Norwegian vs Royal: Our Experience as Diamond

[DebJ14]

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 fully understand where they are coming from. We always book at least a GS on Royal and hang out in the cabin except for some meals, occasional cocktails and a show here and there. We are not big drinkers, nor gamblers and we don't dance nor do we do karaoke nor trivia. DH prefers to be totally anonymous on a cruise.

 

We've done more than 50 cruises so all of the activities on the ship are really of little interest to us. Been there and done that in our youth. We like the serenity of sitting on our balcony reading or just watching the sea pass by. If the weather is bad we will watch a movie.

 

We are no longer social on cruises because whenever we did socialize we ended up sick for weeks after the cruise. So, we ask for a table for 2 now after having been badly burned by sick tablemates claiming they just had allergies. We also have a whole lot of room service.

 

We don't cruise for the experience on the ship - mainly for the ports. Our days ashore are the highlight of our cruises. We either take a taxi or arrange for a private tour ahead of time.

 

Cruising is a real bargain. We can usually get a suite for a week for $3500-$4000 on a Caribbean cruise depending on when we book.

 

We also go to all inclusive resorts, but the 5 star+ resorts we go to run about $7000 to $8000 a week, so it is definitely cheaper for us to cruise, which we do 3-4 times a year. We also take several land vacations each year.

 

We are no longer loyal to any one cruise line. In the span of 12 months from Jan 2015 to Jan 2016 we will have sailed Princess, MSC Yacht Club, RCCL and NCL, been to an all inclusive in Mexico and rented a bay house for our family in Texas. NCL may get alot more of our business in the future with the promotions they offer. We booked a Haven 2 bedroom/2 bath suite and are getting the ultimate beverage and dining packages, prepaid gratuities and a $300 OBC. So, other than some extra tips for the Butler and Concierge we should get off the ship without spending a dime.

Edited June 20, 2015 by DebJ14

[Bronx12]

Isn't cruising about doing as little or as much as you want? :)

[Trekker954]

We are looking elsewhere as well, but doubt we'll ever leave RcI completely, as they do have a decent loyalty program. Although we hate, hate, hate, that they are moving us back to the Diamond Lounge (we are D+). I wish cruise lines, would status match as hotels and airlines do this. Maybe someday.

 

we are sailing the brand new NCL Escape in November in a spa suite and looking forward to it. Its the short inaugural, but it should give us an option.

 

I personally like Celebrity. We are also taking the new Carnival next year when it gets to Miami. I typically do not like Carnival, except wow, their chocolate lava cake, but the new ship looks awesome and hoping they are growing up and seeking a different type of passenger now rather than the young and rowdy.

 

Thanks for the review. I appreciate it. The past two years, I sailed Serenade in the Med. I was upgraded the first time to a Suite, that wouldn't have happened on NCL. :rolleyes:

[seaofwonder]

Thanks DebJ. I am glad we are not alone in our cruising style.

 

Keep checking out NCL. Their promotions have been really good. Also, if it's after final payment and there is a price drop they will work with you for a better room and they even gave us some OBC, even though we didn't ask.

[sassy12]

We, too, are D+ on Royal but took a last minute trip on the Getaway last February. We loved it - especially all the entertainment options at night. I liked that they really used their Atrium area with the big screen. Always something to see there in the evening.

 

We will be on the Escape in January. Can't go to Florida without taking a cruise, right? We are also trying HAL for the first time in October by doing a Mediterranean cruise. It will be interesting to compare the three lines. We've cruised Celebrity and Carnival, too.

 

After nearly 40 cruises there was only one we didn't like and that was on the Carnival Triumph. It seemed that everyone working on that ship had an "attitude" regardless of how polite we were to them. We decided to give Carnival another try on the Liberty and loved it. Sailed it again three years ago.

[Donna_In_India]

Thanks for your balanced review. We like the big ships and have sailed NCL Epic and Breakaway (Getaway in August). We like the shows on NCL, find that there is plenty to do (the kids in our group love the ropes course, rock-climbing walls - and the slides on the Getaway look great, especially that drop slide), and haven't had any issues with finding good food to eat. The newer ships have so much access to "water" with the Waterftont, etc. Service has always been very good. We've only sailed inside or balcony but I hear the Haven rooms are amazing....maybe one day.

 

We're going back to Royal after about 7 years because I've really wanted to try the Oasis but as it's getting closer and I'm reading more reviews I'm getting nervous that I made a mistake. Complaints about food, service, cutbacks, etc. I love the water....and the ship looks a little...odd/ugly with the opening in the middle and a boardwalk and central park. I want to feel like I'm on a ship, not at the mall! I just keep telling myself...Paid in full, too late. :) I figure how bad can it be? I'm not at work, not cooking, not doing laundry, etc.

 

Upcoming we are booked on Royal's Serenade that was chosen for the itinerary and NCL's Epic that was also chosen for the itinerary but we lucked out with a big ship we like!

 

Happy Cruising!

[Priusprof]

We are looking elsewhere as well, but doubt we'll ever leave RcI completely, as they do have a decent loyalty program. Although we hate, hate, hate, that they are moving us back to the Diamond Lounge (we are D+). I wish cruise lines, would status match as hotels and airlines do this. Maybe someday.

 

we are sailing the brand new NCL Escape in November in a spa suite and looking forward to it. Its the short inaugural, but it should give us an option.

 

I personally like Celebrity. We are also taking the new Carnival next year when it gets to Miami. I typically do not like Carnival, except wow, their chocolate lava cake, but the new ship looks awesome and hoping they are growing up and seeking a different type of passenger now rather than the young and rowdy.

 

Thanks for the review. I appreciate it. The past two years, I sailed Serenade in the Med. I was upgraded the first time to a Suite, that wouldn't have happened on NCL. :rolleyes:

After reading the original post about NCL I decided to do some investigating on pricing and itineraries. The first thing that I did was make an attempt to figure out how cabins compared. What I discovered is that a balcony cabin on NCL compares to an E stateroom and that a Jr. Suite compares to a D. A NCL penthouse suite compares to a Jr. Suite on RCCL. Now all this comparison is based on a Radiance class vs the Norwegian Star, Dawn class. NCL includes the sq. ft of the balcony in their statement of cabin size so when I looked at the floor plan and cabin pictures I pretty much figured that out. I can do a 9 day in December on Vision, from Tampa, in a JS, double points, for less than a 7 night on Star. NCL has the suite perks and the 4 deals thrown in so that's a plus.

Linda, please don't hate hate hate being forced back to the Diamond lounge. I really don't believe that is really in the cards. Here's why. On Oasis and Allure when they remodeled they took the Viking Crown and made it into Coastal Kitchen and the "Suites Lounge". They renamed the Concierge Lounge the Diamond lounge on the floor plan. So, D+ still go to the same place with a different name. I spent May on Quantum and Brilliance. Coastal Kitchen is available to non suite guests on a space available basis and they did not build the Quantum CL to be only for suites. It's way too big for that and the DL is too small for everyone to go there. Then there is the sheer numbers involved with suite guests. On a Radiance class ship there are only 27 suites. Assuming that some of them are occupied by D+ or Pinnacle that means that the CL would only be for about 40-50 people. None of the ship remodels support this conjecture. RCCL has spent a fortune putting a DL on every ship except those that are leaving the fleet. The new ships designs support the continuation of the current policies for D+.

[seaofwonder]

We were in a penthouse suite and it was much larger than a junior suite on Royal.

[squadron]

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...

 

I wonder what the experience would be like when booked in a regular cabin not a suite with its benefits. Seems like the suite means the cruise is rather a two tier cruise experience.

[seaofwonder]

Well, for us, since we spend most of our time in our room, the experience would have been different. Here are the ways I can think of:

 

Similar:

 

Balconies were similar size. So we could still enjoy that.

Bed: same size and comfort level.

Shows and bars: same

Meals: same

 

Differences:

 

Less movies to watch as we wouldn't have had access to the dvd menu

No chocolate covered strawberries

No free champagne (which we gave away)

Would have had to pay for room service (which we used almost every morning)

Longer line up to get on shuttle bus in Rome, losing 30 more minutes of port time

 

Honestly....it wouldn't have affected things. I've cruised on both suites and non-suites on royal and so I was trying to compare our two suite experiences.

 

The lines are more similar than they are different.

[seaofwonder]

Should also add....now that we stepped out of our comfort zone, we feel more at ease with trying a new line. So we are open to everything now. For the right itinerary and the right price :)

 

The loyalty benefits on royal aren't enough to pay so much more. We are not drinkers, so the nightly diamond event just doesn't do it for us.

 

But I'll be back on royal as I have a nonrefundable ncc that I have to use sometime.

[hansolosmom]

Thanks for your review. I've mostly done RCCL but I'm doing the Breakaway in March with my mom & sister, so it's nice to heard s nice balanced review between the lines.

Also I would have loved the itinerary, we did the Med on celebrity mostly because of Istansbul and Ephesus. We absolutely loved Naples and I'm with you on spending more time in Pompeii. I can't wait to go back someday!

[seaofwonder]

Pompeii definitely deserves more than 2 hours! Would love to return someday.

 

So many places to visit and not enough time!

[sauvichick]

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

 

I agree, but I'm still a bit hesitant. The NCL suite perks still seem to blow Royal out of the water at this point.

 

seaofwonder,

Thanks for the comparison because I'm always looking for more reviews like this.

[seaofwonder]

Yes, NCL suite perks were very nice. I only wish they had better in suite dining. That is one area that Royal does better. You can get MDR meals in your room and I didn't see that option on NCL.

[zlacruising]

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.

Can you or anyone else tell me about being diamond and getting 3 drinks on your card. Can you order any drinks you want? I'm diamond but haven't cruised them since this changed. Thanks!

[avalon007]

Can you or anyone else tell me about being diamond and getting 3 drinks on your card. Can you order any drinks you want? I'm diamond but haven't cruised them since this changed. Thanks!

 

The drinks you can order come from a set list & includes a good variety of options but not fancy type cocktails like mudslides for example.

 

The 3 drinks can be redeemed at bars around the ship during set hours, plus dining room & you also get free drinks for a few hours each day in the diamond lounge.

 

However, sometimes different ships do things a little differently from the posts on here over the years from time to time, so be aware of that.

 

Here is a link with some details of the drinks listed, they can be different on Australian based ships though in regards to brands of beer, wine etc

Edited July 12, 2015 by avalon007

[zlacruising]

The drinks you can order come from a set list & includes a good variety of options but not fancy type cocktails like mudslides for example.

 

The 3 drinks can be redeemed at bars around the ship during set hours, plus dining room & you also get free drinks for a few hours each day in the diamond lounge.

 

However, sometimes different ships do things a little differently from the posts on here over the years from time to time, so be aware of that.

 

Here is a link with some details of the drinks listed, they can be different on Australian based ships though in regards to brands of beer, wine etc

 

Thanks for the quick response! It seems like you get more of a variety of drinks than the diamond lounge.

 

Deb

[Susie51]

Thank you for your excellent review. Here is my comparison of Royal and NCL

 

Spirit is my least favorite ship that I have sailed on with NCL. Carnival Victory the worst and then NCL Spirit. The comparison is based on 26 cruises/7 different cruise lines.

 

Royal's inside staterooms are bigger than NCL.

 

Grand Suite has a very nice bathroom, Family Suite on NCL Jewel has an amazing bathroom. Can you believe it - 4 TVs! One in each bedroom, one in the master bath and one in the living room.

 

On NCL suite guests may eat breakfast and lunch in Cagneys on Pearl and on NCL Jewel in Modenero overlooking the pool. They are so much better than Royal's Portofino.

 

NCL production shows are great. Royal"s production shows are good. Be sure to sail on NCL Jewel. The La Cirque show is fantastic.

 

Thank you for sharing your ratings with us.

 

 

I have only been on three classes of RCL ships and I have fond memories of Vision class.

[Susie51]

Yes, NCL suite perks were very nice. I only wish they had better in suite dining. That is one area that Royal does better. You can get MDR meals in your room and I didn't see that option on NCL.

 

I have cruised three times in NCL suites: 2008, 2012, and 2014. Each time I ordered from the MDR menu at dinner and the meal was delivered on time and hot.

[seaofwonder]

Well drats. We were never informed that was an option. Royal would place the menus in our room each day, but ncl did not do that.

[Mademoiselle22]

We were actually on the same Grand Med sailing as seaofwonder :) We had an opposite approach and ended up booking all private tours mostly because I have a huge interest in European history. I also ended up managing our tour spreadsheet for our roll call^^. So please let me know if you have questions about tours from those ports.

 

We also picked the NCL Spirit sailing due to the price and the itinerary (and will probably continue to do so). It's definitely a port intensive cruise so I didn't have any trouble finding something to keep me occupied on the Spirit while we were are sea.

 

Our next sailing is on the Radiance in NZ, so it's really great to read this review! I'm glad that the Buffets on RCI are equivalent to NCL's. I travel with my mom and she's a vegetarian so we ended up going to the buffets more often than not (even though we had the dining package). Especially being a vegetarian she liked seeing her meals cooked before she picked it out.

 

Anyways, I'm really looking forward to trying out Royal!

Edited July 13, 2015 by Mademoiselle22

[BigB0882]

We also have a whole lot of room service.

 

SNIP

 

other than some extra tips for the Butler and Concierge we should get off the ship without spending a dime.

 

 

Don't forget about that $8 per visit charge for room service that NCL now has! As silly as it may seem, it is keeping me from booking them for our Baltic (in addition to their itinerary not being able to compete with RCCL). I suppose we could taken the dining package and easily call it even or the drink package but on such a port intensive cruise neither sounds as enticing as if we were on a more leisurely Caribbean.

[CruiseWithUs64]

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.

 

If you like the casino book your NCL cruise through their Casino At Sea. Great deals.