After 6 NCL cruises we gave RCL a try-my opinion of the differences

[mopedmom1]

On 5/11/2019 at 4:54 PM, Zippeedee said:

Would you mind sharing the name of your internet provider? I thought I was doing something wrong. I could not access my Comcast account.Thanks!

Aboard the Bliss in March I was told by the Internet Manager the only way you could get Comcast email would be to purchase the most expensive premium internet option. 

 

Our next cruise in October I am going to forward all my Comcast email to my gmail account so I don't have to pay the ridiculous internet pricing of $34/day.

[Zippeedee]

5 hours ago, mopedmom1 said:

Aboard the Bliss in March I was told by the Internet Manager the only way you could get Comcast email would be to purchase the most expensive premium internet option. 

 

Our next cruise in October I am going to forward all my Comcast email to my gmail account so I don't have to pay the ridiculous internet pricing of $34/day.

Thanks! I had the most expensive internet package and still couldn't access my Comcast email. So frustrating! I even tweeted customer support at Xfinity and they couldn't help.

[BNBR]

On 5/15/2019 at 11:07 AM, sparks1093 said:

We've found the crew to be friendly on all of the lines we've sailed on.

 

Right!?  Whenever I see rants about XYZ line having "way better crew" I just skip over them.  Mass market lines are all just about identical with their standards and service.  Some ships and experiences will be better or worse and that can be on the same ship during the same sailing and 2 different people have 2 different experiences.

 

Same thing with food, as MichaelCMTX said, it's all so damn similar but people come up with some pretty wild and embellished stories for sure.  The only clearly better buffet I've seen was Celebrity Reflection.  NCL/Royal/Carnival all seemed pretty much similar.  MDR's and specialty restaurants all similar, too.  There is nothing all that different between lines when it comes to service and food quality.  Which is why my focus tends to be on specifics like ship features, price, specific dining venues or packages, things like that.

 

I'd love to try Anthem some day, but can't get myself to fly up to NY just to do that.  We sail a lot of Oasis class out of Florida and absolutely nothing on the water compares to that class of ship.

[mopedmom1]

2 hours ago, Zippeedee said:

Thanks! I had the most expensive internet package and still couldn't access my Comcast email. So frustrating! I even tweeted customer support at Xfinity and they couldn't help.

Well that's good to know that it didn't even work with the premium internet.   I paid for the next level down and after not being able to read my email and barely even able to get online I was refunded my money and just lived without internet for the week. (The horrors! Lol) We were in an aft balcony so maybe the location had something to do with the spotty coverage. ???

[Zippeedee]

59 minutes ago, mopedmom1 said:

Well that's good to know that it didn't even work with the premium internet.   I paid for the next level down and after not being able to read my email and barely even able to get online I was refunded my money and just lived without internet for the week. (The horrors! Lol) We were in an aft balcony so maybe the location had something to do with the spotty coverage. ???

I could get everything but my email. The connection was much better in the public areas, Atrium, Garden Cafe, than it was in my cabin. 

[ollienbertsmum]

On 5/12/2019 at 12:33 PM, newmexicoNita said:

We haven't sailed RCI for quite awhile so I guess it isn't fair to compare, but if for no other reason, we prefer NCL because of the friendly crew and the dining choices. Otherwise they are very similar in our opinion 

The review was interesting, so thanks to the OP for posting, however I tend to agree with Nita.  

I think the comparisons can be ship-specific and even passenger-specific.    I have met staff who are helpful and some who I have found frustratingly difficult to work with.  I don't think that is the fault of the cruise-line.   

 

We started out on RCL and I was nervous about moving to NCL.  They have all been great.  There was a different flavour to the Adventure cruising out of Malaga a few years back.  This was because there were a larger number of Spanish passengers which made things different  (9 pm dining was packed).  

 

I have gained confidence that I do not need to be so loyal.  Last summer we went on a Princess to ALaska.  The ship was deserted by 10 pm.  People were just so exhausted from the long days.  You can't blame the cruise line for that.   

 

I am now booked on a P and O next year - and would happily consider MSC or even Marella if the itinerary suited and the price was right.   

[sparks1093]

8 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

Right!?  Whenever I see rants about XYZ line having "way better crew" I just skip over them.  Mass market lines are all just about identical with their standards and service.  Some ships and experiences will be better or worse and that can be on the same ship during the same sailing and 2 different people have 2 different experiences.

 

Same thing with food, as MichaelCMTX said, it's all so damn similar but people come up with some pretty wild and embellished stories for sure.  The only clearly better buffet I've seen was Celebrity Reflection.  NCL/Royal/Carnival all seemed pretty much similar.  MDR's and specialty restaurants all similar, too.  There is nothing all that different between lines when it comes to service and food quality.  Which is why my focus tends to be on specifics like ship features, price, specific dining venues or packages, things like that.

 

I'd love to try Anthem some day, but can't get myself to fly up to NY just to do that.  We sail a lot of Oasis class out of Florida and absolutely nothing on the water compares to that class of ship.

You live in cruise central, USA so I can't blame you for not wanting to fly somewhere else😀, unless it's to the West Coast for those itineraries (or possibly the northeast if you wanted to do a NE/Canada itinerary). I preferred the Windjammer layout on Anthem to other ships we've sailed on, with the buffet layout on Gem taking second place. Certainly nothing that would make or break a cruise. We found the main theater seating on Anthem to be uncomfortable, but again, nothing to make or break a cruise. I also agree that the food in the MDR is very similar across the board. We aren't into specialty restaurants at all and we have only eaten in one and a half so far (Il'Adaggio [sp] on Gem and I ordered a steakhouse entree' a la carte in the MDR on Pride once. Both experiences fall into the "all right" category and didn't leave us clamoring for more). Shipboard activities are also fairly similar outside of the shows in the main theater- trivia, bingo, karaoke, Quest, etc.