Favorite thing about Cruising NCL?

[SailorMan20]

What's Your One favorite thing about cruising with NCL over CCL or RCL?

[capitainefritz]

I only did NCL one time (Gem, 2016) and RCCL one time (Adventure OTS, 2018). We're doing the Joy in December.

 

For us, the food and the service in the MDR was wayyy above what we had on RCCL. We like to take our time for dinner, and not get rushed.

 

We also liked the fact we could just go for dinner at the time we'd like and always got a table without any wait. On RCCL, even though we had My time dining, we had to wait 10-30 minutes most of the times.

 

Can't wait to sail NCL again!

[CruisingNole]

NCL is cheaper, lower class, very blue collar. You’ll witness a lot of dirty White tank tops. This is the NCL breed.

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

Not watching the clock all the time, and dressing up or down how I feel like it for dinner

[newmexicoNita]

this question has been asked several times in the past: I think most of us, who prefer NCL when it comes to mass marketed ships would say, service and entertainment. I haven't cruise RCI or Carnival for many years so I am not sure this still is the case but we have always had great service on NCL, not so on RCI. And certainly not so on Carnival. Oh, freestyle also enters the picture. NCL was the first to introduce freestyle and it seems to work a littler better. As for the class or people, anyone who would even suggest NCL only attracts working class, has no NCL experience unless it may have been on a booze cruise. Even then, just because someone chooses to enjoy a short, booze type cruise doesn't make therm lower class. 

[yearsofcruising]

 

11 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

this question has been asked several times in the past: I think most of us, who prefer NCL when it comes to mass marketed ships would say, service and entertainment. I haven't cruise RCI or Carnival for many years so I am not sure this still is the case but we have always had great service on NCL, not so on RCI. And certainly not so on Carnival. Oh, freestyle also enters the picture. NCL was the first to introduce freestyle and it seems to work a littler better. As for the class or people, anyone who would even suggest NCL only attracts working class, has no NCL experience unless it may have been on a booze cruise. Even then, just because someone chooses to enjoy a short, booze type cruise doesn't make therm lower class. 

Please as stated above consider some of us lower class. !!..personally I go on 2 cruises a year. I agree with Newmexico..I go cause its my relaxation , itineraries , port of embarkation , over all pack my bags & go. Been using the same PCC for yrs.. All lines have pro's n con's...

I leave again in Sept...

[sverigecruiser]

13 hours ago, SailorMan20 said:

What's Your One favorite thing about cruising with NCL over CCL or RCL?

 

We had two main reasons for booking NCL for our first cruise and after that we were happy with what we got until their prices raised a lot exactly when they started the bidding system they have now.

 

Our reasons  was:

1. Freestyle dining. We want to decide when and with who we shall eat.

2. They had prices for every cruise and every cabin category in their brochure.

[sverigecruiser]

10 hours ago, CruisingNole said:

NCL is cheaper, lower class, very blue collar. You’ll witness a lot of dirty White tank tops. This is the NCL breed.

 

If that is your true belief you must have been very unlucky on all your NCL cruises.

[ColeThornton]

10 hours ago, CruisingNole said:

NCL is cheaper, lower class, very blue collar. You’ll witness a lot of dirty White tank tops. This is the NCL breed.

 

 

If I remember correctly you don't cruise on NCL or am I thinking of someone else?

[CruisingNole]

10 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

If I remember correctly you don't cruise on NCL or am I thinking of someone else?

 

My next one is in two weeks. 😉

[ColeThornton]

Just now, CruisingNole said:

 

My next one is in two weeks. 😉

 

 

LOL.  Okay.   Don't forget your white tank tops.

[HAPPINESS IS]

Everything!!!

[david_sobe]

No official formal nights.  Relaxed dress codes. No time dining.  Although the bigger new ships are less freestyle with all the entertainment and game bookings in advance.

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

LOL.  Okay.   Don't forget your white tank tops.

In my neck of the woods, they are referred to as wife beaters.

[snirpville]

I chose NCL last year for my first cruise because of the Freestyle. I do not want to dress up or sit with the same people or be told when I have to eat. Did that once on a HAL cruise and never again. Prices seem fine and my parents like that they can get the Free at Sea options like the beverage package. Its also one of the few cruise websites where they show the price in Canadian dollars which makes budgeting easier. 

[alwalaska]

16 hours ago, SailorMan20 said:

What's Your One favorite thing about cruising with NCL over CCL or RCL?

I've not sailed CCL, but my comparisons below are from RCL and Princess.

 

If I had to choose just one - it would be being able to have a nice sit-down dinner any night of the cruise while hubby wears his nice cargo shorts and a polo rather than having to dress up.

 

If I could pick more, they would include (in no particular order)

• No set dining times (Freestyle works much by than MyTimeDining or the equiv on other lines)
• Extremely friendly and helpful senior officers that interact with passengers more than I saw on other lines.
• Used to be a lot less expensive than most lines, but now with the not so free "Free at Sea" options, that isn't always the case since I want to be able to pick what cabin I stay in most of the time.
• Most NCL cruises I have been on have had one or two guitar or piano players that I really enjoyed listening to in the evenings. Princess seems to be more elevator music style.

[SailorMan20]

FreeStyle dining is what I like about NCL and that's one of the reasons I booked with them.

[SailorMan20]

Just now, SailorMan20 said:

FreeStyle dining is what I like about NCL and that's one of the reasons I booked with them.

 

[newmexicoNita]

3 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

If I remember correctly you don't cruise on NCL or am I thinking of someone else?

think he cruised on them once about a year ago. Strong RCI lover if I remember right. I am curious as to why he would be sailing a line he hates so much is beyond me. I have never seen him post one positive thing about the line.   Another positive thing about NCL is our common class view: After being an executive plus a political appointee for his whole life, hubby loves not having to dress up for dinner. Wearing a tux or even a suit is something he is long over. 

[ppcox]

• No sharing dinning table with strangers
• Free to choose where to eat and when
• Very good entertainment 
• Included drinks package (not big drinkers but really enjoy not thinking about “how much “ just have what we feel like.)
• DH doesn’t have to dress formally 
• Friendly staff and mostly excellent service

[trivimp]

My top reason: NCL does a good job with the solo cruisers, even on ships that don't have the studio cabins.  There's always a solo meetup in the dailies.  Other lines, hit-and-miss.

Also, I like the entertainment better.  

[FaithPlus1]

I agree with CruisingNole lol.... I've been on 2 NCL cruises. Both had very much a mixed bag but on the last NCL cruise to Alaska, a biker removing his dentures in the jacuzzi took the cake along with parents outside smoking away as their kids were unattended in the jacuzzis. 

 

Why do I keep going on NCL? Honestly, the price. I travel solo most of the time so they seem to have the best rates for solo travelers (not talking so much about the studio cabins, but for last minute cruises where they waive or make the solo supplement reasonable). The entertainment however I do feel is fairly good. I also am likely to find people around my own age (34) versus the average cruiser being a senior citizen. 

[TenForward]

For me it's the Waterfront.  I love having dinner or drinks right beside the ocean with the breeze in my face and the smell of the sea in the air.  I had looked at other lines before my first cruise and all the restaurants were indoors and air conditioned.  I can get that on land.  

[CruisingNole]

9 minutes ago, FaithPlus1 said:

I agree with CruisingNole lol.... I've been on 2 NCL cruises. Both had very much a mixed bag but on the last NCL cruise to Alaska, a biker removing his dentures in the jacuzzi took the cake along with parents outside smoking away as their kids were unattended in the jacuzzis. 

 

Why do I keep going on NCL? Honestly, the price. 

 

Nailed it. I use NCL for last minute bookings, you can sometimes score great deals. On most other cruiselines (especially Royal and Carnival) prices get more and more expensive as the sailing date nears. I find that their ships generate more demand and therefore there's no need for these last minute price slashes that NCL is famous for. 

 

BTW - the story about the biker, that's gold!

[FaithPlus1]

13 minutes ago, CruisingNole said:

 

Nailed it. I use NCL for last minute bookings, you can sometimes score great deals. On most other cruiselines (especially Royal and Carnival) prices get more and more expensive as the sailing date nears. I find that their ships generate more demand and therefore there's no need for these last minute price slashes that NCL is famous for. 

 

BTW - the story about the biker, that's gold!

I've never sailed Royal Carribean. Went on 1 3 night Carnival cruise out of Long Beach. The people were slightly below those that you get on NCL lol.... 

 

Honestly even though I'm not a senior citizen I would love to go on one of those River cruises on the Reine in Europe, and go on Regent or Crystal opposed to the larger companies. I just have champagne taste on a beer budget so it's not an option lol. 

 

I also immediately got out of a jacuzzi when a guy covered in tattoos and nipple piercings came in. Am I snobby? Absolutely. I just saw that body and thought I'm going to get Hep C if I stay in there. 

Edited July 5, 2019 by FaithPlus1