A Norwegian Tries Grand Princess -- Is There a Fairy Tale Ending?

[BabsinTX]

Can you please explain this one for me? I'm a relatively new cruiser and I've never sailed NCL and I always see people posting that Princess has the best benefits so I'm genuinely curious.

 

Sorry I haven't responded sooner.

 

Our feelings about the loyalty programs are based on two criteria: (1) How quickly can you get to the top level of the program (Elite for Princess, Platinum for NCL), and (2) The benefits you receive when you get there. Both Princess and NCL have a lot of benefits in the “so what?” category, but both have a few that we would enjoy receiving. We are Platinum on NCL.

 

Princess: You reach Elite status after 16 cruises, or 151 cruise days. The benefits which we care about include complimentary laundry (nice on long cruises), free mini-bar set-up (one time per cruise); in-room canapés (formal nights only), and a wine tasting (once per cruise). We never use the Internet onboard, so the Internet minutes don’t do much for us.

 

NCL: You reach Platinum status after accumulating 76 points, where you earn 1 point per cruise night, 1 additional point per cruise night for booking 9+ months in advance; 1 additional point per night for booking on certain “Latitude Insider” cruises; and 1 additional point per night for booking a suite. The benefits which we care about include complimentary laundry (1 bag); complimentary dinner for 2 at Le Bistro, with a bottle of wine; complimentary sparkling wine in stateroom; and complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries. Since NCL doesn't have laundromats onboard, the laundry benefit is especially useful.

 

We've done eight cruises on NCL, with 63 days. We usually book 9+ months ahead and one of our cruises was a Latitude Insider special offer and thus we hit Platinum before 76 days. On Princess we’d be Platinum, too.

 

This is one of those fabulous issues where everyone can have a different opinion and all be right.

 

The specific details of the loyalty programs can be found at:

 

Princess: https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/memberShipBenefitsForProspect.jsp#Elite

NCL: http://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards/rewards-points-and-benefits

[BabsinTX]

I believe the pools on NCL ships are salt water. The pools on Princess ships are fresh water. It's likely much easier to empty and refill a salt water pool.

 

Thanks for the info. I burn to a crisp in the sun so rarely if ever get into a pool.

 

Maybe some orange cones around the pools would be nice when the seas are rough.

[BabsinTX]

As someone who has been on 3 LA/Hawaii cruises (the Island' date=' the Golden, and the Golden again), it's interesting to get another cruiseline's regular take on Princess.

 

Did you get to partake in the Hawaiian activities? According to their Facebook page, Elua is currently on the Grand. If you missed hearing them perform, you've missed a special part of the Princess Hawaiian experience, IMO. They also teach uke and hula classes.

 

And yes, the cruise tends to have a lot of rough seas (even though on our return on the first time, it was relatively calm). Not for a first time cruiser. My hubby and daughter don't mind the swells, but I bring along a lot of ginger.

 

Sometimes the crew member stationed by the entrance of the service area of the Horizon Court will point out the sanitizer dispenser that's right there. Usually there's one by some of the MDRs, but it's up to the passengers to spot it and use it. We've been lucky (knock on wood) not to be on a ship with an outage of Noro. I often do carry a little bottle of sanitizer in my purse on the ship so if I forget to squirt outside, we can avail ourselves at the table being eating.[/quote']

 

One thing I forgot to mention in my review were the enrichment opportunities on the Grand. We did not see any of the Elua programs due to schedule conflicts, but I saw lots of leis I assume came from the lei-making classes. We did attend the Pearl Harbor talk in the Princess theater and saw others on TV. They were great.

 

I had read before the cruise about the potential for rough seas, so in addition to my patch I brought some Bonine, just in case.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for your easy to read review & comparison to NCL...I get so much more from objective reviews like yours. :)

 

We haven't sailed on NCL since our first cruise in 1986 on the Starward & it's good to read about how they've evolved. At that time we got bombarded by frequent "advertising" announcements & we much prefer having only a few on Princess. I don't need to know about another Princess art auction & prefer to read the Patter to plan my day. ;)

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post your review...very informative.

 

Thanks for your kind comments. I did notice that there were fewer loudspeaker announcements throughout the day on the Grand than NCL generally has. That was lovely. I'm with you; put everything in the Patter!

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for your review.

 

I just disembarked from the Grand Princess on Wednesday. I, too, had Ryan as my cabin steward. He was good, not the best steward I've had on Princess.

 

When considering another Princess cruise, keep in mind that the Grand is an older ship and not typical. It's my least favorite Princess ship. :( IMHO, the IC is much better on other ships than the Grand. I love the chicken Waldorf salad but found it too salty and the chunks of chicken too big on the Grand.

As for the hand sanitizer, that works only for bacteria and doesn't help for the flu or Noro, which are viruses. It gives a false sense of security if people think it'll help prevent a cold or stomach bug. It won't. :(

 

Your cruise had far more heavy seas than we experienced although we did have a couple of days of high winds and pools you could surf.

 

Pam: Thanks for your response. When I was reading the Princess Board to prepare for our cruise, I saw many of your postings and was so impressed with your range of knowledge.

 

I'm sure we'll try for a newer ship on our next Princess cruise.

[BabsinTX]

Thank you for the very informative comparison review. We haven't been on NCL in over 20 years. Their newer ships look interesting, and their prices are usually lower than Princess. I like the Freestlye Dining idea, since we always do Anytime Dining on Princess. I wouldn't mind trying NCL again someday.

 

Jasperdo: Thanks for reading my opus. Our favorite NCL ship is the Sun, which has very few bells and whistles, but we're pretty plain folks. We chose NCL for our first cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary specifically because of Freestyle Dining. It works for us. If you find a waiter you like, it's easy to ask to be seated in his/her area for meals.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for your great comparisons-as a long time NCL cruiser I am considering trying another line as I'd like to do an Asian itinerary. I do love the freestyle aspect of dining, the entertainment, on board activities etc when onboard NCL, plus the platinum perks. I do worry that traditional dining etc would ruin my cruising experience so it is great to read your thoughts.

 

I bet that Princess would have some very good enrichment programs on their Asian cruises, so you might check on that possibility.

 

You'll remember that we didn't eat dinner in the MDRs, but I read several reviews saying that the Anytime Dining on Princess was fine.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for doing this review. Here's a couple of hints. The newer ships are probably a little better than the Grand (maybe not the Golden, however) in our experience.

 

The scrambled eggs are not powdered, they are pasteurized real egg that comes in big containers. The salmon scramble that we have had was much better than what you described on the Grand. I think that what is served and the quality depends on the ship (our experience). If you order Eggs Benedict, ask for the sauce on the side. Everything is fresher and you actually get Hollandaise sauce that is correct. Also, check if there is a table for two available, no waiting for 6 other people to get their food.

 

As previously mentioned, yes it is potentially a rough trip to Hawaii and the pools are not drained because they are fresh water pools. I can't comment on the medical conditions, but, if you don't feel good you should always check into the medical center and it isn't a bad investment to buy the Princess insurance (Platinum is the better choice). We have been happy that we have had it more than once.

 

Look forward to your future Princess experiences. Thanks again for the review. :cool:

 

Thanks for the info on the pasteurized eggs. Now I think the cooks really screwed up my order! And I'll follow your advice about ordering eggs Benedict.

[BabsinTX]

Thank you for your well-organized and thorough review! I haven't sailed NCL yet but I'm looking forward to our first Princess cruise, and as a new cruiser I love these comparison threads.

 

Undercat: Thanks!

[BabsinTX]

I loved your reviews - thank you.

 

I've only sailed Disney so far (wonderful) and you can't escape being santised on them either.

 

Due on the Grand in May (Alaska) and am now excited to read of the attention to chocolate: good chocolate/desserts = life affirming experiences in my book.

 

Finally, Fisherman's Friend is made about 20 miles from where I live in the UK and my mother-in-law was a devotee. For my part, I can't think of an illness that wouldn't otherwise result in death, that could make me finish even one! You are obviously made of stronger stuff.

 

A great read.

 

MrsGoggins: I totally agree with you about chocolate. Be sure to ask for extra desserts--maybe one to take back to your cabin for a late night snack?

 

If you had the cough we had, you'd finish one of those cough drops. I couldn't find Fisherman's Friend in Lahaina, Hawaii (checked two drugstores in desperation) and I still have a pulled chest muscle from my coughing bouts onboard. But I would never use one except in extreme circumstances. I need to send the company a letter thanking them for such an effective (if yukky tasting) cough drop.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for a very honest and objective cruise review, comparing the two lines. We have cruise both many times (well only 3 on Princess) Though I think overall you have picked out the good and bad very well, I will ask you a question: I didn't see any mention of your eating in the specialty dining rooms. Maybe I missed it. We did eat at both on our last PRincess cruise and much prefer NCLs specialty dining rooms.

 

We agree about the trivia, we love to play but didn't enjoy it quite as much on Princess, plus we missed the progressive as well.

 

We agree, Princess seems to have a better variety of entertainment, but we think NCLs is much better.

 

Again, thanks for your review, you covered about everything. continue to enjoy cruising, we sure do.

 

I've read quite a few of your posts and really appreciate your comments.

 

We didn't eat in the specialty dining rooms on the Grand. My husband is philosophically opposed to them (i.e., he's cheap). We ate at La Cucina on the Epic (included with our booking) and it was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. Our meals at Le Bistro (Platinum perk) have been nice, too. We'll be on the Dawn for three weeks this October and I'm looking forward to trying their food.

[BabsinTX]

Try another ship the Grand is my least favorite ship. Food can get a bit boring but the premium restaurants are very good.

 

I should have asked earlier: What Princess ship would you recommend?

 

We're hoping eventually to do the 28-day RT cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa. And, we want to do a Norwegian Fjords cruise. Princess has some nice eastern/southern Caribbean cruises, too.

 

So many cruises, so little time/money...

[BabsinTX]

Keep in mind when looking at the CDC list that Princess has quite a few more ships then NCL. If you normalize the number of cdc listed incidents to take into account the difference in the size of the fleet and number of passengers carried that difference goes away.

 

Thanks for calling this to my attention. I'm used to thinking of a much smaller fleet.

[BabsinTX]

What a great review! Thanks to the OP for posting it.

 

The OP is comparing this Princess ship to the oldest ship in the NCL fleet, the Sun. Interestingly the Sun is their favorite ship; I can see why, the size of the ship makes it seem more intimate, but I had my worst NCL meal ever in the premium steak house on NCL on the Sun (Cagney's). It was an off night for them, as others I spoke to who dined on other nights thought it fabulous.

 

So as far as ship's amenities it is probably a fair comparison based on the ages of the ships. The food comparison seems reasonable to me as well, as our experience in our Princess cruises (4 of them) was that the food in the MDR was presented much better than on NCL, but was not as satisfying for our palates as NCL. That's slight praise; we're not foodies and consider cruise line food a step below what you can get on land.

 

Our last three cruises on NCL -- we cruise about once a year -- had much less of the overt sales activity.

 

Thanks for your comments. Your comment about presentation on Princess reminded me of something. One night on the Grand the Horizon Court had "Italian Night", with decorations, special shirts for the staff, etc. It all looked great. But the food was about the same as the rest of the cruise--pretty blah.

[BabsinTX]

I am booked in that mini-suite (E729) on the Grand in August. I read other comments about how comfortable that sofa is! I hope they don't replace it during the upcoming dry dock. Glad you enjoyed it....I know I will!

 

You will love this cabin and the sofa. Maybe the sofa is so comfortable because so many people have broken it in?

 

I hadn't heard about the drydock. Could we bid on the sofas if they're being replaced???

 

We sailed on the NCL Epic in 2013. It has an odd design, with wavy walls, so it had a wavy couch. Well, they called it a couch; it really was a platform. No comfort at all, so useless as a couch.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for a great comparison. We've only sailed Pride but I'd love to try one of the new NCL ships.

 

I've been thinking about doing a B2B on the Getaway, if I can talk my DH into it.

[BabsinTX]

Thanks for the review which I felt was a fair review of both ship line experiences. We have not been on Princess in awhile and we have looked at Princess again due to the proximity of San Francisco and not having to fly. We are driving to LA for our upcoming cruise on NCL. The DH has never had a love of flying so I am looking at departure ports closer rather than further these days. We loved the champagne breakfast and dinner on our Princess cruises and lucky for us on both cruises the weather was great,

 

Have you tried Amtrak? I think you'd find it pretty easy to get anywhere between Vancouver and San Diego. And Princess has an Alaskan cruise out of San Francisco--how cool is that?

 

It's worth it to sail on Princess for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner alone. Truly a unique experience and probably my all-time favorite experience on a cruise ship.

[BabsinTX]

Appreciate your review.

We have friends that just booked on the Norwegian Jewel and secretly we thought they've made a big mistake. We did a Caribbean cruise on Norwegian out of Houston maybe 20 years ago and decided that would be our first and only. Since then we've stuck to Princess, Celebrity and Holland America. Talking cruises, many people say the same way....once was enough.

Sounds like NCL has greatly improved and maybe we've held our grudge long enough?

 

I've read similar stories about the "old" NCL. Our friends just got off the Jewel last week in Houston and had a blast. I hope your friends do, too.

[BabsinTX]

Very nice comparison review! Thank you.:)

 

Thanks. I love your user name!

[caribill]

Princess: You reach Elite status after 16 cruises, or 151 cruise days. The benefits which we care about include complimentary laundry (nice on long cruises), free mini-bar set-up (one time per cruise); in-room canapés (formal nights only), and a wine tasting (once per cruise). We never use the Internet onboard, so the Internet minutes don’t do much for us.

 

NCL: You reach Platinum status after accumulating 76 points, where you earn 1 point per cruise night, 1 additional point per cruise night for booking 9+ months in advance; 1 additional point per night for booking on certain “Latitude Insider” cruises; and 1 additional point per night for booking a suite. The benefits which we care about include complimentary laundry (1 bag); complimentary dinner for 2 at Le Bistro, with a bottle of wine; complimentary sparkling wine in stateroom; and complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries. Since NCL doesn't have laundromats onboard, the laundry benefit is especially useful.

 

You reach Elite on Princess after 15 cruise credits or at the end of the voyage you have 150 cruise days. Cruise credits seem to be the equivalent of points on NCL.

 

You get one cruise credit for each cruise (or cruise segment if a B2B).

You get another cruise credit if sailing solo since you are essentially paying for two people.

You get another cruise credit for having paid to sail in a suite.

 

As you indicated, the Princess credits are per cruise and the NCL points are for nights.

 

So it appears one could reach NCL Platinum in as little as 19 days of cruising. And you could reach Princess Elite in as little as 15 days of cruising (five 3-day cruises as a single in a suite).

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review and comparison.