RCCL / NCL.....

[njship3]

We are Diamond+ on RCCL & love them, but New Orleans is very close to us and NCL seems to have some good rates for the fall.  Has anyone done both and have thoughts on comparisons?  Thanks!

[ONECRUISER]

Very simular, prefer RC but new NCL ships nice, ships seem more crowded, Main Dining food is simular

[eynsteinp]

I think NCL and RC are more similar than different.  If you do the Haven on NCL it is nicer than a suite on RC but if in a non-suite I think the newer ships on RC are a little nicer than the newer ships of NCL.  I think you will enjoy NCL very much too though.

[Clarea]

16 minutes ago, njship3 said:

We are Diamond+ on RCCL & love them, but New Orleans is very close to us and NCL seems to have some good rates for the fall.  Has anyone done both and have thoughts on comparisons?  Thanks!

 

Some recent "vs NCL" threads:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2651593-royal-vs-ncl-head-to-head/?do=findComment&comment=57186685

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2641559-royal-vs-ncl/?do=findComment&comment=56944352

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2595086-rccl-v-ncl/?do=findComment&comment=55973498

 

[BermudaBound2014]

Which ship is sailing out of New Orleans? Not all NCL ships are created equal. Comparing the Jade to the Breakaway would be like comparing the Serenade to Oasis. In general, we prefer the food and entertainment options on NCL. The specialty restaurants are more to our liking and NCL has better dining venues for us. Example O'Sheehans is a 24 hour bar food place that is great to hit after Howl at the moon. On the 'away' class eating outside on the promenade is one of our favorite things. We think RCL has better ships and overall is more organized. We also think that in genreal, RCL ships feel less crowded. NCL gets a bad rap, but they do some extra  that are nice. Last time sailing on RCL returning to the hot port, we missed the NCL team on breakaway there with cold towels and popcycles to welcome us back. The last three cruises, RCL has priced less for us. 

[BirdTravels]

The ships out of NOLA are the newer, larger ships in the NCL fleet,,,, roughly equivalent to a quantum class ship (~4200 guests). The Breakaway just completed a major 5-year drydock and upgrade. Getaway will follow. 

 

NCL tries to cater to the contemporary cruiser. The NCL freestyle cruising is the centerpiece of their approach. No set dining times. No formal nights. You show up and eat when you are hungry and it fits your schedule. You are on vacation, relax.

 

Ncl ships feel a bit more crowded because they don’t devote a lot of space to open space like the promenade.

 

We like NCL food better, but that is totally a preference. 

 

NCL crew are by far more friendly and welcoming. They make you feel like you are welcome and at home. 

 

You would only be disappointed if you devoted your cruise to trying to do a nit pick comparison. 

 

To give you a look at the ship and entrainment, I have attached links to one of our live posts from the Getaway and a  slightly older post from the Breakaway. 

 

Our cruises over over the past year have included the Allure, Symphony and the Harmony. On NCL we sailed on the Escape, Getaway, and NCL’s newest ship the Bliss (Escape, Getaway, Bliss are all Breakaway-class (Quantum) ships). 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by BirdTravels

[mizLORInj]

OP:

 

Best to try it for yourself to form your own opinion (helpful, aren't I?  🤣).  We've been on Breakaway many times as it was home ported in NYC for many years, and once on Getaway (its sister) and it's bigger sister, Escape, as well as many other NCL ships (see my history--more NCL ships than RC thus far).   Have enjoyed every cruise.  Truly, the mainstream cruise lines are more similar than different.  And I like variety!   🙂

 

Oh, and ships that sail from NY or NJ will get my business!!  (no spending time in airports!) so I totally understand your wanting to check out what is close by.