Norwegian vs Royal: Our Experience as Diamond

[seaofwonder]

Hello all,

 

We recently jumped ship to NCL for a cruise and I thought I would share my thoughts on the differences. We decided to jump ship because NCL had a great itinerary and their prices for a 12 day Med cruise were cheaper than Royal's 7 day offering.

 

Who we are: Diamond cruisers on Royal. We tried NCL as our first cruise and disliked it. We attributed it to being our first cruise and not knowing what to expect. We have no children and are late 30s and late 40s.

 

Our cruising style: we are very laid back. We hate dressing up. Usually book junior suites or full suites. We don't really go to shows as we find Royal's offerings to be poor (except for Allure, which was great). We don't swim or drink. We usually veg out in our room watching movies. I tend to get pretty antisocial on vacation. I just want to relax and be alone. We are not foodies and usually eat in the buffet with trips to the MDR for breakfast and a few dinners.

 

THE COMPARISON:

 

Itinerary: we wanted a cruise leaving Venice and stopping in Istanbul. NCL's offerings blew Royal away. It was 12 days from Venice to Barcelona with stops in: Istanbul, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Naples, Rome, Livorno, Toulon. Some were repeat ports. NCL WINS.

 

Ship: we were on the Spirit. This is their smallest ship and I would equate it to the older Rhapsody class. We have been on several of those ships pre-enhancements. I found the Spirit to be very comparable to the pre-enhanced ships. Which I was fine with. I don't need big movie screens at the pool or anything. The ship looked really good for its age. Honestly, no worse than any of Royal's ships pre-enhancements. Things were laid out similar to Royal ships. There was an atrium area, shops, spa, casino, etc. buffet at the back on the pool deck. Smoking on one side of pool deck and on the outside promenade deck. Plenty of elevators. NCL AND ROYAL TIE (ROYAL WINS WITH NEWLY ENHANCED SHIPS).

 

Stateroom: We upgraded to a penthouse suite about a week before the cruise. This came with some benefits that are different from Royal. The actual room was somewhere between a grand suite and an owners suite. I thought the size was small for a suite, but it is an older ship. We loved that it had a separate bedroom, unlike Royal's owners suites. There was a Keurig-style coffee maker. All TVs had a DVD player. TV in living room and bedroom. They provided bathroom amenities just like Royal as well as robes and slippers.

 

Being in the suite allowed us access to Cagney's restaurant for private breakfast and lunch. This is really nice and better than Royal who just lets you sit in a special area of dining room (at least that is how it was on a few of our cruises). We also had special seating in the theater (never went though).

 

They escorted you on the ship to your room and also escorted you off the ship. I don't recall that happening with Royal.

 

The concierge was also present everywhere on the ship. Not just sitting in a room. We found the concierge on our Royal cruises to be pretty useless. This one walked through restaurants and said hi. When we asked for some strawberries she had them delivered every time.

 

The other big difference was the butler. She was great! Brought us movies and our room service every morning. Also brought us snacks every day(we only got snacks 1-2x on a 7 day Royal cruise). It was nice having someone who got to know your needs throughout the cruise.

 

ROYAL WINS FOR SIZE. NCL WINS FOR OVERALL SUITE EXPERIENCE.

 

Food: this is very subjective. We had a free dining package and never ate in the MDR. We found their restaurants to be similar in quality to Royal. For a small ship there were 4 choices for specialty dining. The buffet was the same as Royal. Poor choices and food was mediocre. I CALL THIS A TIE.

 

Onboard activities: We only did trivia once but the onboard offerings were pretty much the same. TIE.

 

Stateroom attendant: NCL WINS HANDS DOWN. Royal's attendants have been appalling on our recent cruises. Not showing up until after 11 AM. On one cruise they didn't even show up one day! The cutbacks on Royal were definitely felt. And yes, I am comparing to suite service. Our attendant on NCL was great. Towel animals every night (not a big deal, but a nice touch). Cleaned the room right after we left every morning. It was great!

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were pretty much the same.

 

Overall: Tie. Honestly, the similarities outweighed any differences. If you have kids, maybe not. But for an old married couple, NCL was just fine.

 

We will now choose our cruises based on itinerary and price. NCL was much cheaper and we got so much freebies ($800 OBC, ultimate beverage package, and dining package). We've never come close to that on Royal.

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks for the review. It sounds like either will have your business going forward. We have been looking at NCL and Princess as possible options in the future.

[denatravels]

I'm not sure I understood the review. It sounds like a pretty good experience-- but you started the whole thing off saying you disliked it.

[Norwich Cruiser]

You read it properly the lady did not say that she did not enjoy this particular cruise but an earlier one on NCL.

[A&L_Ont]

I'm not sure I understood the review. It sounds like a pretty good experience-- but you started the whole thing off saying you disliked it.

 

If you read their past cruises they sailed on NCL for their first cruise, before sailing on RC. You are right, it was a bit confusing to the wording at the beginning of their review.

[heatherb1958]

Thank you for your review and your comparisons.

We also did not like our very first cruise which was with Celebrity and gave cruising another go on Royal which we loved and have mostly stuck with since. When our current schedule with RCI is completed we will also be looking elsewhere as there have been some fantastic deals with other lines even without being in a suite which we never book as we are on a tight budget.

Edited June 13, 2015 by heatherb1958

[denatravels]

If you read their past cruises they sailed on NCL for their first cruise, before sailing on RC. You are right, it was a bit confusing to the wording at the beginning of their review.

 

 

Got it-- now it makes sense!! Thanks for connecting the dots for me.

[Royal2464]

Good review, glad you enjoyed your cruise. I cannot help but wonder if Royal has shot themselves in the foot with their pricing policies. The BOGOHOAX and now the 30 for 30 sale seem to have been moderately successful with new and infrequent cruisers, but a bomb with top tier cruisers. Sure, you can still find some bargains now but not like before these so called sales started. The Going, Going, Gone sale has been gutted. No more last minute deals, just regular prices disguised as a deal. The true measure of the effect will be the number of empty cabins, if Royal is not avoiding the GGG sale and dumping discounted cabins to high volume TAs.

[Debde]

The concierge was also present everywhere on the ship. Not just sitting in a room. We found the concierge on our Royal cruises to be pretty useless. This one walked through restaurants and said hi. When we asked for some strawberries she had them delivered every time.

 

ROYAL WINS FOR SIZE. NCL WINS FOR OVERALL SUITE EXPERIENCE.

 

 

thank you for your review. I look forward to my first NCL suite experience and almost always read that the NCL experience is top notch.

 

Could not agree with you more on the concierge experience and although all were very nice and jobs were done on Royal-I love the fact that on NCL they are easily accessible and seen through out the ship. Yes, I know we can phone them on Royal at anytime but nothing beats that face to face casual presence during your cruise day and night.

 

Royal seems to have a plan to upgrade but wonder why it's taking so long??

[tazza_0712]

Thanks for your review.

 

I was especially intrigued by your comments regarding the concierge on NCL. Visibility, accessibility and service are surely the mainstays of a concierge, and yet in my experience in several full suites, none of those qualities were to be found in a Royal concierge. It's nice to hear that NCL have the right idea.

[George C]

Thanks for the review, I have heard that NCL does a much better job with suite perks, but going in a suite would be the only way I would consider doing NCL again

[packedandready]

Thanks for the review. We've considered NCL, but I don't know if I can get past the ugly outside painting. I personally find them very ugly!!!!! I know I wouldn't see anything once on board, but ....

[Lady & Sir]

Thanks for the review! Europe is in my sights, so I really appreciate this!

[seaofwonder]

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, our first cruise was on NCL and we didn't like it. This cruise was good though.

 

The outside of the ship doesn't affect me at all. It's all about what is inside, particularly the room.

 

Yes, the concierge was MuCH better on NCL. To the point that she was getting a bit annoying checking up on us everyday (calling and knocking on door). We asked her to stop after the third day. But then she would catch us at dinner or around the ship, which worked well for us.

 

The pricing at Royal is just not worth the experience.

[roquejo]

I sail both RCCL and NCL. I am Emerald (a night away from Diamond) in RCCL, and Gold in NCL (level below their highest Platinum tier).

 

Having sailed both a lot. I can say that they are just about equal overall in many aspects. With some slight differences:

 

NCL is cheaper and more affordable.

 

RCCL has better loyalty and drink benefits, you have 3 free drinks daily and unlimited drinks in the lounge at happy hours, and you have reciprocal benefits at Celebrity and Azamara. And best of all, you are allowed to bring 2 bottles of your favorite wine brand per stateroom and per sailing and you can bring them in restaurants without charge.

 

While if you reach Platinum in NCL, the only benefit that is better than RCCL is you have free one bag of laundry per sailing. But has no value in short cruises.

Edited June 19, 2015 by roquejo

[Philly Steve]

Thanks for the review and comparison.

 

Our first cruise was aboard an NCL ship (Norway). We recently reached Diamond status on RCI.

 

Lots to like about both lines. I wish NCL cruised out of Baltimore.

[Big_G]

Maybe I got it wrong but between hotels, resorts, and cruise ships, my impression of a concierge is pretty much what a concierge is on Royal. I don't expect him/her to be out and about. Given what they do, it's nice to know where to find them. We've heard a lot about the NCL suite experience and are looking forward to trying it.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[avalon007]

I am intrigued.

 

I was wondering after reading your post section on your cruise style why you actually cruise at all? When from your info you basically don't take advantage of most of the things cruise ships offer & are on a large vessel surrounded by thousands of other people, but you are antisocial & prefer to be alone?

 

Wouldn't a hotel or resort offer much the same experience but with less people & maybe at a cheaper price? Or is it you want to travel to different places but want to travel between them in the equivalent of a hotel rather than a plane or bus etc, or maybe you enjoy the motion of the sea?

 

Hope you don't mind me asking. Just curious. :)

[Paulette3028]

Hello all,

 

We recently jumped ship to NCL for a cruise and I thought I would share my thoughts on the differences. We decided to jump ship because NCL had a great itinerary and their prices for a 12 day Med cruise were cheaper than Royal's 7 day offering.

 

Who we are: Diamond cruisers on Royal. We tried NCL as our first cruise and disliked it. We attributed it to being our first cruise and not knowing what to expect. We have no children and are late 30s and late 40s.

 

Our cruising style: we are very laid back. We hate dressing up. Usually book junior suites or full suites. We don't really go to shows as we find Royal's offerings to be poor (except for Allure, which was great). We don't swim or drink. We usually veg out in our room watching movies. I tend to get pretty antisocial on vacation. I just want to relax and be alone. We are not foodies and usually eat in the buffet with trips to the MDR for breakfast and a few dinners.

 

THE COMPARISON:

 

Itinerary: we wanted a cruise leaving Venice and stopping in Istanbul. NCL's offerings blew Royal away. It was 12 days from Venice to Barcelona with stops in: Istanbul, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Naples, Rome, Livorno, Toulon. Some were repeat ports. NCL WINS.

 

Ship: we were on the Spirit. This is their smallest ship and I would equate it to the older Rhapsody class. We have been on several of those ships pre-enhancements. I found the Spirit to be very comparable to the pre-enhanced ships. Which I was fine with. I don't need big movie screens at the pool or anything. The ship looked really good for its age. Honestly, no worse than any of Royal's ships pre-enhancements. Things were laid out similar to Royal ships. There was an atrium area, shops, spa, casino, etc. buffet at the back on the pool deck. Smoking on one side of pool deck and on the outside promenade deck. Plenty of elevators. NCL AND ROYAL TIE (ROYAL WINS WITH NEWLY ENHANCED SHIPS).

 

Stateroom: We upgraded to a penthouse suite about a week before the cruise. This came with some benefits that are different from Royal. The actual room was somewhere between a grand suite and an owners suite. I thought the size was small for a suite, but it is an older ship. We loved that it had a separate bedroom, unlike Royal's owners suites. There was a Keurig-style coffee maker. All TVs had a DVD player. TV in living room and bedroom. They provided bathroom amenities just like Royal as well as robes and slippers.

 

Being in the suite allowed us access to Cagney's restaurant for private breakfast and lunch. This is really nice and better than Royal who just lets you sit in a special area of dining room (at least that is how it was on a few of our cruises). We also had special seating in the theater (never went though).

 

They escorted you on the ship to your room and also escorted you off the ship. I don't recall that happening with Royal.

 

The concierge was also present everywhere on the ship. Not just sitting in a room. We found the concierge on our Royal cruises to be pretty useless. This one walked through restaurants and said hi. When we asked for some strawberries she had them delivered every time.

 

The other big difference was the butler. She was great! Brought us movies and our room service every morning. Also brought us snacks every day(we only got snacks 1-2x on a 7 day Royal cruise). It was nice having someone who got to know your needs throughout the cruise.

 

ROYAL WINS FOR SIZE. NCL WINS FOR OVERALL SUITE EXPERIENCE.

 

Food: this is very subjective. We had a free dining package and never ate in the MDR. We found their restaurants to be similar in quality to Royal. For a small ship there were 4 choices for specialty dining. The buffet was the same as Royal. Poor choices and food was mediocre. I CALL THIS A TIE.

 

Onboard activities: We only did trivia once but the onboard offerings were pretty much the same. TIE.

 

Stateroom attendant: NCL WINS HANDS DOWN. Royal's attendants have been appalling on our recent cruises. Not showing up until after 11 AM. On one cruise they didn't even show up one day! The cutbacks on Royal were definitely felt. And yes, I am comparing to suite service. Our attendant on NCL was great. Towel animals every night (not a big deal, but a nice touch). Cleaned the room right after we left every morning. It was great!

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were pretty much the same.

 

Overall: Tie. Honestly, the similarities outweighed any differences. If you have kids, maybe not. But for an old married couple, NCL was just fine.

 

We will now choose our cruises based on itinerary and price. NCL was much cheaper and we got so much freebies ($800 OBC, ultimate beverage package, and dining package). We've never come close to that on Royal.

 

I am part of a married couple of 40+ years. The more I read comparisons of NCL and Royal, the more I am convinced that for us, we would be bored to tears on NCL.

 

I enjoy all the outside activities that Royal has including the flowrider and soon the waterslide on Harmony. The thought of sitting in my cabin and vegging out watching movies -- would definitely not be the picture of me on a cruise. But everyone is different.

 

Choosing a cruise must take into account itinerary, but for us, the time we spend ON the ship has to be filled with things to do, besides relaxing at the pool (which we love to do as well).

 

We find fine pricing for the cruises we can take. Unfortunately until retirement, long cruises or Med cruises are not in our immediate future.....but I am sure when they are we will find a Royal cruise that meets our desires.

[xpcdoojk]

Thanks for the review. It sounds like either will have your business going forward. We have been looking at NCL and Princess as possible options in the future.

 

They installed flowriders???:eek:

 

jc

[KiwiGal117]

I am intrigued.

 

I was wondering after reading your post section on your cruise style why you actually cruise at all? When from your info you basically don't take advantage of most of the things cruise ships offer & are on a large vessel surrounded by thousands of other people, but you are antisocial & prefer to be alone?

 

Wouldn't a hotel or resort offer much the same experience but with less people & maybe at a cheaper price? Or is it you want to travel to different places but want to travel between them in the equivalent of a hotel rather than a plane or bus etc, or maybe you enjoy the motion of the sea?

 

Hope you don't mind me asking. Just curious. :)

I admit, I thought the same thing. But agree maybe it's the ports because we could all stay home and watch movies. No concierge to bring snacks though:p

[flapbreaker]

I booked this exact cruise for next summer on NCL. I've only sailed on Royal Caribbean and was a bit nervous about trying NCL but figured a port intensive Mediterranean cruise is all about the destinations and not the ship. Would love to hear your thoughts on the ports of call, what tours you booked etc...

[The Sunset Glow]

They installed flowriders???:eek:

 

jc

 

First thing I thought of too! :D:D

[seaofwonder]

We cruise for a few reasons:

 

1. For the ports. The ship doesn't really matter as much to me. It's about the destination. The thought of staying at an all inclusive hotel resort for a week would drive me bonkers. But I don't really like water or drunk people...so that probably explains it.

 

2. A compromise between hubby and I. I like the ports and he likes to veg out on the ship only getting off at 1 or 2 stops (he is disabled and cruising makes it easy for him).

 

3. On previous ships we spend a considerable amount of time, and money, in the casino.

 

4. I do attend shows....on the big ships that have good shows (Broadway shows).

 

Everyone vacations differently. And no, I don't want to socialize with people on a cruise (I like to talk with locals when I visit a new place, but don't really want to talk with other cruisers onboard)....a few minutes of idle conversation at dinner is enough. Fortunately, cruise ships allow me to be able to do...while everyone else can do what they like.

 

Again, different strokes for different folks. Also, lots of cruisers are like us....they get a suite and enjoy their room and private balcony.

 

Cruising is good value (generally). Hubby gets the resort feel and I get to visit new places. I much prefer to rent apartments and stay put, but that isn't hubby's idea of fun.

Edited June 20, 2015 by seaofwonder

[seaofwonder]

I booked this exact cruise for next summer on NCL. I've only sailed on Royal Caribbean and was a bit nervous about trying NCL but figured a port intensive Mediterranean cruise is all about the destinations and not the ship. Would love to hear your thoughts on the ports of call, what tours you booked etc...

 

 

Hi there,

 

Most of the ports were return visits for me. I booked the cruise for the new ports of Venice, Barcelona, and Istanbul. We travel a lot in Europe, so I did almost everything as diy, including car rentals. Only did one tour. I prefer being off by myself and using a good guidebook or just getting lost. Here is what I did:

 

Kusadasi - rented a car and drove to sirince. Had the place to myself for several hours. Had tea with a local shop owner and chatted for awhile with him. Stopped on selcuk on the way back because I saw some signs for sites. Last time I did Ephesus and highly recommend it.

 

Mykonos - just wandered around the streets on my own. Very easy to do. Some ppl do beaches here and I heard those were harder to get to on your own. Not really a whole lot to do here.

 

Istanbul - went on my own with a guidebook. Tram is only a 10 minute walk and is super easy to find. Only 4 lira each way! Saw everything that the tours saw, but at my own pace. This was the highlight of my cruise....many people expressed that they did not like turkey, but I love the culture and the mix of east and west. The call to prayer was great to stop and listen to.

 

Athens - caught the express bus for 4 euros for the whole day. This was a return visit, so I went back to the Acropolis and then visited a lot of sites I didn't see before. I actually preferred being on my own than on a tour. I feel like I saw more.

 

Rome - skipped Rome as we had been there for 4 days before the cruise (and a few weeks stay a couple years ago). We caught the shuttle bus and rented a car (super easy). Drove to Orvieto (a return visit to purchase pottery that I love) and San bagnoregio. So much fun driving around!

 

Florence - skipped Florence as we had visited a few years ago. Rented a car right at the port. Quick stop at Pisa, then over to San gimignano and volterra. Mostly enjoyed the beautiful Tuscan scenery and stopped a lot taking pics.

 

Toulon - this port was a big meh for me. We rented a car and drove to aix. I wish ncl would replace this port with another French port that is more accessible to other cities.

 

Barcelona - we stayed overnight at Jazz hotel (great hotel!). Spent most of the day visiting gaudi sites. Metro is very easy to use.

 

Venice - stayed at hotel Europa near the grand canal. Great hotel that is close to st. Mark's. We only spent 1 night pre-cruise and had a whole day to visit. For me, that was more than enough. I thought I would love Venice more than I did. My Italian heart is in Rome.

 

Naples - joined a tour organized on the roll call. AP Tours. They were good. Pompeii was great. Wish I had more time there though.our guide was just ok. Then went to position and sorrento. Was very rushed with only an hour in each town. I think I would have skipped one to allow for a more leisurely meal in the other.