretentious!

 

I don't see how anyone could NOT enjoy the current NCL product!

 

I don't know how the Ruby compares to the Sapphire, or if you've ever cruised on an S Class ship, but I REALLY disliked the Sapphire and would never consider cruising on a ship of that class again. Just goes to show ya, different strokes and all that!;) Luckily we have many many choices out there.

[Oville]

Thanks for the responses. We have enjoyed both of our X cruises immensely and, all things being equal, I'd choose X over any line every time (with Princess a close 2nd). I have no doubt we'll sail with X again soon. Again, the deal was too sweet to pass up. Kids sailing free and a suite for an amazing price, ... I'm willing to "downgrade" a bit if it means a 14 night vacation in lieu of a 7-nighter!

 

I'm not expecting the NCL cruise to be the same experience as X. We're pretty easy to please, so I think we'll be just fine. As long as the food is good and I'm not surrounded by drunks, I'm happy. We didn't find the entertainment aboard Solstice to be good at all (aside from the Hot Glass Show, which we LOVED), yet we still loved our experience aboard that ship. If the entertainment on Star isn't our cup of tea, we'll be fine regardless.

 

No line is perfect, I suppose, and yet we've enjoyed every cruise thus far. I don't expect this one to be any diffferent. Really, cruising for 2 weeks with my husband and kids, ... service and food would have to be pretty awful to turn this into a bad experience.

 

NCL has a wonderful program for suites' guests, Celebrity has no comparable benefit. You'll be able to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's, NCL's steakhouse, and both are delicious. Also as a suite guest you will be invited to a party the Captain hosts which is always enjoyable.

 

If affordable try a few speciality restaurants such as Le Bistro and the Asian fusion spot. Both terrific and significantly cheaper than similar restaurants on Celebrity.

 

We are big Celebrity fans but make it a point to sail NCL at least once a year.

[Oville]

Shake is correct. However, I understand that NCL (with the exception of their significant suites) is much cheaper. One of my favorite aphorisms is: "You get what you pay for".

 

Funny, the last few years we haven't seen a big discount on NCL vs Celebrity. In fact we've moved a few cruises from NCL to X based on price.

[bottomfeeder]

Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I enjoyed my NCL Sky cruise over Thanksgiving this past year. For myself I'd prefer Celebrity, but I was with my 24 and 20 year old sons and I figured they'd appreciate the livelier atmosphere on NCL. Plus, Celebrity didn't have any shorter cruises in the Caribbean at that time of year.

 

I did find the frequent "Guess what time it is? That's right, BINGO TIME!" announcements and the like a little annoying. We ate in each of the specialty restaurants for dinner and so only had dinner in the MDR once, but it was okay. The specialty restaurants were quite good.

 

The ship was clean, the staff were efficient and friendly, I didn't witness anyone overly drunk or otherwise out of control...and especially if you'll have a suite, which I hear NCL does VERY well, you will all have a great time I'm sure. Enjoy! :)

[dkjretired]

Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I enjoyed my NCL Sky cruise over Thanksgiving this past year. For myself I'd prefer Celebrity, but I was with my 24 and 20 year old sons and I figured they'd appreciate the livelier atmosphere on NCL. Plus, Celebrity didn't have any shorter cruises in the Caribbean at that time of year.

 

I did find the frequent "Guess what time it is? That's right, BINGO TIME!" announcements and the like a little annoying. We ate in each of the specialty restaurants for dinner and so only had dinner in the MDR once, but it was okay. The specialty restaurants were quite good.

 

The ship was clean, the staff were efficient and friendly, I didn't witness anyone overly drunk or otherwise out of control...and especially if you'll have a suite, which I hear NCL does VERY well, you will all have a great time I'm sure. Enjoy! :)

 

Agree about the Bingo, they were really pushing that on our NCL cruises.

 

I have done both in the last three years, 5 on Celebrity and 2 on NCL with another NCL in three weeks. These were free cruises on NCL with Harrahs.

 

Most significant difference was the smoking policy. On Celebrity it was almost as if the ship was a non smoking ship totally, NCL was like a smokestack all over the ship.

 

Food and service much better on Celebrity, entertainment on NCL way ahead of Celebrity. Specialties on Celebrity were better in my opinion but some will disagree with that. I have never stayed in NCL suites but understand they are wonderful.

 

We enjoyed both lines, had different expectations on NCL than on Celebrity.

 

One footnote on the price which I found unusual. Our unpcoming NCL cruise had been booked for awhile and as stated was free. We decided to take our son as a third person in the cabin and I was checking prices to see if the third person prices would go down as we had to pay for the third. If I were to book the cruise without the free cruise, the third person prices were higher than the first and second. Never saw that before.

[drarill]

NCL has a wonderful program for suites' guests, Celebrity has no comparable benefit. You'll be able to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's, NCL's steakhouse, and both are delicious. Also as a suite guest you will be invited to a party the Captain hosts which is always enjoyable.

 

If affordable try a few speciality restaurants such as Le Bistro and the Asian fusion spot. Both terrific and significantly cheaper than similar restaurants on Celebrity.

 

We are big Celebrity fans but make it a point to sail NCL at least once a year.

Agree about the suite's benefits. We had suites in Disney, RCCL, Celebrity and NCL and I have to say that the suite experience in NCL is the best. Butler and Concierge service, breakfast and lunch in Cagneys. Even they layout of our suite is our favorite so far. For dinner we used the specialty restaurants and were always happy, but we didn't like the dinning room.

About the smoking policy in NCL, I'm really sensitive to smoke and was not bother at all by it, maybe we were lucky. We moved from RCCL to Celebrity because we can't stand their smoking policy anymore. Our experience with RCCL's indoor smoking has been the worst and we always get a chain smoker next to our cabin and can't enjoy our balcony. Again, maybe not lucky with RCCL :mad: