Norwegian or Celebrity

[cheeseheads4ever]

I have never been on NCL and have did most of my cruising on Celebrity. We want to try something different. Would we regret trying NCL. Seems like a fun cruise line. We are in our mid 60’s like to have fun, dance and drink..

Any thoughts would be appreciated…

 

[hallux]

Here are a couple threads discussing this very topic The first is from someone I respect in the NCL forum and recognize as an active and helpful person - 

 

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, hallux said:

Here are a couple threads discussing this very topic The first is from someone I respect in the NCL forum and recognize as an active and helpful person - 

 

 

Aw, thanks for the kind words! Here is a link to my review for the B2B I just did on the Norwegian Breakaway a couple of weeks ago. Hope that helps the OP!

 

 

[hallux]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

Aw, thanks for the kind words!

No problem.  I just hope at some point I end up on the same ship as you and your husband, but it's rare that I get to sail twice in a year as I did in 2019 so those opportunities might be rare.

[jkrislc]

NCL is much more casual than Celebrity and you won't find the menus in the main dining room quite as extravagant. For example, you won't find a veal shank in the MDR on NCL like on Celebrity. However, for less than $200 per person, you could dine in specialty dining restaurants to make up for this. 

 

Rooms will be smaller on NCL and the beverage packages are more expensive and less inclusive than on Celebrity. Entertainment varies greatly by ship, but I think NCL has better entertainment. I remember more live music on Celebrity, but my memory on that is a bit cloudy. 

[JamieLogical]

Included food on Celebrity is definitely better than NCL. I can't speak to the specialty restaurants on Celebrity vs. NCL, as I have not tried them on Celebrity. Pastries/snacks from the coffee bar are not included on NCL, but NCL has O'sheehan's/The Local, which is a 24-hour sit-down restaurant with pub food that is included.

 

Drink package is better on Celebrity, because it is cheaper to upgrade from the free Classic Package to the Premium package than the gratuities on the "free" package cost on NCL. Gratuities for the free package on NCL are $20/day. Cost to upgrade from the free package to the Premium package on Celebrity is $11/day. The Premium package on celebrity is definitely superior to the free package on NCL. Also, be sure to note that the free beverage package on NCL does NOT include specialty coffee or bottled water.

 

For big production shows in the theater, NCL is definitely better than Celebrity. For smaller performances in more intimate venues, I think it just varies ship-to-ship within the lines.

 

Obviously, NCL is going to win out for things like water slides, go-karts, laser tag, ropes courses, etc.

 

For me, the main advantage of Celebrity over NCL is customer service. I was burned badly by NCL when they canceled my B2B on the Joy out of Montego Bay and offered no compensation. This was NOT a COVID cancellation. This was a business decision. Back when cruising was restarting in North America, several lines decided to try home-porting outside of the US initially. Celebrity was sailing out of St. Maarten, as you may recall. Royal Caribbean was sailing out of Nassau. And NCL was supposed to sail out of Montego Bay. It was supposed to be their "Return to Sea" and they billed as the first post-COVID cruises that were going to be a sure thing and would definitely sail, after so many cancellations. Of course, my husband and I jumped on it right away, even booking a Haven Suite and booking one for my parents as well. We were so excited to finally be booked on a cruise that was definitely happening. Then, US cruising opened back up. Lines decided to try for an abbreviated Alaska sailing. And in order to make that happen, NCL decided to pull all of the vaccinated/trained crew they had on the Joy and move them over to the Encore for Alaska. NCL offered us nothing as compensation... no lift and shift to the Alaska sailings... no extra percentage of FCC... nothing. Just all of our FCC returned to our account.

 

Not sure how Celebrity would have handled that situation, but I do have another example of customer service where I have a direct comparison between the two lines. I just returned from a B2B on the Breakaway to Bermuda to use up our remaining FCCs with NCL. The price for the second week of the B2B fell after final payment. In the past, NCL has offered 25% of the difference in OBC after a price drop. The total price had dropped by $192 per person. I was told that, since 25% of the difference was less than $50, no OBC would be offered. Missed it by $2! But, then closer to sailing, the price dropped again, putting it over $200 per person and thus eligible for the $50 of OBC, right? Nope! Now we were within 14 days of sailing, so again, no OBC.

 

Meanwhile, I am booked on the Summit for November 13. The price for that sailing dropped $348 after final payment, when the 20% off sail went into effect. Celebrity gave me 100% of the difference in OBC! So, to summarize: $348 price drop on Celebrity resulted in $348 of OBC. $384 price drop on NCL resulted in $0 in OBC.

[FlyingAnchor]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

For me, the main advantage of Celebrity over NCL is customer service.

Thanks for sharing your perspective on NCL vs. Celebrity. We almost exclusively cruise Celebrity, but are trying our first NCL cruise in 2023. We've found the itineraries on Celebrity are starting to get very repetitive. Also, we feel like we 're paying more and receiving less in general on X. However, one thing that has never changed on X is the level of service onboard. Looking forward to trying out NCL, though! Alarmed to read the beverage package does not include bottled water. Thats usually what pays for itself on our cruises, haha! 😉

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Thanks for sharing your perspective on NCL vs. Celebrity. We almost exclusively cruise Celebrity, but are trying our first NCL cruise in 2023. We've found the itineraries on Celebrity are starting to get very repetitive. Also, we feel like we 're paying more and receiving less in general on X. However, one thing that has never changed on X is the level of service onboard. Looking forward to trying out NCL, though! Alarmed to read the beverage package does not include bottled water. Thats usually what pays for itself on our cruises, haha! 😉

 

You have to upgrade to the "Ultimate" beverage package on NCL to get bottled water and that is NOT cheap. Certainly don't do it JUST for the bottled water.

[ggTexasGal]

2 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

Certainly don't do it JUST for the bottled water.

NCL does sell JUST WATER cartons!

 

@JamieLogical  😁 Clever pun, or happy coincidence?   BTW, I love your posts!!!

[JamieLogical]

3 hours ago, ggTexasGal said:

NCL does sell JUST WATER cartons!

 

@JamieLogical  😁 Clever pun, or happy coincidence?   BTW, I love your posts!!!

LOL, I wish I were that clever!

[Seany527]

Long time NCL cruisers who tried Celebrity over the summer for the first time. 
With the exception of theater shows, Celebrity beats out Norwegian in every category. 
 

I have FCC I need to use up and then after that I’m most likely done sailing with NCL. Too many small things that have added up over the years has left a sour taste in my mouth for the brand. 
 

I have been blown away with how accommodating Celebrity has been both pre and during the cruise. 
 

I never understood why people said Norwegian nickeled and dimes you until I sailed with Celebrity. 

[Oxo]

First let me give you a background on our Cruising experience/history. We are Elite+ on Celebrity and Platinum on NCL. Our last 4 cruises, 2 each on Celebrity Edge  and NCL Encore. The next 12 months were are cruising on NCL Joy 2, Oasis OTS 4, NCL Escape 1, Symphony 1 and Celebrity Apex 1.

 

So, we don’t have a favorite Cruise Line and are not Cheerleaders for any Cruise Line. Point being, we consider all these cruise lines plus MSC and HAL to be all equal. Each have their pluses and minuses. Each cruise can be the best or have shortcomings.

 

Some say Celebrity has the best food. Yes, food is subjective, very subjective. We were on the Edge in Sept 2021 and ate in the MDR 5 nights and considered the food good, but nothing great. We ate in the Raw on 5 and Fine Cut Steak House. Both of them are totally overpriced compare to the price and food served on NC.

 

Speciality Restaurants Examples:

Celebrity                                                NCL

 Nights Cost Per Meal                Nights Cost Per Meal

3 $128 $43                                        3 $99 $33

4 $149 $37                                        4 $114 $29

5 $182 $36                                        5 $129 $26

6 $204 $34                                        6 $139 $23

7 $233 $33                                        7 $149 $21

 

If these prices have changed since I posted this, I apologize. Someone may correct this.

 

I find no difference between Celebrity and NCL or the other cruise lines in Customer Service, Internet, etc. For every positive, such as getting your price reduced after Final Payment because prices went down, there is someone who did not get the same reduction from the same cruise line. It is on these forums daily.

 

Price of cruise for 2  Inside Cabin with Drink Package, WiFi:

Celebrity Edge NCL Joy

$2,440 (OBC $200 Tips $210) $2,104 (Includes 2 $75 OBC, 2 Meal Dinners)

 

Celebrity Elite+ Perks: Nothing compare to NCL.

 https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/new-images/Captain's Club Benefit Brochure_072821.pdf

 

NCL Platinum Perks: Notice the 2 Dining Meals and bottle of wine.

 

Latitudes Rewards Benefits	Gold 56	Plat 80
Priority Check-in At The Pier	X
Keycard Recognition	X
Bottle Of Sparkling Wine (per stateroom)	X
Onboard Discounts In Duty-Free Shops1	X 15%
Additional Internet Minutes w/purchase	X
Free Work Of Art For Attending Art Auction	X
Onboard Latitudes Rewards Representative	X
Monthly Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers on Select Sailings	X
Complimentary Latitudes Rewards Online Magazine	X
Exclusive Cocktail Party	X
Onboard Discounts On Shore Excursions	X 10%
Onboard Discounts On Photos	X
Onboard Discounts On Spa Signature In Port	X 20%
Bottled Water (per member)	X 1
Laundry Service 50% OFF 1 BAG	X
Priority Tender Tickets	X
Priority Disembarkation	X
Priority Embarkation		X
Dinner Two at Cagney's or Le Bistro  Bottle of Wine		X
Dinner for Two at Moderno or La Cucina3		X
Free Internet Minutes4		X 30 min
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries		X
Behind-the-Scenes Ship Tour5		X
Concierge Service:specialty restaurant, etc.		X
Dinner with Officers
Priority Restaurant & Entertainment Seating
Complimentary 7-Day Cruise

 

I could add more, however, I think this shows that each Cruise line offers different

Things. You be the judge as it is your money. They all Nickle and dime you. Celebrity

Tries to make off their are Crystal Cruise Lines. They have changed like all the rest over the years. Been on both cruise lines since 1986.

 

There any many opinions. Only yours counts! Read each posting and realize we all have different experiences and opinions.

 

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising!

 

[FlyingAnchor]

1 hour ago, Oxo said:

There any many opinions. Only yours counts!

Thanks for posting your assessment! I think instead of trying to find a new "cruise line home," we're more trying to enjoy some variety in a comparable setting if away from Celebrity. To that end, Celebrity's just released 2023 Europe itineraries do little for us in comparison to what we've found in the same timeframe on NCL, including the cruise we have booked! 

[Oxo]

36 minutes ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Thanks for posting your assessment! I think instead of trying to find a new "cruise line home," we're more trying to enjoy some variety in a comparable setting if away from Celebrity. To that end, Celebrity's just released 2023 Europe itineraries do little for us in comparison to what we've found in the same timeframe on NCL, including the cruise we have booked! 

We never have cruised just one line.  I tried to let each reader understand that there is no one cruise line that is the best fit every cruiser. We no longer cruise the Caribbean for the islands as we cruised them all many times. We have cruised the Baltics, Mediterranean, South America, South Pacific, South East Asia, Panama Canal. Mexico, etc.

Everyone has their choice when choosing a cruise.

Some pick price, others ports, others cruise line, others ship and others perks.

You and only you know what is your priority in picking a cruise. The only way you know if it is something you will enjoy,  try it. We have over 125 cruises and really never had a bad one.  

We were on Celebrity Edge in Sept 2021. Going on NCL JOY Nov 2021.

We know we will enjoy the Joy for different reasons than why we enjoyed the Edge. To us, each cruise is a wonderful experience! It is what you make it. Just -

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising!

 

We are fortunate that we can cruise.  There are many people who can only think of cruising. For over 18 months Cruising was unavailable.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Oxo

[njpln]

We like both. But they are a bit different as others have said. Celebrity definitely has better food in the main dining room. We have never felt the need to go to a specialty restaurant because the choices are very varied and they have higher end options in the main dining room. Eg, frogs legs and fois gras appetizers….
 

When you’re on Celebrity you’ll generally have fewer children on your cruise. We like the fact that it’s mostly couples.   Norwegian caters to all different age groups, it’s really a great cruise line when you have multiple generations traveling. We’ve never had a bad meal on Norwegian, but the main dining room is definitely a more modest menu. Nothing too fancy.  That said, we always get a package now where we get a couple nights in specialty dining and that never disappoints. Our favorites are definitely the French restaurant and the seafood restaurant followed by the steakhouse.

 

We think the entertainment Norwegian is better, mostly because we like the fact that they don’t do a different show every night, they will repeat a show twice during the week so you don’t feel like you have to run to the shows every night. We also think the options to dance are better on Norwegian. We really like to dance after dinner and Celebrity has been a bit disappointing in options for dancing. We always manage to do some, but they seem to think dancing is passe, as dance floors disappear…
 

We currently have three Celebrity cruises booked over the next two years, and two Norwegian’s.   I expect we will enjoy all of them, as we have a great time on both!

By the way, as a previous poster said, we like lots of cruise lines. We also cruise Cunard, Oceania and have  Holland America.  We appreciate each cruise line for what it has to offer, and a lot of times we are picking a cruise based on the itineraries not just a cruise line. That being said, I doubt we would ever be on a Carnival cruise because the atmosphere is not what we’re looking for…😉

Edited October 19, 2021 by njpln

[FlyingAnchor]

15 hours ago, njpln said:

We think the entertainment Norwegian is better, mostly because we like the fact that they don’t do a different show every night, they will repeat a show twice during the week so you don’t feel like you have to run to the shows every night.

Are there multiple shows on NCL or do they just one show which repeats during the sailing? Do they have other styles of shows besides the big Broadway musical-style productions? We like seeing a show each night after dinner, which we do on Celebrity with no problem! Looking forward to learning more about NCL :-) 

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Are there multiple shows on NCL or do they just one show which repeats during the sailing? Do they have other styles of shows besides the big Broadway musical-style productions? We like seeing a show each night after dinner, which we do on Celebrity with no problem! Looking forward to learning more about NCL 🙂

 

They usually have two big theater production shows that each run two nights of a 7-day sailing. The other three nights, they will have things like a magician or comedian performing in the main theater. Every night of the sailing they will have musicians and comedians performing in smaller venues throughout the ship.

[happy cruzer]

Agree with all the points mentioned.  MDR goes to Celebrity.  24 hr diner, specialty, and entertainment to NCL.  Additional points are NCL has more families so areas that cater to the younger groups get more crowded and NCL tends to be more casual.  Love both and enjoy the differences; except the drink package exclusions and pricing on NCL 🙂

[nferr]

I cruised once on Celebrity and was disappointed overall. They wouldn't allow us to move our dining times, wasn't much going on at night, etc. The ship was nice but I like the NCL vibe better.