Teenagers RCI vs NCL

[cruisingknut]

My coworker takes her teenagers (three girls) on RCI cruises. She would like to try NCL. She asked me what NCL was like with teenagers. I really am not sure. Anyone have any enlightenment for me?

[electricron]

That depends upon how social your teens are?

There will be plenty of teens aboard this ship for your teens to have fun with.

Have a great cruise.

[ashleycrew]

Just as a rule of thumb RCI over NCL on everything.

[cruisingknut]

Just as a rule of thumb RCI over NCL on everything.

because...

[all4scuba]

Don't know if it helps but I have a copy of the NCL Teenage program from the Dawn back in October. I can email it if you need it.

[ashleycrew]

because...

 

for one reason 10% of RCI's ships are no broke right now....

 

just kidding I have only ben on one NCL cruise on the Majesty and I had fun but much prefer larger ships and Have always had a better time on RCI. Do not have teens so not sure I can add values here/

[Baitman19]

for one reason 10% of RCI's ships are no broke right now....

 

just kidding I have only ben on one NCL cruise on the Majesty and I had fun but much prefer larger ships and Have always had a better time on RCI. Do not have teens so not sure I can add values here/

 

The NCL ships are having a few breakdowns lately, but:

 

Over the last month RCL ships have had:

 

Adventurer of the Seas had Noro Virus

Serenade of the Seas had Noro Virus

Radiance of the Seas had a Fire

Enchantment of the Seas dragged it's anchor & hit a barge

Mariner of the Seas had disruptive behavior from alternative lifestyles passengers on the cruise.

 

No cruise line is without it's problems.

 

Celebrity was found dumping sewage in Puget Sound.

Carnival was found dumping waste oil on a Pacific Island Vanuatu.

 

Numerous lines have had passengers lost at sea.

 

NCL isn't that bad for teens or anyone.

 

Happy Sailing,

Monty

[Aquahound]

Just as a rule of thumb RCI over NCL on everything.

 

Ditto. RCI is just better all the way around. As for teens, there is sooooo much for them to do on the Voyager and Freedom Class. Rock wall, ice skating, roller blading, mini golf, Flowrider (Freedom), huge arcades, and a teen dance club. Without a doubt, RCI over NCL.

[electricron]

for one reason 10% of RCI's ships are no broke right now....

just kidding I have only ben on one NCL cruise on the Majesty and I had fun but much prefer larger ships and Have always had a better time on RCI. Do not have teens so not sure I can add values here/

 

November 21: NCL's Norwegian Dawn reports azipod problems, seeks shelter in Norfolk, Va.

November 19: Celebrity cancels December 10 sailing for the Millenium to replace thrust bearing in an azipod. Millenium should be back in service on December 17.

November 17: Cunard's Queen Mary 2 departs German shipyard with its fourth azipod. It had been removed last May, which was damaged last January near Miami. (11 months for repairs).

November 16: NCL's Norwegian Majesty repairs crankshaft in Bermuda which had caused one engine to be turned off.

November 2: RCI's Enchantment of the Seas drags anchor 300 meters before hitting the barge off George Town, Cayman Islands. The ship received two dents on her port side and a long 300 meter scrape.

October 19: NCLA's Pride of America reports dragging bouy's chain with her starboard propeller, requiring an extra day in Maui and necessitating the cancellation of a stop at Kona. Divers removed the chain in port, although the missing buoy had not been located.

October 8: HAL's Oosterdam sustained damage (causing excessive engine room smoke) to her port azipod propulsion unit, cutting short her Mexican Riviera cruise. The ship arrived in San Diego for repairs to the pod a day ahead of her October 14 scheduled arrival.

August 21: Celebrity's Summit arrived at Seward, Alaska with a 25- to 30-foot dead whale pinned across its bulbous bow.

August 18: Carnival's Celebration will go to drydock at Freeport, The Bahamas, August 21 for repairs to the propeller. When the ship entered the Bahamian port of Nassau, on August 16, the propeller struck the harbour bottom and sustained damage.

August 11: Celebrity Cruises' Infinity has azipod problems and will have to go to drydock for repairs at Victoria, British Columbia. Will return to service on September 24.

July 18: Princess' Crown Princess returns to port hours after sailing from Port Canaveral. About 11 miles southeast of Port Canaveral, a steering malfunction caused a dramatic list to port with many injuries to passengers reported.

June 8: NCL's Norwegian Crown runs aground in Bermuda between Dockyard and Spanish Point yesterday morning, but was eventually freed by three tugs that evening.

May 12: Celebrity cancelled the May 20 Summit cruise from Vancouver, to Seward, Alaska. It was reported that a propulsion system bearing requires unscheduled drydocking.

April 15: Princess' Regal princess runs aground in he Amazon. The ship was freed after one and half hours, by using bow thrusters, and emptying the pools.

March 23: A major fire started about 3:00 AM, on board Princess' Star Princess and spread through approximately 100 passenger staterooms. It was reported that one man died and 11 people on board were injured.

February 12: Carnival's Ecstasy broke loose from her moorings yesterday and spun out into the Mississippi River, narrowly avoiding two Military Sea Lift Command ships. Ecstasy came to rest about 300 feet from the riverbank. The crew started the bow thruster within two minutes of the lines parting and got one of the main stern propellers running minutes later. Operating the bow thruster was critical to missing the military vessels.

January 17: Cunard's Queen Mary 2 returned to Port Everglades today after a problem with the propulsion system came to light.

 

It has been a very exciting year for maintenance and seafaring problems for cruise ships. Just about every major line had problems.

 

[Aquahound]

I only saw one RCI on that list ;)

[CanadianTwosome]

I don't think comparing what ships have had what mishaps has anything to do with the thread. I also don't think that someone who has been on ONE NCL cruise compared to numerous RCI cruises is experienced enough to make a truly informed evaluation of the entire NCL line.

 

From what I've been reading (not just here), NCL's Kid's Crew and Teen Crew programs are some of the best going. As I am currently looking for information about the Kid's Club, I have also seen a lot of information about the Teen activities. One of the NCL ships, the 'Spirit' I think - but I've seen so many I might have gotten that wrong - has a teen disco as well as a huge arcade, among other teen activities. I'll definitely be posting a review of our 12/02/06 Dream sailing (NEXT WEEK HURRAY!!), but also of the Kid's Crew and our daughter's experience there. I'll definitely do my best to check out the teen activities as well, and if I can, I'll even ask one or two what they think of it, or suggest that they come and review it here themselves. I hope I can provide some information for parents like myself and the person who started this thread.

[electricron]

I only saw one RCI on that list ;)

 

Correct, just once for Royal Caribbean. But isn't Celebrity owned by RCI? Celebrity shows up 4 times on this list. So, in effect, RCI shows up 5 times, almost the worse one!

 

Carnival which owns Carnival, Cunard, HAL, and Princess shows up 7 times on this list, while NCL and NCLA show up only 4 times.

[KeystoneCruiser]

To answer the OP: we were on the Star in 2005 with friends who had two teenage daughters (13 & 15), they refused to go to the Teen CLub after the first night because they called it "one big make-out session." They said there was a cool dance floor, computer games, etc., they just didn't like the scene. They found plenty to do however.

 

As far as RCI vs. NCL. I would think teens might like the Freestyle concept a little better. I don't know many teens that like to dress up in fancy clothes and especially suits for the boys. They have to on RCL. On NCL they can wear resort casual & tennis shoes every night to every venue. Also, they aren't stuck eating in the same restaurant at the same time each night. If they don't want to eat with the parents, they can get their own table or go to a different restaurant.

[electricron]

Ditto. RCI is just better all the way around. As for teens, there is sooooo much for them to do on the Voyager and Freedom Class. Rock wall, ice skating, roller blading, mini golf, Flowrider (Freedom), huge arcades, and a teen dance club. Without a doubt, RCI over NCL.

 

There's only 5 Voyager class ships, and so far only 1 Freedom class ship with all those facilities. What about Royal Caribbean's other 15 ships?

I'll assume most have climbing walls, but do any of the others have ice skating, roller blading, mini golf and dedicated teen dance clubs?

 

Since you recommended only 6 ships, am I to assume you don't recommend the other 15? Recommending one cruise line as better when considering just 25% of it's fleet is ?????

[mbisson]

Just as a rule of thumb RCI over NCL on everything.

 

I think your thumb is broken!

 

-Monte

[GoHuskies!]

I think your thumb is broken!

 

-Monte

 

Yeah, Monte, I think so too. Too many variables to make overgeneralizations, particularly with an experience of one cruise. I myself have only been on two cruises, both NCL, and it would take a decade more of cruising before I could state one over the other so definitively. However, I can state my opinion of the specific cruises, just as everyone else can--and my recent experience on the Norwegian Sun (17 days through the Canal) was absolutely terrific. It was not a teenagers' cruise--very few kids of any age onboard--too long a cruise during the school year. I could see, though, that there were many spaces of the ship that were devoted to teens, children, youth of all ages, and if the programs for them lived up to those for adults on my cruise, then they should have a ball on at least this NCL ship.

 

It all comes down from above--Captain Mikael Hilden, captain of the Norwegian Sun, has influenced his crew all the way to the bottom, and it shows. Over the 17-day length of this cruise we saw uniformly pleasant, helpful, competent and ready crewpersons in every level. I think that's more important than programs, anyway.

[ashleycrew]

I think your thumb is broken!

 

-Monte

 

Monte there you go thinking... dangerous!!

[Aquahound]

There's only 5 Voyager class ships, and so far only 1 Freedom class ship with all those facilities. What about Royal Caribbean's other 15 ships?

I'll assume most have climbing walls, but do any of the others have ice skating, roller blading, mini golf and dedicated teen dance clubs?

 

Since you recommended only 6 ships, am I to assume you don't recommend the other 15? Recommending one cruise line as better when considering just 25% of it's fleet is ?????

 

My goodness, I was just trying to be specific.:rolleyes: I recommended the RCI Voyager/Freedom Class for teens because I think they have the most activities of any cruise ship. I really don't think that can be disputed.

 

By the way, all RCI ships have teen dance clubs, arcades, and rock walls. The Radiance Class, Voyager Class, Freedom Class, and some Vision Class ships have mini golf. Only Voyager Class has roller blading. Only Voyager and Freedom Classes have ice skating. Also, I would like to point out most people don't book cruises only a few months in advance. The second Freedom Class, Liberty of the Seas will be out in the spring. The third one will be out in 2008.

 

So yes, I do recommend RCI over NCL. Flame me all you want. I realize this is an NCL board. But, I think the OP was asking for opinions and I gave mine. Sorry if that offends you so much.:rolleyes:

[Aquahound]

One more thing I just thought of. The Freedom Class ships have the On Air Club. Teens (and everyone else) can record their own music videos in a sound-proof booth in front of a green-screen. On my Freedom cruise, I noticed the teens loved this feature and were waiting in line to use it.

 

And if that's not enough, the Flowrider is a teen heaven. They can surf or boogie board while loud alternative rock music is being played over the speaker system.

 

NCL can not compete or even come close to these features for entertaining teens.

[CanadianTwosome]

Aquahound, nobody here has had a problem with anyone giving their informed opinions about teen programs on any line - in fact, the OP requested it. What people are having a problem with is posters saying things like 'Just as a rule of thumb RCI over NCL on everything.' or 'RCI is just better all the way around.' Yes, this is an NCL board, but those statements were unecessary whether they supported RCI or NCL. I would be very interested in hearing from someone who had cruised both cruise lines enough times to have noticed similarities that they could compare between the two, but someone who has been on ONE NCL ship and half a dozen RCI ships does not have that knowledge (in my opinion). I have no idea what your experience is. If your post had focused only on the teen activities that RCI offered as this last one did, everyone would have thanked you for the information (I hope). It really is great information and I will definitely look into RCI cruises in the future because of it, so I thank you sincerely for it. I'm sorry that you have apparently not enjoyed your NCL experience(s), but I hope that you can see how other people may have perceived your initial post in a negative light and be understanding of their reactions.

 

Cheers

[mbisson]

Too many variables to make overgeneralizations, particularly with an experience of one cruise.

 

You have that right. I've only sailed NCL 5 times & RCCL 5 times. Enjoyed them all but no way could I ever generalize the way a couple of "anti" NCLers have.

 

-Monte

[mbisson]

Monte there you go thinking... dangerous!!

 

Not at all dangerous for me. Is there something you would like to admit?

 

-Monte

[Cosmopolitan]

My coworker takes her teenagers (three girls) on RCI cruises. She would like to try NCL. She asked me what NCL was like with teenagers. I really am not sure. Anyone have any enlightenment for me?

 

My teens are past their "teen" years:( ...however..

My friends and their friends cruise NCL Spirit last September.

 

Three teen boys did not want to join the teen club...

then they met several girls on-board who HAD joined the teens club...

 

Needless to say..the boys joined the teens club on the second day..

they had the time of their lives....so many activitives for teens.

 

They now have emailed each other daily and are planning their next cruise for before their high school graduations.

 

I do know that they played "survivor" on the island and did have a farewell dinner together.

Not sure what else but the teens loved it:)

[monicajay]

My teens had a great time on the NCL Sun. On the first evening I insisted they go to the teen club and stay for the evening "Give it a chance" I said. They made lots of friends and had many activites to get involved in.

 

Would they have had more fun with a climbing wall and a skating rink? Maybe. I had also checked prices on the "activity equiped" RCL ships for a family of 4 and they were much more expensive. NCL seems to offer some of the best pricing for a third and fourth passengers.

 

Based on the fun our family had and the value compared to other lines, we have booked another NCL cruise.

[Aquahound]

I hope that you can see how other people may have perceived your initial post in a negative light and be understanding of their reactions.

 

 

I do, and I apologize if I came across defensive.:o Just to clarify, I'm not "anti" any cruise line. Before I became hooked on RCI, the Seaward/Norwegian Sea was my favorite ship. I will admit that I'm not a fan of Freestyle cruising. When NCL first went that route, the service declined significantly enough for me to try another cruise line. The first time I walked on an RCI ship, I said "Wow."

But, cruising is cruising. I would never pass up an opportunity to cruise with anyone.