Will NCL Crown meet hubbies expectations?

[momto2]

I am looking for a cruise for my family this summer. Trying to please everyone is a hard job! I will be traveling with my hubbie who can be very discriminating at times. He believes we should be spoiled on vacation. We have cruised with Disney 3 times and he expects this level of service and cleanliness on every cruise. I talked him into a cruise on the Carvinal Sensation last March and he hated it. I will also be traveling with my 15yo daughter and 12 year old son. His only request is a basketball goal. My daughter has been asking to go to NYC to see a broadway show, so this may appeal to her also. After looking a several ships, Zenith had no balconies and seemed in need of refurbishment, Empress seems ok but no BB goal. Crown seems appealing from the standpoint of Freestyle dining. I would appreciate any opinions and advice, especially on the condition of the ship and cabins. TIA for you advice!

[xzy650]

Went on the Crown twice, most recent last year out of NY. The ship was in very good shape, clean ect. The service was very good however because of its size it lacks some of the maga ship stuff. I don"t think it has a basketball court. Because you are in Bermuda most of the time it really acts as a floating hotel.

[ocngypz]

If I may make a suggestion, book the Crown Princess.

 

Brandy-new, all the bells and whistles, good sized rooms, personal choice dining.. and rates are great... 9 night itineraries. Ship sails from the new Red Hook terminal in Brooklyn.

 

Crown Princess is the sister to the Caribbean Princess.. with MUTS (Movies Under the Stars)

 

The Norwegian Crown is an old ship. There are a handful of balconied suites available. She is small, less than 35,000 tons. Unless you are in a suite, the cabins are not generously sized.

 

I happen to like the Norwegian Crown because of her petite size, but if I had a picky client looking for all the bells and whistles, it would not be my 5th choice, let alone my first.

[electricron]

If I may make a suggestion, book the Crown Princess.

The Norwegian Crown is an old ship. There are a handful of balconied suites available. She is small, less than 35,000 tons. Unless you are in a suite, the cabins are not generously sized.

 

If you're going to state facts, at least you can do is be half way accurate.

 

16 Suites with balconies are more than a handful aboard the Norwegian Crown. The smallest Inside cabin aboard the Norwegian Crown is 160 sq. ft., while aboard the Crown Princess the smallest Inside cabins is 163 sq. ft. The smallest Oceanview cabin aboard the Norwegian Crown is 165 sq. ft., the smallest Oceanview cabin aboard the Crown Princess is 168 sq. ft. I doubt most passengers could notice the difference of 3 sq. ft.

 

While it is true the Crown Princess is brand new this year while the Norwegian Crown is over 15 years old, the Norwegain Crown goes to Bermuda with overnight stays in three ports while the Crown Princess does not. Since the other ships mentioned in the OP's post sail to Bermuda, it's apparent that the Crown Princess doesn't have the correct itinerary. New doesn't always provide a better cruising experience.

 

To get back to the OP's questions, I'm sad to report the Norwegian Crown doesn't have a basketball court. Of the four ships, Norwegian Crown, Norwegian Majesty, Royal Carribean's Empress of the Seas, and Celebrity Zenith, that have extended stays in Bermuda, none have basketball courts. Neither does the Crown Princess by the way which is significantly larger than the others.

 

But Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas sailing from Bayonne with an overnight stay (two days) in Bermuda does. It has most of the features passengers look for, including a Basketball Court, Fitness Center, Golf Simulator, Ice Skating Rink, Jogging Track, Mini-Golf Course, Rock Climbing Wall, and three Swimming Pools, but sorry to say no Tennis Courts.

 

If you want or need all the bells and whistles to keep your family occupied and happy, the large Royal Caribbean ships are hard to beat, if they go where you wish and you can live amongst 3600 other passengers.

 

Other ships sailing to Bermuda with basketball courts are the Norwegian Spirit and the Norwegian Dawn. Both these ships sail from New York City. But they only stop in Bermuda for just one day. Probably not a long enough stay to please the OP.

[momto2]

Thanks so much for the detailed review. The Crown does not seem like it is what we are looking for. The idea of Bermuda sounded interesting since we have been to the Caribbean several times. It doesn't seem however that any of the ships sailing to Bermuda are going to please the rest of my family. Yes, the RCI mega ships are probably just what we need and I may look into the Explorer. Hawaii was my next choice of destinations or maybe a land vacation to Bermuda. We have been to Hawaii but have only seen two of the four islands. A cruise may let us see the rest and enjoy a cruise too. The airfare to Hawaii from Alabama is what runs the price of the trip up for us. New York would have been perfect! Oh well, I'll keep on looking. Thanks again for the information!