Celebrity vs NCL

[dabear]

We've been on both NCL and multiple cruises with Celebrity. Although we favor X, most of my comments are repeats, here they are. I think clearly the itinerary you mentioned on X is far superior than the one on NCL and cruising from SJ you are guaranteed great weather. The food & service in X'x MDR is much better than NCL. The specialty restaurants on both lines are excellent. Less announcements on X but slightly better entertainment on NCL. We use anytime dining on each line and generally have not had to wait long. Enjoy

[blindrid]

We've been on both NCL and multiple cruises with Celebrity. Although we favor X, most of my comments are repeats, here they are. I think clearly the itinerary you mentioned on X is far superior than the one on NCL and cruising from SJ you are guaranteed great weather. The food & service in X'x MDR is much better than NCL. The specialty restaurants on both lines are excellent. Less announcements on X but slightly better entertainment on NCL. We use anytime dining on each line and generally have not had to wait long. Enjoy

 

Well put. NCL is my favorite - avoid the fuddy-duddy crowd.

[itzmered]

We have been on a couple of NCL cruises and just sailed on the Summit for our first Celebrity cruise. Hands down Celebrity was a better experience than NCL. We found the entertainment on the Summit just as good as NCL and the food leaps and bounds above NCL. Normandie the pay restaurant on Celebrity was far and above anything I ate in the pay restaurants on NCL and I enjoyed the NCL specialty restaurants so that is saying a lot. MDR food on Celebrity was very good. Cabins are larger on Celebrity also. Casino was bigger on NCL though ;) No voice blaring over the PA constantly on Celebrity like they do on NCL.

[Jetswdo]

We were on the Jewel 5 years ago or so. We found the food quite good wherever we ate, including the main dining room. My opinion is for a young couple--I personally think NCL would be a better choice, IF itinerary doesn't come into play. My opinion, decide on itinerary first. Then figure out the best ship that does the itinerary (check days and times zt desired ports)----

 

If the Celebrity itinerary works better-- then I would book aqua class, as someone suggested-- the area of those cabins have fewer kids (only 2 persons allowed in a cabin) Blu dining room will be quieter--

 

I will be on the Summit in June---I do prefer the larger ships, but not with the slides and all that kid stuff-- so I loved the Reflection--what I liked the most was the included adult area with indoor pool-- excellent food with many restaurant choices. The NCL Breakaway is just too busy for my taste. (I am in late 50's)-- if I was my kids's age (in early- mid 30's, I would have liked the hustle and bustle of the Breakaway over the smaller Summit ship.

[Cruzaholic41]

I could write a comparison between my most recent Celebrity cruises (Reflection and Constellation) and most recent NCL cruises (Dawn and Pride of America), but it would be so lopsided toward Celebrity and so insulting towrd NCSmell, it would probably not go over so well with any NCL fans reading it. So I won't. Nuff said.

[blindrid]

I could write a comparison between my most recent Celebrity cruises (Reflection and Constellation) and most recent NCL cruises (Dawn and Pride of America), but it would be so lopsided toward Celebrity and so insulting towrd NCSmell, it would probably not go over so well with any NCL fans reading it. So I won't. Nuff said.

 

What an obnoxious post - doesn't really help the OP does it?

[poffles]

I've sailed NCL Epic and Pearl and just recently Celebrity Summit. You've offered a lot of info about yourself but comparing lines is still pretty subjective, especially around food and there are so many things that could be experienced based on one particular sailing. That said, here are my observations comparing the two.

 

My first NCL Pearl trip I thought NCL was heaven and loved the relaxed nature of this cruise line. I prefer not to have to have to dress up. Subsequent trip on the NCL Epic, however, was a different story. I hated so many things about it that I will spare you detailing here.

 

Fast forward to the Summit and my friend and I both thought it was heaven but we can be content with more sedate on board experience if itinerary is the focus which on this sailing it clearly is.

 

So my observations.

 

NCL

Like: freestyle and relaxed dress code in the evenings

Like: entertainment on the bigger ships (don't recall anything on Pearl blowing us away but Epic was awesome)

Like: the venues that seem designed more for beer drinking than wine drinking (I'm a beer drinker if you can't guess)

Dislike: smoking areas in your face (absolutely terrible)

Dislike: terrible service (more recent sailing on Epic)

Dislike: ship design on larger ship that forces terrible flow of passengers and mass crowding (from day 1 to 7)

Dislike: so many annoying announcements

 

Celebrity Summit

Like: minimal announcements (didn't realize I would care)

Like: pockets of quiet areas everywhere when you just wanted to escape

Like: drink package (which we got from booking offer - this was awesome and I know its not a valid comparison LOL)

Like: food ... can't say I didn't like NCL food but I did find Summit better but would not book a line based solely on this difference

Like: service ... staff just passing by making a point ask how your day was. guest services counter never having any one at the counter (that should speak volumes as Epic line up was unbearable)

Like: that you can book on board and get perk option - one of which is drink package :D

Dislike: evening entertainment shows - felt thrown together and sad. that said there was always live music playing all around the ship so seems like you would be fine with this

Dislike: having to be thinking about what I'm wearing to go to dinner so as to not stand out (no flaming, I'm entitled to my preference)

 

And I tend to ditto a lot of what others have said. If you are selecting based on itinerary I'd say Summit hands down but if you are more about the ship and what to do day and night then Getaway would seem to be more likely to please with all the nightly entertainment options.

 

We liked the Celebrity Summit trip so much that we booked the Reflection while on board as we fell in love with this ship feeling less chaotic and hope this carries a bit across their fleet. I'll also add that I had a trip booked for the new Escape maiden voyage which we cancelled to go on Reflection. I certainly expect we will be back on NCL in the future but right now I need a break from them to go back with fresh eyes.

 

I will also add that at the airport coming back I ran into another couple (60s maybe) ... like us it was their first time Celebrity and equally like us NCL was their cruise of choice. The wife could not have hated it any worse, she spoke of so many bad things that I had to keep clarifying that we were on the same ship/sailing. She believed it to be due to her not being 'elite' like her sister (who recommended the trip but not sailing with them) but I quickly told her we were first time too so huh?? I was in disbelief and still am today. It shows that even on the same sailing, views and experiences along the way can drastically change opinions and I also think expectations you bring with you beforehand can have a major impact. I thought their views were skewed too negatively and I suspect they likely thought ours were skewed too positively. I just wanted to get away from her as she was bringing me down after such a wonderful cruise.

 

Hopefully this helps in some way. You can read my review of the Summit here to perhaps assist with your decision.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2142870

Edited February 4, 2015 by poffles

[tbmrt]

I did a search and found comparisons of particular ships, but nothing recent comparing the two lines in general. I'm hoping that some of the more experienced crusiers will share their opinions on the two lines! We have been on two NCL cruises and thinking about trying Celebrity for our next.

 

We are considering two cruises, both in April of this year. The Celebrity one is on the Summit out of San Juan and goes to Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Thomas, and St Maarten. The NCL one is on the Getaway out of Miami and goes to St Thomas, St Maarten, and Nassau. Our bottom-line price (including the cruise itself, onboard spending, flights, spending on the islands, and factoring in Celebrity's 123 promotion) would be comparable for both cruises - not enough of a difference for it to be a deciding factor, anyway. We have been to Nassau and St Maarten before (two of the three stops on the NCL cruise), though I'm sure we'd have a good time if we revisited them. I'd be more excited to visit new ports and St Lucia in particular has been on my "need to go there" list. DH is fine with either option. We'd enjoy a pre-cruise day in either San Juan or Miami, though I'd prefer San Juan - we've been to both and Miami is fine, but I really like San Juan.

 

I like the itinerary better for the Celebrity cruise, so we're leaning that way right now. Before booking with a cruise line we've never been on, however, I wanted to ask a few questions about the differences and verify the information that I've seen in the threads that I've read.

 

Think Celebrity's itinerary is much better than NCL Summit's.

 

1) We like the Freestyle concept of NCL, but I understand that most cruise lines have an "anytime dining" option. For those who have done this on Celebrity, did you think it was handled well? We don't mind having different waiters and don't mind a wait, as long as it isn't a wait of several hours every night. We prefer not to make reservations in advance, but don't mind doing so if that works better.

 

We did Select Dining on Equinox last December and it was wonderful...The most we waited was 10 minutes at Martini Bar with beeper...Only waited because we asked for a specific waiter.

 

2) For those who have cruised on both Celebrity and NCL, how does the food compare? We really like the variety of specialty restaurants on NCL and I know Celebrity doesn't' have as many. We've never been crazy about the MDR food (quality or variety) on NCL and we usually eat in the specialty restaurants. This is probably the biggest reason for hesitation - we won't have as many options if we think the food sucks in the MDR. That said, I've always assumed that NCL doesn't try very hard in the MDR because they want to encourage people to pay for the specialty restaurants. Thoughts? Mediocre food certainly will not ruin our trip, but we'd like to know what to expect. I hope it's at least a little better than NCL.

 

We loved the food on Equinox and really disliked the food on NCL Sun a few years ago...So much so that it really turned us off on NCL.

 

3) I know NCL has as reputation for being pretty casual, so Celebrity will probably not be as casual as we've experienced before. Not an issue for us - I'll check out the dress code sticky and we'll pack accordingly. We're usually better dressed than most people on NCL, but we're not the "fully decked out for formal night" people, either. Ideally, I'd be fine with a cocktail dress or two that I can rotate for dinner and DH would not have to pack an entire suit, just slacks and a couple of dress shirts. But it's not a deal-breaker if we end up having to pack a suit for him, either.

 

DH wore a bow tie, vest and black pants on Equinox and fit in fine. We were prepared to be given a "loaner" jacket to put over chairback if need be, but that didn't happen.

 

4) I read something about Celebity (or maybe specifically the Summit) being "quieter" regarding night life than NCL. We're not all-night partiers and probably would not stay up late at all on a port-intensive cruise, but we would be slightly annoyed if we happened to want a nightcap and everything is closed. Was this exaggerated on the review that I read? We wouldn't care if we had to walk to the other end of the ship to get a martini at midnight, as long as we could find one if we wanted.

 

We thought the night time bars and shows were mch better on NCL Sky and Sun. The only bar we really loved on Equinox was the Martini Bar and its great bartenders.

 

5) The other big comparison seems to be about the entertainment - and I've read opinions preferring each. Either way, it's a bit of a non-issue for us. We'd go to a show if we were in the mood and something sounded interesting, but we're equally happy to do our own thing in the evening. We have not been to many shows on our two previous cruises.

 

We missed two of the large shows so can't give an opinion. We were hoping for a piano bar, but none on Equinox...Missed that.

 

 

6) Anything else I should be considering? Opinions? We know the Summit is an older ship than the Getaway and will probably have fewer bells and whistles. Since its a port-intensive cruise, I don't think we'll have time to miss the ropes course and stuff. Cosmetic issues don't bother us - we rarely notice them and I always giggle a little when I read reviews that complain about things like frayed carpets. I mean no offense to people who notice and comment, I just get a funny mental picture of cruisers walking around the ship with clipboards, inspecting carpets and checking every stall in each bathroom to make sure the door locks are in working order.

 

If it matters, we're a professional couple with no kids yet, 32 and 35. This will hopefully be our last pre-kids vacation. I'm more of an active traveler, though I enjoy some downtime and I like the "being out to sea" aspect of cruising. DH is a little more of a low-key traveler - likes doing stuff, but doesn't like overplanning and enjoys the downtime. I think he likes sea days more than I do, though we're both ready to get off the ship and do something after two consecutive sea days. An ideal cruise would include 1-2 ports or activities that we're pretty excited about, 1-2 ports where we'd just go to the beach (ideally one with good snorkeling) and do some shopping, and 1-2 sea days (ideally not consecutive).

 

We cruise based on ports, price and ship. Celebrity is definitely a step above most others w/food and service. However, it definitely isn't as much fun as NCL in our opinion. We missed the ambiance of an embarkation party on deck (Equinox) and missed the fabulous White Party that NCL has. We're not big partiers, but did venture out on the Equinox in early December on a few nights...We kept going from bar to bar looking to dance, etc., but things were pretty empty after 10:30pm.

 

Thanks in advance to anyone who shares their opinions and experience![/quote

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Iluvcruising2]

We sailed on Celebrity Silhouette - very posh and glamorous ship. Had a good time. The Brunch on a sea day was interesting. Not well advertised.

[YOUTUBE]FfhOGoKN3DQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

Food on Celebrity was definitely very good, both MDR and Buffets.

[YOUTUBE]Ceq2U8CtNPk[/YOUTUBE]

 

We also sailed on NCL Jade, in a 2bedroom penthouse suite. Loved the suite perks. I didn't find the MDR food too bad. Perhaps we have low expectations. Speciality restaurants charges on NCL much lower.

[YOUTUBE]xOimIZW3xEw[/YOUTUBE]

 

I would sail both again, depending on prices and itinerary.

 

Since OP has not tried Celebrity before, no harm giving it a go. Also interesting to try different cruise lines so you know what you like.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Iluvcruising2

[ECCruise]

We sailed on Celebrity Silhouette - very posh and glamorous ship. Had a good time. The Brunch on a sea day was interesting. Not well advertised.

.

 

As an addendum to this post...Celebrity no longer has the Gala Brunch in the MDR so not a basis for comparison.

[Iluvcruising2]

As an addendum to this post...Celebrity no longer has the Gala Brunch in the MDR so not a basis for comparison.

 

They don't? Oh dear. Another cut back?

[ECCruise]

They don't? Oh dear. Another cut back?

 

Yes, it has been gone for about a year I guess.

 

They say it is due to health restrictions since they are not supposed to have buffets in carpeted areas. Whatever the reason, it is gone, but they do have a (very) abbreviated version in the Ocean View Cafe on one of the sea days with a couple ice sculptures and a chocolate fountain but not at the level of the MDR buffet. Still a nice variance from the normal buffet presentations.

[Patrick IL.]

Our First years ago was on X. Next one we tried the NCL Jewel. We came running back to X.

Jewel was a beautiful ship, a lot more entertainment and energy. The anytime dining thing did not work out for us unless you booked 7 nights as soon as you got on board. We experienced long waits at each of the venues. NCL may have made changes since that cruise. The dining room food was just terrible, in our opinion. One thing that really annoyed us was the constant all ship announcements.

 

X is more relaxing for us. Only one announcement a day. We find the food in the MDR very good although the last several cruises we have been in Aqua class thus eating in Blu. Picking one or the other is a personal choice, we have several friends that love NCL.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Patrick IL.

[blindrid]

Our First years ago was on X. Next one we tried the NCL Jewel. We came running back to X.

Jewel was a beautiful ship, a lot more entertainment and energy. The anytime dining thing did not work out for us unless you booked 7 nights as soon as you got on board. We experienced long waits at each of the venues. NCL may have made changes since that cruise. The dining room food was just terrible, in our opinion. One thing that really annoyed us was the constant all ship announcements.

 

X is more relaxing for us. Only one announcement a day. We find the food in the MDR very good although the last several cruises we have been in Aqua class thus eating in Blu. Picking one or the other is a personal choice, we have several friends that love NCL.

 

I agree as a rule. We've never waited too long but we prefer to eat late. X's ships are beautiful but the crowd was way too geriatric for me. It sucks when I bring the average age down :).