Opinions on Celebrity vs. Norwegian

[Whalewatcher33]

Hello! My husband and I have sailed several times on Celebrity, as well as Carnival when we were younger. Background: We are both 30 years old. We always get the Premium Beverage Package. We love listening to live music around the ship. We always get dressed up to have dinner in the main dining room. We aren’t picky on the cabin. We’ve done inside, Oceanview and veranda cabins. We enjoy the quiet on Celebrity ships but would also enjoy a few more activities during the sea days. We just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Solstice and the ship was only at 60% capacity so we feel spoiled for how few lineups there were and how attentive the staff was. For context, we absolutely loved the Solstice and felt like everything was AMAZING, contrary to some opinions of that ship. 
 

Anyways, here is what I’m asking… we have two kids - our daughter will be 5 and our son will be 8 next year. We feel like they’re both now at an age where they’d enjoy a cruise. They’ve never been with us on the cruises. They’re very well behaved kids and are good for finding their own fun things to do, however I feel like sometimes Celebrity can get a bit repetitive with activities and possibly might seem a bit more on the “quiet” side for young kids. I also know that some folks who cruise Celebrity choose the cruise line for that very reason - very few kids. And I totally get that!!
 

We are looking at a 7 night cruise next year on the Norwegian Escape. Would there be more activities for kids and adults? Would there still be quiet spots around the ship to read a book during the day, etc.? Is the food comparable? Any info about the beverage package comparisons? Would it feel like a “downgrade” from Celebrity?
 

Any and all input would be appreciated! Thank you!

[Jeremiah1212]

You'll get some strong opinions regarding kids on Celebrity, but anyway....

 

In my mind NCL typically falls somewhere between Carnival and Royal Caribbean. It's very casual. It's also very loud and active. There will be 25x more things for kids to do on NCL compared to Celebrity. NCL's drink packages and the fees associated with them put Celebrity's drinks far ahead. NCL's pool decks are notoriously a mad house. They cram so much stuff up there that it leaves little room to move.  The waterfront area does stay pretty quiet, and their spa area is better and offers more than you normally find on Celebirty. You also need reservations for some of their shows and activities. 

 

If I had kids I would still choose NCL over Celebrity and save Celebrity for the adults only cruises. I picture my nieces and nephews on Celebrity and they would be bored out of their minds.

[PTC DAWG]

3 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

You'll get some strong opinions regarding kids on Celebrity, but anyway....

 

In my mind NCL typically falls somewhere between Carnival and Royal Caribbean. It's very casual. It's also very loud and active. There will be 25x more things for kids to do on NCL compared to Celebrity. NCL's drink packages and the fees associated with them put Celebrity's drinks far ahead. NCL's pool decks are notoriously a mad house. They cram so much stuff up there that it leaves little room to move.  The waterfront area does stay pretty quiet, and their spa area is better and offers more than you normally find on Celebirty. You also need reservations for some of their shows and activities. 

 

If I had kids I would still choose NCL over Celebrity and save Celebrity for the adults only cruises. I picture my nieces and nephews on Celebrity and they would be bored out of their minds.

I feel exactly the same way...I like both lines for very different reasons.  

[pyrogy]

I have sailed on NCL with and without kids and Celebrity with and without kids and several other lines with and without as well.  My family has enjoyed them all and my wife and I have enjoyed them all without the kids, too.

 

Having said that, if your kids are active and would enjoy waterslides, video arcades, etc., then NCL would be a great choice and yes, there are still plenty of areas where you can read a book.  Our family prefers NCL to either Carnival or Royal Caribbean for whatever reason but for families and kids those three are more similar than different.  The shows and entertainment on NCL are typically very good and I think the main dining room food is better on Carnival but is worse on Royal Caribbean, NCL being in-between and perfectly fine.  NCL has the better buffet of those three.  

 

Everyone will have a different opinion here but that's been my experience.  On any of the newer NCL ships you will be able to have a great family cruise, and that obviously includes the Escape.  

[Robkat]

We sail on both Celebrity and on NCL, and really, we don't feel that NCL is a "downgrade" from Celebrity at all.

The Escape is one of our favorite ships and is a beauty.  There are definitely way more activities for the kids on NCL than on Celebrity.

NCL ships have a greater variety as far as specialty dining, and we think the food overall is on par with Celebrity.

Just be aware, though, that the vibe is quite different on the two lines.  NCL is much more casual, and while you're still very able to dress up for meals whenever you want, you'll find more people choosing to be considerably more casual.  

And since there are generally more younger people on NCL, it can get a little loud and, can we say, a little less "laid back" than Celebrity.

However, we love them both ... it's just good to know what to expect when getting on either one.

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Robkat

[Georgia_Peaches]

NCL Escape is my all time favorite ship followed by Celebrity Silhouette.  We last sailed on the Escape the week before the shutdown in 2020.  It was an amazing cruise.  But it's completely different from Celebrity...completely.  Your children will find lots to do as it is a very kid friendly, family friendly ship. From an adult perspective, there was never a dull moment either.  We enjoyed the entertainment in the theater (Choir of Man was awesome), and found the dining/drinks to be lovely.

 

Silhouette is our go to Celebrity ship though it is not always where we want to be so we also enjoy the other S class ships as well.  Were I traveling with children, I would not take them on Celebrity.  They try, but IMO other cruise lines just do it better.