NCL vs Royal Caribbean Hawaii Cruise

[$hip$hape]

1 hour ago, CORKY_Q said:

We are almost "Loyal To Royal," but we have strayed a few times.  We have done a few cruises on NCL, and were not disappointed.  We took one cruise on the Pride of Hawaii about 10 years ago.  That cruise was because we did not want to spend so much time at sea as we would have with RCI. 

 

The biggest difference we noted was with the crew.  Being an American flagged ship, the majority of the crew were US citizens raised in the American culture.  The crew was not as "servile" as you have grown to experience.

 

That being said, the cruise itself is wonderful.  Your ship is, as has been noted before, becomes a floating hotel which takes you from one island to another.

 

We do encourage you to take a couple of extra days in Hawaii.  Oahu has a tremendous amount to offer.  We rented a car and went on a couple of day trips of discovery.

 

We wish you well,

Sea Ya

 

 

Nice post!

[$hip$hape]

48 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Indeed it can. BUT, the check in line for NCL’s equivalent to Diamond/Elite was practically non existent... The moment someone with a “status” showed up, they took precedence... When I got nearer the check in stands, I saw that they were very disorganized too.... To paraphrase Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” — “no more NCL for me”😎

Still trying to understand “status”.

[jakeil7]

12 minutes ago, $hip$hape said:

Still trying to understand “status”.

From the company’s loyalty program

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Indeed it can. BUT, the check in line for NCL’s equivalent to Diamond/Elite was practically non existent... The moment someone with a “status” showed up, they took precedence... When I got nearer the check in stands, I saw that they were very disorganized too.... To paraphrase Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” — “no more NCL for me”😎

But those aren’t NCL employees.

[dani negreanu]

10 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

But those aren’t NCL employees.

 

Well, in this case, stands to reason that NCL's should at least strive to improve the service provided for them/in their name.

[jakeil7]

2 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Well, in this case, stands to reason that NCL's should at least strive to improve the service provided for them/in their name.

They may not be able to if they are locked into the port’s preferred vendor. 

[dani negreanu]

2 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

They may not be able to if they are locked into the port’s preferred vendor. 

 

I rest my case .....

[mjkacmom]

8 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

I rest my case .....

Your case? You took one NCL cruise on it’s only US flagged ship, and you are basing your opinion on staffing issues at the port on one particular day? 

[dani negreanu]

5 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Your case? You took one NCL cruise on it’s only US flagged ship, and you are basing your opinion on staffing issues at the port on one particular day? 

 

As a matter of fact, at my ripe old age, YES.

 

[CruisingAlong4Now]

The difference between the Pride of America and cruises to Hawaii from the US mainland/Canada is the difference between cruising for the destination or cruising for the ship. Pride of America is all about the ports and maximizes your time in Hawaii.  Sailing to or from the US Mainland/Canada, has almost as many sea days as a re positioning cruise Trans-Atlantic. The one way cruises do not generally overnight in any Hawaiian ports, whilst the round-trip Honolulu cruises overnight in Maui and Kauai.  

 

I would recommend the Pride of America RT cruise and arrive early. You are coming from the east coast. It's a long trip. Take the time to enjoy the Aloha spirit. Spend a few days on one of the islands before the cruise.  Maui has lots of hotels and great restaurants.  Kauai is generally considered the most beautiful.  Hawaii is not "just another beach". It's a way of life. 

[C Dog]

We have been on 6 cruises in the previous two years with 3 of those on Royal and 3 on NCL.  Our most recent NCL cruise was on Pride of America in Hawaii this past spring break.   I think that cruise is tied as our most favorite cruise ever...

 

We didn't really experience some of the more common complaints, including the following claims:

  - "Service isn't as good":  We actually thought the service was excellent everywhere on the ship.  Absolutely no complaints about the service.  I think our butler was the best we've ever had.

  - "More expensive":  We have always sailed in 2 bedroom suites and this ship was one of the cheaper fares we've paid. (Cabin 8202).  Note: Prices may have gone up since then as we booked before they started offering the included alcoholic beverage packages in Hawaii.

  - "Uninteresting ship":  True, it is smaller, and there is no casino if you're into that.  But we thought it packed in a lot for its size including the typical large assortment of NCL dining (including a free Asian restaurant and 24 hour car-themed diner, in addition to the dining room and buffet), not to mention at least 6 specialty restaurants for an extra fee.  Also had an aft pool which is rare on NCL.

 

That said, we probably like Royal and NCL equally, with each having pros and cons.  Most notably:

Royal:  Better ship design.  The center promenades are great.  Most cabins are larger than NCL cabins.

NCL:  Better dining all around (we prefer the "freestyle" concept, the selection of food and selection of restaurants on NCL).  It seems like even the smaller NCL ships have as many, if not more, restaurant choices than the largest Royal ships.  Cabins feel smaller, however, the master bathroom in NCL's two bedroom suites is phenomenal.

 

Anyway, doubt you can go wrong with either, although sounds like you would get more time on the islands with NCL.  Here is a video of our trip this past spring:

 

 

[TravelerThom]

On 12/10/2019 at 3:41 PM, mugtech said:

Visit the USS Missouri, check out the crowded inside cabins.  When they ask you why the mighty Mo was so narrow, the correct answer is "to fit through the Panama Canal."

A picture of USS Missouri squeezing through the Panama Canal:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Missouri_panama_canal.jpg#/media/File:Missouri_panama_canal.jpg

[Knighton]

I have done a cruise around the Hawaiian islands and also have flown directly and done non cruise vacations there many times.  In comparing the 2, I must say that if you've already done strictly land based stays there, you will not be happy with the cruise.  We had already done land only vacations more than once, so we only did the cruise because after Hawaii the ship was going to Tahiti.  The amount of time spent on the ship compared to how long the port stops are is a waste of time.  Yes, seeing all the islands is less hassle on a cruise, but the amount of time on each island is so limited, you really don't get the true relaxing, beautiful Hawaiian experience.  The places where the ship docks tend to be touristy shopping areas, and the shore excursions are way too touristy as well, packed on a bus with 50 other people, the slowest of whom determines how much you actually get to see.  We are scuba divers, so we made the most of the port stops doing that.  You will spend the little time you have in port sightseeing and you really won't be able to relax and appreciate the beauty or lay on the wonderful beach and play in the waves because you will be pressed for time.  If you absolutely must do it by way of cruise, research the islands and rent a car and do it on your own.  If you can swing it, you're much better off flying there and staying in hotels, taking island hopping flights to see more than one.  With the flights from the mainland to Hawaii as long as they are, try to do 10 days to 2 weeks, and 2 or 3 islands-I suggest Maui (don't stay in Lahaina-too touristy), Oahu, and the big island-a trip to see the volcano is a must.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Knighton