Norwegian or Royal Caribbean

[Wendylet]

Wanting to try something new this time since we have traveled both on Carnival and Celebrity in the Mediterranean. Can you tell me how Norwegain stacks up between the two? The itineraries are so port intense it almost doesn't matter which cruise line you use but just curious. Thanks for any input!

[mkdreams]

Wanting to try something new this time since we have traveled both on Carnival and Celebrity in the Mediterranean. Can you tell me how Norwegain stacks up between the two? The itineraries are so port intense it almost doesn't matter which cruise line you use but just curious. Thanks for any input!

 

On NCL you will have to pay 7.95 for room service for one and you will soon not be allowed to eat in your cabin because of their new policy. I would go with RCCL.

[PaulMCO]

Go with Royal....

[Cancruizer]

Which ships? We sailed with Royal Caribbean several times and found the experience was very different between the Oasis, for example, and the Serenade of the Seas - almost not even comparable. That said, itinerary was port intense and since we were sailing the Med we realized that for us the onboard food and entertainment were really not very important. We ate in port, as who could go to Cannes and not eat croissants and pastries, or go to Athens and not eat Souvlaki and greek salad, etc..... and we were so tired at night I fell asleep during any show I tried to attend. What itinerary are you looking at? For Caribbean I would give RCCL a try if it is on a newer ship.

[Mistizoom]

On NCL you will have to pay 7.95 for room service for one and you will soon not be allowed to eat in your cabin because of their new policy. I would go with RCCL.

 

They do charge for room service but it is hyperbole to say "you will soon not be allowed to eat in your cabin because of their new policy". Let's stick to the facts, folks.

[philip_eunice1]

were just back on sat from a week with RCI and though we had a good time for us NCL is a much better fit and we wont be back to RCI

[Tatka]

We had great time with both lines, and with Celebrity too. Celebrity is a bit hire on our scale in terms of food and service. I would sail with all three.

Remember one thing

In Med you will spend more time and money on shore, so ship becomes a bit less important. I would pick lower fare in Med.

[SuiteTraveler]

We have to divide these by mega ships and non-mega ships for each line:

 

RCCL mega ships are like an amusement park. (Oasis and Quantum Class)

NCL mega ships are like a casino resort in Las Vegas. (Epic, Getaway, Breakaway, Escape)

 

For suites, NCL is far better than RCCL.

For spa, NCL is far better than RCCL.

For entertainment, NCL and RCCL are tied.

For specialty dining, NCL and RCCL are tied.

 

NCL is the originator of Freestyle cruising which means you eat where you want when you want and with whom you want. You can do the same thing on RCCL. NCL originated multiple specialty restaurants and RCCL now has the same thing.

 

For water slides, NCL is the leader as RCCL doesn't have this on most ships. RCCL does have flow riders which NCL doesn't have. Both have rock climbing. NCL has ropes course.

 

For ice skating, RCCL is the winner.

 

For bowling, NCL is the winner.

 

For buffet, NCL is the winner.

 

Personally, I prefer the NCL casino, although RCCL also has a casino (which feels sort of tucked away in the basement to me.)

 

Kids programs - both NCL and RCCL have good ones.

 

For older ships, RCCL is the winner for having the most to do onboard. NCL is still the winner for suites.

 

In Europe:

 

If you are on NCL Jade, the mood will be low-key - it is very relaxed and you never have to dress up, which we found advantageous in the Med.

 

If you are on NCL Epic, there is so much to do ON that ship that you can't do it all in a week. The Epic also has one of the best spas on a cruise ship. For a Med cruise, I'd get at least a spa cabin, if not a spa suite as your body will thank you later! I would hit the spa every afternoon after the tour. The spa suites on this ship have the best shower I've ever experienced at sea. The spa perks are 100% worth it. Butler service, concierge service - and room service is free for suite guests. The NCL Epic is unique in design with a lot of curved walls and a controversial bathroom arrangement with the toilet and shower in separate rooms and the sink in the cabin. Some people HATE this arrangement. For us, well, it's not our favorite, but we didn't find it troublesome and after all, it's a vacation and not like I'm stuck with it in my home.

 

 

If you are on RCCL Allure, there is so much to do on that ship you can't do it all in a week. There is no water circuit, but there is the Conservatory which is adults only pools and hot tubs. Not as great as what is on NCL in the spa, but still very good. If you are a suite person, don't get more than the Grand suite as RCCL doesn't do anything special to recognize the various levels of suites. The suite bathrooms are OK, but the shower and separate tub is quite small compared to the suite showers and separate tubs on NCL ships.

 

If you are on Rhapsody (1997), Serenade (2003) or Splendour (1996), these are all older ships, if that matters to you. They have all been updated.

[Aquahound]

Wanting to try something new this time since we have traveled both on Carnival and Celebrity in the Mediterranean. Can you tell me how Norwegain stacks up between the two? The itineraries are so port intense it almost doesn't matter which cruise line you use but just curious. Thanks for any input!

 

I think its important to mention what ships you are considering. Without knowing that, general comparisons are just that...general.

[legion3]

Kids programs - both NCL and RCCL have good ones.

Hmmm

 

Check this out

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2213057

[speedinbk]

Been on four NCL cruises and 15 RCL cruises. Last NCL cruise was June of last year last RCL was February of this year.

 

Food is important to me on a cruise and there in NO comparison between the two lines. NCL is well known for not having great food unless you go to their pay resturants. Whereas RCL's food is top notch in any of their sit down resturants, should you want to specialty dine or not.

 

I also find the entertainment to be better on the RCL line than NCL. I've tried to give NCL three different chances to win me over, but I just can't find something I like better on their line than Royal's, so it RCL for me.

[jd1966]

We've completed nine cruises on RCL and three on NCL and the two lines are more similar than different. I heard many disparaging comments about NCL before we tried them and we found them to be pretty close to RCL and Princess. You'll get all sorts of opinions but you need to just decide on your own which one you would like to try.

[BamaVol]

We've tried both, albeit on older ships and we will be cruising with NCL in the future. For us it's all about Freestyle dining. I would prefer not to share a table with strangers and eat at the same time every night. I also appreciate being able to wear shorts and a comfortable shirt while in the MDR.

[Tatka]

Been on four NCL cruises and 15 RCL cruises. Last NCL cruise was June of last year last RCL was February of this year.

 

 

 

Food is important to me on a cruise and there in NO comparison between the two lines. NCL is well known for not having great food unless you go to their pay resturants. Whereas RCL's food is top notch in any of their sit down resturants, should you want to specialty dine or not.

 

 

 

I also find the entertainment to be better on the RCL line than NCL. I've tried to give NCL three different chances to win me over, but I just can't find something I like better on their line than Royal's, so it RCL for me.

 

 

Is RCCL's food top notch? Out of our 5 cruises only one had pretty good food, sometimes excellent. RCCL is famous for all types of innovations, nobody can come close in this department.

 

NCL food used to be worse, but Breakaway surprised us with better than usual quality. Still not great, but much better.

 

I will not cruise with either of two for the food.

[Tatka]

We've tried both, albeit on older ships and we will be cruising with NCL in the future. For us it's all about Freestyle dining. I would prefer not to share a table with strangers and eat at the same time every night. I also appreciate being able to wear shorts and a comfortable shirt while in the MDR.

 

 

You might want to try MyTime Dining on RCCL. Not in shorts though.

[albean99]

I didn't think My Time Dining compares with Freestyle dining at all. We were just on a RCL cruise last fall and we had to book times for every night. We were able to change them to a better time but it was still the same time every night. With Freestyle you go to any of the free dining rooms anytime during dinner hours. I like it because you can still do other things without worrying about a set reservation.

 

We're not foodies and found them to be comparable. I like different things about both lines but for us the freestyle makes us more likely to pick NCL. We also love the martini tastings but that's another story.

[Tatka]

No. It is definitely not a full version Freestyle, but it lets avoid sitting with strangers. In terms of Freestyle NCL is ahead of all other lines (24 hours Blue Lagoon or O'Sheehans is a great addition!).

 

RCCL has better appointed cabins imho, especially inside ones. Better use of space.

[drb247]

I have completed 14 cruises on NCL and 1 on RCCL. I would compare them as follows:

 

Food: Better on RCCL, however the freestyle concept on NCL is more appealling to many folks that food quality per se.

 

Entertainment: I have found this to vary greatly from ship to ship. Impossible to compare RCCL to NCL since the difference between NCL ships is so great. As a general rule, I would say that the larger the boat the better the entertainment will me, regardless of cruise line.

 

General ship ammenities: Preferred RCCL, but again varies greatly from ship to ship. Ironically I found NCL Epic to be the worse in this regard.

 

Standard of service: Both very good.

 

Price: Generally much lower on NCL which is primarily why I am so loyal to them. I would definitely try RCCL again if they were comparable.

Edited June 26, 2015 by drb247

[newmexicoNita]

Wanting to try something new this time since we have traveled both on Carnival and Celebrity in the Mediterranean. Can you tell me how Norwegain stacks up between the two? The itineraries are so port intense it almost doesn't matter which cruise line you use but just curious. Thanks for any input!

 

ford or Chevy, AA or United? It is simply a matter of opinion. We have cruised all the mass marketed lines and prefer NCL. I think Celebrity is a 1/2 step up, but we were not blown away like we thought we would be. My personal opinion: food on Celebrity in the main dining rooms is a little better. Carnival ships are a little more gaudy. NCL has the benefit to being the line that handles freestyle the best as they were the pioneer for the plan. Service is friendly and relaxed on NCL, very good on Celebrity but not as personal. We happen to like the specialty restaurant choices on NCL. So for us, NCL is the right choice. I know others that wouldn't choose any line other than Celebrity. Obviously, I am not a lover of Carnival. Again, it is simply a matter of what you are looking for in a cruise. On, one positive about Carnival over the other lines: the cabins are larger.

 

As I read the other comments, I do want to clarify a couple of things: 1-yes there is a service charge for ordering room service. If you are inclined to do this you need to be prepared. We are not so inclined. You can get coffee with no extra charge or you can go to the buffet, and get food to eat in your cabin. I have always wondered why unless there is an unusual situation, anyone woudl want to eat in a tiny cabin anyway?

 

Our granddaughter and her husband did an RCI cruise last fall. They felt there was more nickel and diming on RCI than NCL. Again, it depends on where you are inclined to spend your money I guess. We have never understood all the hullabalu over nickel and diming. We have control over what we decide to purchase and are not forced to spend anything we do not want to spend.

Edited June 26, 2015 by newmexicoNita