Have only sailed Norwegian, why should be try another line?

[blackdot]

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

Edited June 6, 2022 by blackdot

[Markanddonna]

We probably have spent 1/3-1/2 of our sailing time on NCL. We were on the Anthem of the Seas in May and have to say that we (70+) enjoyed the Ripcord by IFly, the Northstar, and the dodgem cars (all at no extra charge.)  

 

We look for the itinerary and price. The ship's features are #3. We are also platinum on NCL and Black on MSC, so getting some extra perks tends to draw us back. One more cruise, and I'll be Diamond on RCL.  I like that MSC and NCL don't really encourage  you to advertise your status like some do on RCL. You just enjoy all the nice perks privately.

 

I find little difference between the mainstream cruiselines (also been on HAL and Carnival.) I think you would find the experiences not much different. Cruising is cruising and things are changing all the time anyway. 

 

[LHT28]

Better in what way??

 

If you are happy with NCL  no need to try something different  unless you find an itinerary or price that may suit your needs/wants

 most main stream lines are very similar

You could probably try a Premium or luxury line if you want a change of pace

JMO

[blackdot]

31 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Better in what way??

 

If you are happy with NCL  no need to try something different  unless you find an itinerary or price that may suit your needs/wants

 most main stream lines are very similar

You could probably try a Premium or luxury line if you want a change of pace

JMO

Good question "Better in what way?". I guess that's my real question. Is there anything better, and that could be experience, price, food, entertainment, hospitality, etc.. And of course most of that is subject to our own personal look at it. Since it seems that the main stream lines are really very similar it looks like it comes down to the itinerary & price. Thank you.

Edited June 6, 2022 by blackdot

[rkacruiser]

22 minutes ago, blackdot said:

Since it seems that the main stream lines are really very similar it looks like it comes down to the itinerary & price

 

I think you are correct.  Trying a cruise on a different cruise line would provide you with a comparison to what you have enjoyed on NCL.  MarkandDonna made a comment about loyalty recognition on a cruise line and that may be important to some.  The more you sail on a specific line, the perks that you receive for doing so help augment the enjoyment of the cruise.

 

For many years, I have been a consistent HAL cruiser with cruises on other lines.  I like the variety, have found some differences (that I have enjoyed as well as a very few that I did not care for) among them, and the loyalty recognition that I have earned on MSC, Princess, and HAL is important to me.  

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, blackdot said:

Good question "Better in what way?". I guess that's my real question. Is there anything better, and that could be experience, price, food, entertainment, hospitality, etc.. And of course most of that is subject to our own personal look at it. Since it seems that the main stream lines are really very similar it looks like it comes down to the itinerary & price. Thank you.

Yes really is a personal choice

 

 I myself prefer smaller ships

If you try another line then you have something to compare NCL to & what you liked/disliked about the new line

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

[Aquahound]

I felt like I got stuck in a rut of cruise line loyalty for a long time.  Branching out and trying other lines was the best cruise decision I ever made, imo.  I highly recommend spreading your wings.  Prolonged loyalty to one line tends to breed irrational viewpoints; some can be recognized easily on these boards.  Don't be "that guy."

 

 

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, blackdot said:

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

 

I'll provide responses to each of your questions.

 

Why should we try another line - To be attractive to a substantial percentage of the World's population, the cruise industry has expanded with a wide variety of cruise lines, each of which offers something different. From mega ships to small Luxury/Premium lines, the industry has a ship that meets most of the needs, of a significant percentage of the population.

 

You mentioned having sailed only on NCL, which meets your needs and expectations. Could other cruise lines also meet, or even exceed your needs and/or expectations? Unless you try some other brands, you don't know if any of the competing brands will also work. You could potentially find another cruise line with a comparable product that has superior itineraries.

 

Is there anything better out there - unfortunately, it is impossible to provide a definitive answer, as we don't know your expectations, other than you enjoy NCL. Many pax will advise that many cruise lines are better than NCL, but that is based on their expectations, not yours.

 

Personally, we now enjoy smaller ship cruising that is more all-inclusive, so for us, none of the mega ships from any cruise line, are of any interest. We enjoy having less than 1,000 pax and a pax/crew ratio of 2:1.

 

However, since you enjoy the NCL product, I suggest Carnival, RCI, and possibly Princess could be comparable. You would have to try each of them to decide if they are better, for your expectations. 

[evandbob]

The OP won't know the answer to the question until he does some research and actually sails another cruise line.  I like NCL for their relaxed attitude and dress, good entertainment and casino.  I wasn't a great fan of their MDR, but NCL's specialty restaurants are good.  But I also like MSC, Princess, Celebrity, RCCL's bigger ships and Carnival, which I've sailed on maybe 40 times?

 

I would say my fav line now is Celebrity, I have an 18 day B2b this Aug and a week in Jan 2023 booked.  Their overall food is good, specialty restaurants are the best I've sampled on the mass cruise lines, over service is exemplary,  their new ships are fantastic, and I've won a few jackpots in their casinos.

 

There really isnt much to lose in trying another line, I gave up top tier loyalty when I decided to try other lines, turns out the loyalty rewards (for me) were more of a ball and chain than a positive experience.

[Diane67B]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I'll provide responses to each of your questions.

 

Why should we try another line - To be attractive to a substantial percentage of the World's population, the cruise industry has expanded with a wide variety of cruise lines, each of which offers something different. From mega ships to small Luxury/Premium lines, the industry has a ship that meets most of the needs, of a significant percentage of the population.

 

You mentioned having sailed only on NCL, which meets your needs and expectations. Could other cruise lines also meet, or even exceed your needs and/or expectations? Unless you try some other brands, you don't know if any of the competing brands will also work. You could potentially find another cruise line with a comparable product that has superior itineraries.

 

Is there anything better out there - unfortunately, it is impossible to provide a definitive answer, as we don't know your expectations, other than you enjoy NCL. Many pax will advise that many cruise lines are better than NCL, but that is based on their expectations, not yours.

 

Personally, we now enjoy smaller ship cruising that is more all-inclusive, so for us, none of the mega ships from any cruise line, are of any interest. We enjoy having less than 1,000 pax and a pax/crew ratio of 2:1.

 

However, since you enjoy the NCL product, I suggest Carnival, RCI, and possibly Princess could be comparable. You would have to try each of them to decide if they are better, for your expectations. 

What a well thought out answer. Thank you.

[pris993]

7 hours ago, blackdot said:

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

" Better"  is relative,  you say your love your experience on NCL.   So why ask?

 

Everyone is different.  We have cruised on 9 different lines over past 40 years.  For us variety is the spice of life.  We generally cruised on the "newest" ship out for many years.   Now the newer ships are getting so big doubt I would do that anymore.  We have well over 60+ cruises we have done. 

 

We have cruised NCL (3 times), plus Princess, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, Royal, RCCL, Sitmar and Crystal.    Most lines are very similar.  NCL is less expensive and a good value for what it costs.  It is not my first choice though.  If I was going to rank the lines I have been on I would put Princess, Celebrity, Holland America and Cunard at the top of my list.  Royal and Sitmar are no longer around.   I hear Crystal has gone bankrupt recently.  

[Dancing Shoes]

We have never been on NCL.  Sailed Carnival, HAL, Princess and Celebrity.  Prefer the smaller ships and don't care about the entertainment.  Enjoy decent food.  If you like what you are getting, no need to look at others.  Just the two of us.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Some folks are very fortunate to have found what is for them a “perfect fit” cruise line. And though they are smart enough to always be looking at alternatives, having had the comparative experiences and done the research necessary to arrive at a “preferred line” frees them up to concentrate on selecting desirable itineraries (while assuring that there familiar ships continue to serve as a “home away from home”). This is especially true if you do longer cruises of 1-2 months.

 

OP: it’s hard to know if there’s a better fit/experience if you don’t try something different. If you enjoy NCL, note that the line is part of a holding company (NCLH) which has two other sister lines (premium Oceania and luxury Regent). And I think most folks here on CC would agree that you’ll find far greater differences in shipboard experience across the industry segments than within them.

So, you may want to see how a particular consortium (e.g., NCLH’s NCL, Oceania and Regent) varies the experience since that single focus may help you to better identify what kind of cruising experience you really want in the long run.
 

[whataboutport]

My cousin and her family love NCL bc of the things for kids to do and the freestyle everything. But a lot of main lines are doing a lot of "freestyle" or "my time dining" nowadays and most are a lot more casual now. I know NCL is pretty casual. I had booked a NCL cruise with her family for May but I ended up cancelling. Among one of the reasons was a lot of the cool things were an additional charge, such as the go cart racing track. And not cheap either. I don't know if RCCL has changed things but when I was on Allure, all the extra fun things (rock climbing, Flowrider, zipline, etc)  were all included. NCL has those cool waterslides, and some of the newest Royal ships do too, but I just think the Flowrider is so cool. Lots of the older Royal ships have it too.

 

I"m not loyal to any one line. For me I choose the itinerary/price first. Then I have my preferences for which line/ship and its amenities. Lastly I check what other ships will be in port the same day as the itinerary I'm looking at. It's not really fun to be in Cozumel with 5 other mega ships for example. It really makes a difference for something like a long tour to Tulum, where it's usually a huge cattle call. When I went it was practically empty with only one or two other ships in port that day.

 

All that being said, my cousin's family ended up booking Princess this Sept bc it was the only one that had dates/price that fit in with her families schedule, and they also cancelled that NCL cruise. If you look at other lines you will have more choices if your schedule/dates are set in stone.

[DarrenM]

I have only sailed on Celebrity.

 

So far I have loved every minute.

 

My Holidays are precious to me, and so I am sticking with Celebrity.

 

The thought of trying something else, just to compare, when my hols are so precious, seems pointless.

 

If I enjoy then I am not missing out on what I have never had.

 

Easy

[sparks1093]

We have cruised 11 times- 4 with NCL, 6 with CCL and 1 with Royal. We have two cruises booked with CCL, one in 2023 and one in 2024. We've liked each experience and any differences between the three lines were minor. We pick the itinerary we want and the port we want to sail from, then look at what cruises are available. Generally the cruise line offering the least expensive cruise will get our business for that sailing. Since we will be routinely get the drink package now we also look at lines which offer the drink package as an amenity. So, if Princess were offering a cruise at $3300 for the week for two with the drink package included and Carnival was offering a similar cruise for $2500 we'd like pick Princess since adding the drink package to Carnival's fare would put them in the same ball park. Our goal is to also cruise with as many lines as we can so if a cruise line we haven't sailed with is within a few hundred of the least expensive we'd have to think about that. We will now be flying to the cruise port instead of driving so our cruise line options have increased a great deal.

[HxFx]

I plan to try most of the major lines if possible (to include some of the more luxury lines eventually). I think it’s hard to know what works best for you until you try it. We just got off our first NCL cruise after having been on Celebrity and Carnival (and Big Red Boat for DH!) There were things I liked better with NCL (no constant signing of receipts, talent level of performers) but other things I prefer with Carnival (lunch options, organization/communication for getting on/off ship, outdoor pool area(s)). The size of the ships have been similar so I need to take that into consideration as well but so far I prefer Carnival. I would still go back to NCL though may try one of their smaller ships to see if I prefer the layout.

 

One thing I didn’t like about Celebrity was that we were constantly being bombarded by sales pitches, particularly for their specialty restaurants. They definitely didn’t do that on NCL (probably because all reservations were sold out!) We’ve only been on one Celebrity cruise so I’m hoping that is not the norm. I thought the MDRs on Celebrity and Carnival were both better than NCL's.

[Capt_BJ]

I found I liked cheese pizza from Domino's. Why would I bother trying other toppings or other pizza sellers?

 

Check my cruise list on my signature ..... we've been cruising since 1982 and have tried a bunch of lines. When young getting the most for our few dollars was key. When kids came along and there were a few extra dollars we went 'kid friendly' but also discovered adults only small ships. More recently river cruising AND more small ship. Gave the 'extra fancy' a try too but doubt we'll return. Some of the lines on my list have multiple cruises <I believe my high is 7 times Disney {kids}> ... others have ONE and some lines you may note I have not sailed and some of those are lines I WON'T (I worked in the industry)

 

Some people eat at the same restaurant every Saturday and order the same thing every week.  Not us . . .

 

If you are happy then keep doing what you are doing .... but don't tell me it is 'the best' cuz you have a weak base for comparison. When folks ask me what's best? I ask, from what perspective? Low cost? Kid friendly? Kid ultimate? Adults only? Best food? ..... many ways to slice the cake.

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[Spif Barwunkel]

On 6/6/2022 at 1:34 PM, blackdot said:

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

It's nice to be comfortable on any vacation. That comes from familiarity with the experience and a basic knowledge of what is going to be happening. Leaving that comfort zone is exciting but could cause a bit of anxiety over what to expect. You love what you're doing, that is a good thing. I would say that if you do decide to try another cruise line, make sure you are both totally in agreement and don't do so with pre-conceived notions. You don't want to spend all your time comparing. An open mind is the most discerning and you will be giving that other cruise line a chance to strut it's stuff. Relax and enjoy it.   

[cruisegal40]

We like taking different lines. Mostly NCL and RCCL. We have done a few Princess. We are at an age that all the bells and whistle don't mean that much to us. However, we get locked into the larger ship because we still like to sail out of FLA.  

[mom says]

Different strokes. If you think you could not enjoy a new experience, then stick with what is comfortable  for you. I'm more of the "variety is the spice of life" type. I love a nice steak, but I don't want it every night. We love the Disney parks, but would be soon bored if they were the only places we ever vacationed at. And we have a couple of cruise lines that we've sailed on more than others, but we are much more interested in a "new to us" itinerary  than we are limiting ourselves to only those offered by those favorite lines.

 

You do you; you've only yourself to blame if you eventually find yourself stuck in a rut.

[jocap]

In our early cruising days the ship was our main concern, and we did make comparisons (NCL x 2 were very pleasant), and we found that most ships and lines were more similar than different- if it's great food you're after, then all the ships we've used have at least one speciality restaurant if the MDR isn't to your liking.

Eventually we became itinerary minded, and the importance of which ship or line lessened. 

If you really want to try a break from NCL, look for an itinerary you want to try which NCL doesn't cover, and the line/ship will become less significant. 🙂

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 6/7/2022 at 2:42 PM, sparks1093 said:

We have cruised 11 times- 4 with NCL, 6 with CCL and 1 with Royal. We have two cruises booked with CCL, one in 2023 and one in 2024. We've liked each experience and any differences between the three lines were minor. We pick the itinerary we want and the port we want to sail from, then look at what cruises are available. Generally the cruise line offering the least expensive cruise will get our business for that sailing. Since we will be routinely get the drink package now we also look at lines which offer the drink package as an amenity. So, if Princess were offering a cruise at $3300 for the week for two with the drink package included and Carnival was offering a similar cruise for $2500 we'd like pick Princess since adding the drink package to Carnival's fare would put them in the same ball park. Our goal is to also cruise with as many lines as we can so if a cruise line we haven't sailed with is within a few hundred of the least expensive we'd have to think about that. We will now be flying to the cruise port instead of driving so our cruise line options have increased a great deal.

Calculating what I call the Net Daily Rate! What you’re doing is what many others are missing when all they compare is cabin cost. 
And, now that you’re adding fly to embarkations, remember that some cruise lines’ cabin fare includes air tix or a price reducing credit for DIYers.

[donaldsc]

On 6/6/2022 at 11:34 AM, blackdot said:

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

 

If you are happy with NCL or with amy other product don't change.  Do changes just to make changes makes no sense to me.   Put another way - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

DON

[Hlitner]

On 6/6/2022 at 1:34 PM, blackdot said:

We have only sailed on Norwegian and all times on their larger ships. We loved the experience, each time was a little and a lot the same. We know what to expect and what is expected of us. Other then trying something new, is there anything better out there? Just looking for opinion from those that have experience from different lines. Cheers everyone who comments and haters will be ignored as they should.

I have only driven an old beat-up VW.   Why should I try a Corvette, Rolls Royce, etc?  Is there anything better out there?  Yeah.....a lot better.

 

Hank