NCL vs. other lines...but NOT DCL!

[Sauer-kraut]

Here's my take: Did you realize most Disney cruisers use the Disney Boards not Cruise Critic to blog about the cruises? You might have a different opinion if you went over there.

 

IF you are thinking you are all wanting to eat together ALL THE TIME, freestyle really isn't for you. BUT it is wonderful if your group doesn't want to adhere to a standard assigned seating. Say for instance, that you've had a long beach day and nobody feels like rushing to get dressed showered and ready for the early seating. Nor, would they be willing to wait for their assigned late seating if they were starving.

 

Think carefully about what the group dynamic is, maybe designate one or two nights were everyone will be together and then just be a fluid group orbiting around each other.

[gemcrusier]

I actually posted this on HAL, but figured I should post it here too.

 

My husband surprised me with a cruise for our 15 year anniversary. We are going with our children, my parents, in-laws and siblings with their families, 17 of us altogether.

 

 

 

Your Husband is a wonderful man for doing this I hope your family has a wonderful time and safe travels.

 

I would not go on HAL with that many children a little to dressy and older crowd .

 

I love NCL and the freedom to do or not the ships are fun and some of them have the DreamWorks experience, Dora, Sponge Bob you have to check the sailing I think it is extra for breakfast with the characters.

 

I have taken a number of cruises and with different lines and love cruising and have always wanted to take my family . I know what ship I would pick ...Royal Caribbean Oasis it has so much to do see and experience it is a city with central park , carnival stuff, water shows, ice skating, movies and more check it out .

[PROCRUISE]

It could well be that on every cruise line, it often depends upon ones expectations and the actual ship that one is on, as to whether one has a great time. As you can see, I've been on a few cruises and a few different lines. If I were to pick a particular vessel on each line it would be easy, but it only reflects my opinion. If I were to go again on NCL, I found The Sun to be a gem. On HAL, I liked The Eurodam. On CCL, The Breeze and on Celebrity, The Equinox. HAL and Celebrity are more "refined" and likewise also cost more. CCL and Norwegian are similar but Norwegian has passed CCL when it comes to quality, at least on The Sun. So shop around, study the member reviews, on CC, of ships that you're considering and just have an enjoyable cruise. :)

[mrobstad]

The newer, bigger ships are more expensive, but offer better entertainment, more slides and sports activities, more dining venues, the latter both free and for an up charge. As for itineraries, southern Caribbean is more than eastern and western. Both RCCL and NCL have kids activities. To me, those two lines are similar for newer ships....check out prices for NCL getaway....some great deals to be had!

[RJ2002]

We have just recently went on our 1st NCL cruise and IMHO not the best choice for families...

 

Wow, first time I've read that about NCL. :eek:

[newmexicoNita]

I actually posted this on HAL, but figured I should post it here too.

 

My husband surprised me with a cruise for our 15 year anniversary. We are going with our children, my parents, in-laws and siblings with their families, 17 of us altogether.

 

We were going to go on a Disney cruise, but after spending the day reading through the posts in the Disney forum, I changed my mind. The way they respond to people who are just seeking information or giving advice, is absolutely nauseating. If the group there is indicative of the people on the Disney ships, then I have no interest in being a part of that. I actually like it that you guys here are so defensive and passionate about NCL. Makes me think it must be pretty special! Here you get angry at "outsiders," but over at DCL they're rude to each other.

 

After speaking to my husband, and looking at the boards here, we have narrowed it down to HAL, NCL and Royal Caribbean. We will probably travel at some time in November 2014 because that is when everyone can get away. I know absolutely nothing about cruising, but have read-up enough to know that each line has it's own style and activities.

 

Can those of you who have been on NCL, or the other lines I mentioned too, tell me if there is anything unique about each cruise line? For example, I have heard HAL is more formal and I know that NCL has this "freestyle" dining. Is this true? Any information you could give would be great.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

All 3 are good lines, Not knowing how old the kids are, makes it a little harder, but I would be prepared for not only the formality of HAL but the overall age group. We love the service on HAL, the food and the beauty of the ships, but for families I am not so sure. The last time we cruised them we were in our late 60s and felt too young. There were a few kids, not many and the activities were not as busy as other lines, plus the entertainment was geared to seniors.

 

The biggest difference between RCI and NCL will be the total freestyle versus the combination of the two. When we travel with the entire family we always go NCL. WE do not have to worry about formal or semi formal dress, we can choose to eat together as a family one night and do our own thing another and the friendly crew makes everyone feel welcome. If you are considering the top of the line class RCI ships, from what I have heard they are out of this world, so are the prices, but if you are looking at their basic product versus NCLs product, I would take NCL. We also like the entertainment on NCL a little better.

 

Now that I have read more about you and your family I would choose NCL for sure. Of course Disney is a wonderful line with the little ones, but for the difference in price and a group that large I think NCL will be a wonderful experience. As for the kids staying together, I don't think you would really want them all together, with the age difference. All lines will separate the children depending on age. Yes, you can drop them off. We did the family, multi generation cruise about 3 years ago. Our great granddaughter didn't care if anyone picked her up, she loved time with her new friends in the kids program. She never even ate dinner with us.

 

BTW, I would suggest, you might want to contact a travel agent. They can possible, get the family worked out as a group and get you some perks. You can do this yourself, but it is so much easier to do it via a travel agent, it doesn't cost you anything as a rule or very little and you might end up saving a bundle. Give it a shot. Nita

Edited January 22, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[thistimeplease]

I know the Disney board isn't as active as the other boards but please keep in mind that only a small percentage of cruisers post on CC. I'd hate to see you disregard a particular line because of a small minority.

 

With that said, we've been on all the lines you mentioned, including Disney. By far, Disney is our favorite line. HAL is more sedate and I think a gathering of your size would like NCL or Royal Caribbean. But if you are still open to Disney, I would recommend it in a heartbeat but it is more expensive than the other lines (but it includes more).

 

As this is your first cruise, I would select the itinerary that you like the most and then the ship. As you cruise more (at least from my experience), the ports become less important as you've been to them so many times. At that point, the ship weighs-in more as to which cruise we will sail. For example, we do not like Nassau but we love the Disney Dream (which only does Bahamas cruises). So when we are docked in Nassau, we stay the entire day on the ship.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

I absolutely agree with the above poster. Please do not pick a cruiseline based on cc. You will find nasty responses on all boards. I probably wouldn't cruise at all if I based cruising on some of the responses found on the boards.

[ltzol]

I have been on DCL, NCL and RCL with my family.

 

DCL was our "gateway drug" so to speak :) We went on the Magic twice and my now 9 year old son still counts Disney as his favorite line. I have to add that we thought the vibe on board was very friendly. I urge you to hop over to the dis boards since there is a much warmer, more accepting feel. Plus, the fact that you can carry on all your alcohol is a plus.

 

NCL was wonderful also. We were on the Epic and loved the freestyle concept and the entertainment was top notch. My son was not thrilled with the kids clubs, however. I can't put my finger on why, but he was not as comfortable and spent far less time there.

 

RCL was our choice last year. We were on the Navigator and my son again loved the clubs. Our 12 year old daughter would have nothing to do with them (big shock) but there was plenty for her to do on board without them.

 

We are counting the days until we leave on the RCL Freedom. Honestly, it was a toss up between the Freedom and NCL's Getaway for this spring break. For me it comes down to ship, cost, and itinerary, and how each fits our specific needs. We choose my time dining on RCL and while it is not as "smooth" as NCL's freestyle (a little more waiting) it still works for us. Set dining times are not enjoyable for our family. Many times we would get room service for my son since he wanted optimal "club" time and could care less about formal dining.

 

I think Disney has priced itself out for us. It is just too expensive for the experience. Perhaps if I still had very little children, but my kids love the excitement of a sports deck, skating rink and the like.

 

Hope this helps a little.

[buckirj1]

Welcome. I haven't been on HAL yet (but it's calling my name), but I've sailed NCL and RCCL. I've never sailed with a large group, so my observations might not always be applicable.

 

In my observation and experience, HAL is a more sedentary experience and has a lot of older folks aboard. That's okay with me, I'm getting to that demographic a lot sooner than I'd like. That's something you might want to think about, given the vast age range of your group. Given the vast size of your group, I've no idea how HAL would handle such a large group in a dining situation. I'd investigate that, particularly if you all wanted to eat together at the same venue at the same time. I think they'd do fine with smaller groups.

 

RCCL remains my least favorite cruiseline by a pretty wide margin, but it might be a good fit for your situation. To me, it's so...busy, and sets my nerves a-jangling. It's almost frantic sometimes how they're always wanting you to DO stuff, when all you want to do is find an isolated corner somewhere. On the other hand, that sort of action might be just what some of your group are looking for. That's another thing: in my experience, RCCL pretty much caters to families. I don't know how they are with big groups, but they're pretty terrible at dealing with solo cruisers. I found cabin and dining staff to be fawning and obsequious. Didn't like that at all, but YMMV.

 

NCL is by far my favorite, because of Freestyle and normal courteous service. NCL has a lot of choices for everybody, and might be your best bet, especially if you're not planning to do everything together.

 

I hope this helps, and I wish all of your group a marvelous cruise; whatever you choose.

[jakeT]

I agree on DCL if you have young kids. That would be the way to go. For adults DCL lack of an casino, and kids type shows. Doesn't appeal to adults.

If you are going to get a SUITE then NCL is the say to go. If you like to eat in better Restaurants then it NCL. RCCL ships are nicer. If you are gust getting an regular cabin and going to eat in the MDR. RCCL would be better.

[Regguy]

Here's my take: Did you realize most Disney cruisers use the Disney Boards not Cruise Critic to blog about the cruises? You might have a different opinion if you went over there.

 

I'm not so sure.

 

I'm a reformed Disney person. We've been to WDW a half-dozen times and Disneyland about the same. Our family has done three disney cruises. I've owned (and since sold) a DVC unit at Bay Lake Tower. We were, by any definition, "disney people." We're not any more. In fact, we've come full circle. I was at Aulani a few weeks ago for a couple of days, and we had a great time laughing about how much we now despise Disney.

 

Anyway, that's a long intro to state my bias, because I am, to be sure, biased. That said, I agree completely about disney message boards -- most notably the one here about DCL and the disboards. There is no doubt that disney experiences are difficult to navigate. Financially and crowd wise, the level of information provided by the disboards is extraordinary. You will have such a better experience with disney (and save money) if you understand the tips and tools of the trade, and people on disboards are extremely generous with their time and information and it the greatest resource imaginable for someone planning an interaction with the disney company.

 

But (you knew there was a but, right), I find those message boards very . . . I don't even know the right word . . . maybe unpleasant. The level to which people seem to be opinionated is inversely proportional to the importance of the issue. The more minor, the more strident. When those boards are an exchange of information, they are great. When they are a discussion, the next time someone actually backs down from an opinion there will be the first time. Now, that's a criticism of anonymous message boards in general, but the discussions here are more civil and open. Also, there's so little self-control. A simple question turns into a 400-post argument, even if the OP's question was answered after 2 posts. "How crowded are the pool chairs," or "are shorts permitted in the dining room" turn absolutely crazy. The subject of tipping almost shut the place down. Now, these are controversial subjects anywhere, but using an OP's question as springboard or excuse for a diatribe is de rigueur there.

 

Anyway, back to my experience -- our first non-disney cruise was last year on Epic. It was hard to make the change. We very much wanted to a disney Europe cruise, but at 40 percent of the cost, couldn't justify it. It was an eye-opener and was the beginning of the end for our love of all things disney. There were, to be sure, things we missed about disney cruising -- the ships are pristine and the cabins are large -- and there are some things I really did not like much about Epic, but I felt a bit like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Adios, disney!

[FF Woman]

We've sailed Disney, NCL, RCCL, and Carnival. There are pros and cons to all of them.

 

We loved Disney except for the price and that the shows (which were excellent) were based on Disney stories. Also if anybody wants a casino, there are none on Disney. Their ships are spotless and cabins large. We were concerned about being surrounded by kids all the time but found that they actually handle their adults only area better than the other cruise lines.

 

We love the ship style of the RCCL Independence of the Seas with the promenade in the middle of the ship. Also the ice skating show and open skating is appealing as well as the wave runner, even just to watch others try to conquer it. They have great parades in the promenade with kids characters so it's fun for all ages. Food is pretty good but found the shows somewhat lacking. Overall, that category is great for all ages.

 

NCL's Pearl and Jewel are other favorites for size. The staff on NCL is super friendly, the food is good and their shows have always been pretty good. Dining is on your own time schedule which is nice. It should be fun seeing Sponge Bob, Dora and other characters on our upcoming cruise on the Jewel. I think there would be a lot of appeal to all age groups.

 

Carnival isn't in the running for any more cruises for us. We tried one and although there were some things we liked, there was more we didn't.

 

I hope that helps some. I can't comment on any of the mega ships because we choose not to cruise on those. They just look like more than we want or need. But some people love them for all the additional options.

[LittleMissMagic]

Anyway, that's a long intro to state my bias, because I am, to be sure, biased. That said, I agree completely about disney message boards -- most notably the one here about DCL and the disboards. There is no doubt that disney experiences are difficult to navigate. Financially and crowd wise, the level of information provided by the disboards is extraordinary. You will have such a better experience with disney (and save money) if you understand the tips and tools of the trade, and people on disboards are extremely generous with their time and information and it the greatest resource imaginable for someone planning an interaction with the disney company.

 

But (you knew there was a but, right), I find those message boards very . . . I don't even know the right word . . . maybe unpleasant. The level to which people seem to be opinionated is inversely proportional to the importance of the issue. The more minor, the more strident. When those boards are an exchange of information, they are great. When they are a discussion, the next time someone actually backs down from an opinion there will be the first time. Now, that's a criticism of anonymous message boards in general, but the discussions here are more civil and open. Also, there's so little self-control. A simple question turns into a 400-post argument, even if the OP's question was answered after 2 posts. "How crowded are the pool chairs," or "are shorts permitted in the dining room" turn absolutely crazy. The subject of tipping almost shut the place down. Now, these are controversial subjects anywhere, but using an OP's question as springboard or excuse for a diatribe is de rigueur there.

 

Forums of any kind are where the claws come out. Something about the anonymity of hiding behind a computer screen makes people type things to one another that they would likely never say to someone's face. It's also easy for readers to misinterpret someone's dynamic or tone because these posts are missing qualities that would otherwise be conveyed by one's voice or expression.

 

Message boards aren't for everyone. Luckily, when it comes to Disney, there is a great amount of information to be found on unofficial websites, books, and blogs. For Disney Cruise Line, I recommend Passporter's Disney Cruise book. There is also a small section of Disney Cruise information in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (Unofficial Guide is what I recommend to people going on Disney vacations). Also check out websites AllEars.Net, the DisneyCruiseLineBlog, and MouseSavers.

[big al]

I actually posted this on HAL, but figured I should post it here too.

 

My husband surprised me with a cruise for our 15 year anniversary. We are going with our children, my parents, in-laws and siblings with their families, 17 of us altogether.

 

We were going to go on a Disney cruise, but after spending the day reading through the posts in the Disney forum, I changed my mind. The way they respond to people who are just seeking information or giving advice, is absolutely nauseating. If the group there is indicative of the people on the Disney ships, then I have no interest in being a part of that. I actually like it that you guys here are so defensive and passionate about NCL. Makes me think it must be pretty special! Here you get angry at "outsiders," but over at DCL they're rude to each other.

 

After speaking to my husband, and looking at the boards here, we have narrowed it down to HAL, NCL and Royal Caribbean. We will probably travel at some time in November 2014 because that is when everyone can get away. I know absolutely nothing about cruising, but have read-up enough to know that each line has it's own style and activities.

 

Can those of you who have been on NCL, or the other lines I mentioned too, tell me if there is anything unique about each cruise line? For example, I have heard HAL is more formal and I know that NCL has this "freestyle" dining. Is this true? Any information you could give would be great.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

 

Melanore82: Good questions, good post..first, remember that this will be MY opinions, and most of this stuff is pretty subjective..my wife & I are "around" 60, no kids..we are taking our 30th cruise on the Oasis Of The Seas in Oct for her B'day. We have gone on 12 RCI ( Diamond) , 6 Carnival, 5 NCL, 1 each on HAL, Celebrity, Princess & Celebration cruise lines and 2 on Disney, which was our most recent on the Disney Dream in Nov...it's a shame you found the DCL boards "rude", "cause I find the HAL boards the worst- it's odd because as someone said, don't confuse the CC members on here with the actual cruise line- we thought both our Disney cruises BLEW away HAL and all others for service, food ( MDR & buffet) , cabins ( although our HAL Westerdam cabin was nice) , and shows ( Oasis, Allure also great..)...it all depends what you are looking for...

 

HAL & NCL are about as opposite as you can get. Yes, as you mentioned, HAL tends to be older, more mature passengers..NCL younger, "freestyle" concept to some HAL guests are

"disrespectful" or "crude" with their dress attire to dinner...HAL is definitely more formal- but to some people that's good ( not to me- I'm more freestyle, eat when I want, where I want, etc..)...when my wife were on a HAL cruise, we were about 51-52 yrs old..I swear the average age on the ship was 20-25 years OLDER than we were..an elderly passenger sitting next to me at a show told me he thought the average age on the ship "was death"...I will say cabins were nice, and the private island, Half Moon Cay was outstanding..it still ranks 2nd to Disney's Castaway Cay, which IMO, blows away all other private islands.

 

If you want to be "blown away" by the ship itself, then RCI's Oasis and Allure of the Seas is a great choice. You won't be bored here...26 dining options, 8 pools & 16 hot tubs, and 16 bars / lounges make these ships a destination themselves. We loved these ships because of the "Wow" factor..all others ( RCI's Freedom & Voyager class ships also have a "wow" factor, but to a lesser degree) do not really have this "wow" factor..the adult pool area ( Solarium), Central Park ( fantastic!), the Aquapark diving shows ( best I've ever seen), Hairspray on Oasis ( best musical production show I've seen), and the unique Royal Promenade make these ships truly spectacular- other ships on other lines are "nice", or "classy"..but the Royal ships are indeed "spectacular" IMO...also for kids & teens, the Oasis/ Allure ships have the Flowrider ( surf simulator), zip-line, carousel merry-go-round ,H20 Fun Zone pool just for kids, teen night club, great ships for "families"...

 

NCL 's ships are nice, but IMO, don't have that "wow" factor..I have been on the Sun, Sky ( twice), Star, Pearl, and have visited the Epic ( twice) and recently the new Breakaway..while the Epic & Breakaway have a lot to offer as far as dining & entertainment, I found the ships a bit dark..everything is "inside"..the new Breakaway & Getaway have a a new area called the Waterfront, an outside promenade area where they have bars & restaurants outside with terrific views of the sea..I loved it, BUT there are not a lot of seats there, and I suspect getting outside seating will be a challenge...I love the Freestyle concept of eating where you want, dressing like you want, BUT many of these venues require a fee between $15-49, so it's not always "free"..also people have complained on the newer ships like the Epic, Breakaway & Getaway, you must book some of the entertainment on line in advance and there's a fee$$..again, not so free..Royal's shows are ALL free...I have read that the new "Legally Blonde" show on the new Getaway is sensational, as are most shows on the Breakaway.

 

As far as HAL goes, we did not think their service was any better than RCI's or NCL's nor Princess, and certainly not Disney's, which was the best. We also thought their MDR food was very ordinary & mediocre, and the entertainment was amongst the worst we have seen..only the Crow's Nest on top of all their ships, provided us with some good ol' rock n' roll... again , just MHO..ships are classy & nice, aft pool was nice, but crowded..standard balcony cabins 2nd best after Disney ( they have 2 bathrooms- fantastic, with a rain shower that you'll never want to get out of, LOL..)...Here are my rankings/ choices for what cruise lines to pick in order:

 

WOW factor- RCI, Disney, NCL

Service- Disney, RCI/ NCL tie

Cabins- Disney, HAL, RCI , NCL ( tend to be the smallest)

MDR- Disney, RCI, NCL/HAL tie

$$ DINING options- NCL, RCI, Disney

Musicals- Oasis/ Allure & Disney tie, NCL

Entertainment overall - NCL/RCI tie, Disney

Private Island- Disney, HAL, RCI, NCL

Balconies - RCI, HAL ,Disney, NCL

Guest Services- Disney, RCI, HAL, NCL

Best for younger children (2-10) - Disney, RCI, NCL newer ships

Best for older children & teens _ RCI, NCL, Disney

Best adult pool area- RCI Solarium, Disney, NCL

Best kids pool area- RCI H20 Fun Zone & Disney (tie), NCL newer ships ( all very good actually)

 

Again, these are MY OPINIONS, THOUGHTS, OBSERVATIONS from 29 cruises, 24 years of cruising, and from hundreds of others I've spoken to...any more specific questions , give a shout..I hoped this helped someway....If I was in your situation ,considering that you have kids ( don't know what age), I would choose The Oasis/ Allure of The Seas first, Freedom Of The Seas 2nd, then NCL's Getaway ( Miami) or Breakaway ( NYC), then the Disney Dream ( only does 3-4 nights) or the # 1 rated Disney Fantasy ( 98% approval rating here on CC, highest of any cruise ship!!), third IF you have kids older than say, 10-12..if they are younger, you really should consider both the Disney Dream & Fantasy, they are "really magical"!!!!

 

Big Al

 

Big Al

[johnsak123]

I think you should not change your mind about Disney just because of what you read

Things couldn't be that horrible to cause such a change

You also have to figure things out for yourself and everyone has different opinions

That being said I have only cruised on RC and NCL

I did not like RC for one big reason and that is the fact that you cant dine alone. I usually travel alone and do not like to mingle with others when I am eating

On NCL you can eat alone, do what you want and not forced to mingle with others

I like the NCL freestyle dining and the fact that there are things to do if you want and nothing to do if you want

I know that is for all cruises but the dining thing bothers me

Of course not for you since you will be in a group and can dine together

I am sure you will enjoy no matter what cruise line you choose