X vs. NCL?

[morecruise4me]

We took an NCL cruise in April and won't hesitate to book another one if it fits our criteria. That said, comparing NCL and X is like comparing apples to bananas. We love laying on the beach, soaking up the sun, and just relaxing all day long. We also love going to the mountains, hiking to a secluded waterfall, getting a good workout. Two very different experiences, both good. That's kinda the difference between NCL and X. We have yet to experience X, but from our previous experiences on RCL we feel X will give more personalized service, better food, and just a more pampered feel. NCL was very laid back, easy going, literally "whatever".

[Bridge Maven]

We took an NCL cruise in April and won't hesitate to book another one if it fits our criteria. That said, comparing NCL and X is like comparing apples to bananas. We love laying on the beach, soaking up the sun, and just relaxing all day long. We also love going to the mountains, hiking to a secluded waterfall, getting a good workout. Two very different experiences, both good. That's kinda the difference between NCL and X. We have yet to experience X, but from our previous experiences on RCL we feel X will give more personalized service, better food, and just a more pampered feel. NCL was very laid back, easy going, literally "whatever".

 

I agree that two experiences can be very different but equally good. For a port intensive cruise, such as the Baltics, we like Celebrity because after dinner we were so exhausted from sight seeing that we didn't mind its limited evening activities, while on more relaxing itineraries, such as Bermuda, we like NCL because there were so many wonderful entertainment and music options during the evening that we often had trouble deciding which one we wanted to do most during a specific time slot.

[Bridge Maven]

Maybe this is why I don't enjoy cruise line production shows as much as other people do. I am probably in the minority but I prefer most of the plays we have seen off Broadway at the Classic Stage Company, Roundabout Theater Company, and Circle in the Square to Broadway Musicals. Even when we attend a Broadway show I usually prefer non musical plays such as Proof, Sleuth, and Fences.

[esther e]

Before you attack me and laugh me off the page, consider Regent. But, do a fair comparison. Yes, indeed it is more expensive; however, the suites are not small, all gratuities are included in the fare, all beverages (ALL), in 2010 all excursions are included. Bottom line, when you add up dollar to dollar, you might just be surprised that there is not that huge a difference in price. I honestly don't know about the SA cruises, but we did find that on Caribbean cruises, somewhat. Having free internet because we're Gold is a big plus. However, we have that on X, also. Oh, and no charge for the specialty restaurants. And fewer pax. Humor me and think about it.

[rebeccalouise]

We rarely do the production shows- unless its a Cirque D' Soleil type show. I really only like the magic and comedy shows but everyone is different.

 

That's what is so great about cruising- at night you can go to a movie, walk outside on the promenade, go to a show, go to a Piano lounge or a disco or a place where elegant couples waltz.

 

only 8 more days until we cruise. My son and I joke that we live on ships and just visit land.

[Mysteryreader]

This is the most unscientific poll ever so take it FWIW.

 

We were on a largish airport shuttle. It stopped to pick up a pilot. Turns out he had just returned from an NCL cruise. How was it? The worst cruise ever. Unless you ate in a fee restaurant, the food was inedible. The service was horrible. Etc etc.

 

The other pax on the shuttle chimed in with their opinions. *NO ONE* liked NCL. The consensus was that X was the best cruise line unless you were looking for a party line then go with Carnival.

 

M/R

[Cruise_More_Often]

I want to thank all of you for being so courteous on this thread. Often, threads of this type turn into brawls.

 

Everyone is looking for something different on a cruise. There are cruise lines out there that have great products but that some people won't try because "someone told me" they aren't good or "I've heard" they aren't good or "met some NCL cruisers yesterday who said there was 'definitely a different culture aboard,'" and they have made their minds up that NCL could not possibly meet their expectations, even though they have no personal experience with the line.

 

What I tried to do by posting here is let everyone know that NCL does offer a good product that many really enjoy. I'm excited to experience Celebrity first-hand, so I'll know whether I've been missing something special or whether I'll continue to favor the easygoing, "whatever" attitude of NCL.

 

Anyway, thanks again for being so courteous!

[rebeccalouise]

My son did an NCL cruise and his 21 year old college buddies all said that they were disappointed in the food on NCL except for the specialty restaurants. So I have heard this complaint.

 

For me- I quite like the fixed traditional diningroom because you get to have the same waiter each night and I think that is nice. I also enjoy meeting other people sharing the table.

[Bridge Maven]

Before you attack me and laugh me off the page, consider Regent. But, do a fair comparison. Yes, indeed it is more expensive; however, the suites are not small, all gratuities are included in the fare, all beverages (ALL), in 2010 all excursions are included. Bottom line, when you add up dollar to dollar, you might just be surprised that there is not that huge a difference in price. I honestly don't know about the SA cruises, but we did find that on Caribbean cruises, somewhat. Having free internet because we're Gold is a big plus. However, we have that on X, also. Oh, and no charge for the specialty restaurants. And fewer pax. Humor me and think about it.

 

Esther, I found your post very interesting because my husband and I have been thinking about trying Regent. Until recently I wouldn't have considered Regent because I assumed it was a lot more than we wanted to spend, but after speaking to a few of our friends who love Regent I realize that I was wrong. It appears that Regent's smallest cabins are comparable to Celebrity's sky suites which is what we usually book on Celebrity. Our friends have also told us that their cruise fares included gratuities, shore excursions (even for their Baltic Cruise) and wine with dinner. So when I add up what we pay for a sky suite on Celebrity plus wine, shore excursions and gratuities, there isn't a significant price difference between Regent and Celebrity.

[YOW]

NCL probably has the widest disparity of perception than any of the major lines, and that is certainly reflected in these boards.

 

We were once on a tender in Grand Cayman, and when Norwegian Dawn came into view, several pax chimed in with their opinions. "Freestyle service means no service," said one woman. "We loved our cruise on NCL," said another. Thankfully it wasn't a long tender to shore, and the argument didn't devolve into fisticuffs. ;)

 

Had we paid attention to all the negative reviews and opinions, we would have missed out on two great cruises. One was transatlantic on the Gem, where food and service were top-notch thanks to senior staff onboard for the launch weeks; and the other our South America sailing, more for the itinerary though the ship was fine. So either the rumours about NCL are not correct, or we've been very lucky. Guess time will tell.

 

NCL is not for everyone, and given the criteria I'm not sure it's for the OP of this thread. And I still say X is our line of preference. But I agree with Cruise_More_Often, that despite the best intentions of people trying to help, passing along second-hand (at best) information doesn't always aid the decision-making process.

[Bridge Maven]

NCL probably has the widest disparity of perception than any of the major lines, and that is certainly reflected in these boards.

 

We were once on a tender in Grand Cayman, and when Norwegian Dawn came into view, several pax chimed in with their opinions. "Freestyle service means no service," said one woman. "We loved our cruise on NCL," said another. Thankfully it wasn't a long tender to shore, and the argument didn't devolve into fisticuffs. ;)

 

Had we paid attention to all the negative reviews and opinions, we would have missed out on two great cruises. One was transatlantic on the Gem, where food and service were top-notch thanks to senior staff onboard for the launch weeks; and the other our South America sailing, more for the itinerary though the ship was fine. So either the rumours about NCL are not correct, or we've been very lucky. Guess time will tell.

 

NCL is not for everyone, and given the criteria I'm not sure it's for the OP of this thread. And I still say X is our line of preference. But I agree with Cruise_More_Often, that despite the best intentions of people trying to help, passing along second-hand (at best) information doesn't always aid the decision-making process.

 

I think one of the reasons why there is such a disparity of opinions about NCL is that it is the only mass market cruise line that does not have an assigned seating option and for some people that is an essential part of a cruise.

 

When we took our first cruise 35 years ago, I also felt that way but at that time there were no other dining options, not even a buffet, so everyone at your table was there for each meal and the food and service in the main dining room was better than in most specialty restaurants at sea today.

 

Another factor is that free style dining is very comparable to taking a land based vacation and eating at a different restaurant every night. When that happens some restaurants will be better than others but you expect that. However, on an NCL ship some people get upset if they eat at a different restaurant every night and one or two dining venues were not as good as the others. On our NCL cruise two of our meals were excellent (French Restaurant and Steak House), one was very disappointing (Italian Restaurant) and the others were very good. However, I didn't let that one disappointing meal overshadow our positive experiences at their other restaurants.

[Casino Player]

Have eliminated luxury cruise lines and therefore in the choices below am not necessarily influenced by a few hundred dollars either way; am looking for a memorable experience on an around the horn South America cruise. We have sailed on Galaxy and loved it.

 

To be honest, the ship that sounds most appealing -- we are in our mid-fifties and enjoy the cultural side of things -- is HAL's Veendam, but for some reason they seem to have scheduled the cruise to start on a Thursday and end on a Monday. Not very conducive to adding on at the beginning in Buenos Aires or having any breathing time before getting back to work after the cruise. Star Princess sounds way too big.

 

That leaves us with Norwegian Sun or X Infinity. How would you compare these two, or NCL vs. X, in terms of service, cabin, passengers, food, cleanliness, etc.?

 

I have been on both cruise lines, but, not either ship. Celebrity is much better than NCL. Stick with Celebrity Cruise Line. In terms of service nobody beats Celebrity. Food Celebrity wins hands down. Cleanliness, again the winner is Celebrity. What more could be said?

[mlmagic]

I agree with Bridge Maven about NCL. I'm a long-time NCL cruiser and absolutely love everything about it. BTW my husband and I are both edging toward 65 this year. We're from Sonoma County, and I work in San Francisco, so we know what fine dining, service and entertainment are. And still we usually choose NCL when we cruise. We have cruised with HAL, Princess and RCI as well.

 

We're doing a Celebrity cruise for the first time next May, because the cruise leaves from San Francisco, and the 11-night itinerary to Alaska just cannot be beat. However, don't laugh :D, I am having some anxiety about the Celebrity experience. We are lucky to have met some wonderful people on our rollcall thread, and we are joining them for dinner; otherwise, my anxiety would have been high anxiety, as the traditional dining experience has not appealed to us in the past.

 

We do not care if a server remembers whether we like tea with dinner or coffee with cream or sugar. Heck, I don't drink the same beverages night after night. We have found, without exception, that the service on NCL is wonderful. The crew is happy, and it shows in the way they treat their guests.

 

What is really nice about NCL is the abundance of CHOICES about where to eat, with whom to eat and when to eat. This is especially good in Alaska, when you've been out trekking in your jeans and hiking boots but have to hurry back for an early dinner. And, like Bridge Maven, we've had some fabulous dinners on NCL ships. She mentioned Le Bistro, the French restaurant. Our other favorites are Cagney's, a Chicago-style steakhouse, and Teppanyaki, with Japanese dishes prepared tableside.

 

As for ship decor--the brighter and more vibrant, the better. We love the exterior and interior designs, expecially in the newer ships. And we've been lucky enough to experience NCL's penthouse suites, with concierge and butler service. Magnificent!

 

I'm posting this so that others can see there are people who really like NCL. No, it's not for everyone. If you really like the more traditional ships and service, NCL might not suit you. However, it realy suits us.

 

However, one needs change every so often, and even though anxious, I am really looking forward to Alaska on Celebrity!

 

 

 

Thanks sooooo much for taking the time to post about NCL, as I have our first NCL surprise B'day cruise booked to the Caribbean in March for my sweet Hubby...we chose NCL, because we have several friends joining us and we wanted to have the laid back schedule and atmosphere of NCL, so I am glad to hear that you liked it. We are not stuffy or "snobby" so to speak, but def like the nicer touch and prefer that when traveling...Can't wait!!:)

[Cruise_More_Often]

Thanks sooooo much for taking the time to post about NCL, as I have our first NCL surprise B'day cruise booked to the Caribbean in March for my sweet Hubby...we chose NCL, because we have several friends joining us and we wanted to have the laid back schedule and atmosphere of NCL, so I am glad to hear that you liked it. We are not stuffy or "snobby" so to speak, but def like the nicer touch and prefer that when traveling...Can't wait!!:)

Ohhhh, you are going to love the Pearl. We've only done a one-night dinner/dance cruise on her. We were surprised to get an upsell for that one-night cruise to the Deluxe Owner's Suite. OMG, it was fantastic. I didn't want to leave the suite! If you'd like to see photos of it and other areas on the Pearl, here's the link: http://travel.webshots.com/album/560879922WJdrOC

 

We want to go back again so bad. We had already booked our Alaska cruise for 2010 on the Pearl when I found the Infinity's 11-night cruise out of San Francisco, and I just couldn't pass that one up. The Pearl will wait for another day!

 

Have fun! My email address is in my signature. If you can remember me for that long, I'd sure like to hear how you enjoyed your cruise.

[Lois R]

Ohhhh, you are going to love the Pearl. We've only done a one-night dinner/dance cruise on her. We were surprised to get an upsell for that one-night cruise to the Deluxe Owner's Suite. OMG, it was fantastic. I didn't want to leave the suite! If you'd like to see photos of it and other areas on the Pearl, here's the link: http://travel.webshots.com/album/560879922WJdrOC

 

We want to go back again so bad. We had already booked our Alaska cruise for 2010 on the Pearl when I found the Infinity's 11-night cruise out of San Francisco, and I just couldn't pass that one up. The Pearl will wait for another day!

 

Have fun! My email address is in my signature. If you can remember me for that long, I'd sure like to hear how you enjoyed your cruise.

 

Hi Adele, just re-reading this....I didn't realize you booked Infinity.

She DOES have a Specialty Restaurant:)

[teacher_md]

Just want to add my two cents... I was on the Celebrity Summit this summer for a Mediterranean cruise and on the NCL Pearl for the Western Caribbean this Spring.

 

Have to say that I had an excellent time on both cruises, but they are VERY different.

 

FOOD: Celebrity's food was far and above better than NCL's. Not that NCL was horrible, but most of the time it was pretty good. On Celebrity, I thought it was the best cruise food I've ever had. NCL's specialty dining was hit and miss - the steakhouse was excellent. French restaurant was disappointing. I liked being able to sit with my partner for dinner every night instead of being grouped randomly with other people (freestyle).

 

ENTERTAINMENT: OK, once again Celebrity's singers and dancers/production shows were far and above better. I really enjoyed their entertainers (comedy, musicians, bands). NCL was hit and miss, but did have a few bright spots (Shark Bait comedy duo was excellent!)

 

SHIP CONDITION/STYLE: Again, we have 2 completely different experiences here. Celebrity Summit was classy, formal and elegant. NCL was colorful and fun without being ugly tacky (think Carnival ships - sorry if I offended anyone). Other than the cheesy atrium, the Pearl was beautiful. The Summit just had a more upscale, more formal vibe. Both good - just kind of depends on the experience you are going for.

 

SERVICE: Celebrity had better, more personal service. NCL was very good as well, but Celebrity is SERIOUS about keeping their people happy.

 

OTHER: NCL had great nightlife... I mean FUN. Drinks are cheaper. Summit wasn't as "happening", but we are talking about a port-intensive Mediterranean cruise and comparing it to a Caribbean cruise.... not a fair comparison. But nonetheless, the Pearl's nightclub, Bliss, is hip and fun and was a great place to hang out at night. NCL felt a little more "Nickel and Diming" - this means that it seemed like they charged for more random things. It felt LESS inclusive. Summit had lots of little perks (cloth hand towels in the bathroom, cushions on deck chairs, and lots of other little things) which I enjoyed.

 

PRICE: Ummmm... not even comparable. NCL was MUCH cheaper. So overall, Celebrity is a better cruiseline. But as I am planning my Spring Break cruise next year, and times are tight, I am seriously considering NCL because it can cost hundreds of dollars less (including my union discount that Celebrity doesn't offer). If I happen to come into lots of extra money (I'm a teacher, so this isn't likely), I'll do the 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Millenium.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Happy cruising! -aj

[Lois R]

Just want to add my two cents... I was on the Celebrity Summit this summer for a Mediterranean cruise and on the NCL Pearl for the Western Caribbean this Spring.

 

Have to say that I had an excellent time on both cruises, but they are VERY different.

 

FOOD: Celebrity's food was far and above better than NCL's. Not that NCL was horrible, but most of the time it was pretty good. On Celebrity, I thought it was the best cruise food I've ever had. NCL's specialty dining was hit and miss - the steakhouse was excellent. French restaurant was disappointing. I liked being able to sit with my partner for dinner every night instead of being grouped randomly with other people (freestyle).

 

ENTERTAINMENT: OK, once again Celebrity's singers and dancers/production shows were far and above better. I really enjoyed their entertainers (comedy, musicians, bands). NCL was hit and miss, but did have a few bright spots (Shark Bait comedy duo was excellent!)

 

SHIP CONDITION/STYLE: Again, we have 2 completely different experiences here. Celebrity Summit was classy, formal and elegant. NCL was colorful and fun without being ugly tacky (think Carnival ships - sorry if I offended anyone). Other than the cheesy atrium, the Pearl was beautiful. The Summit just had a more upscale, more formal vibe. Both good - just kind of depends on the experience you are going for.

 

SERVICE: Celebrity had better, more personal service. NCL was very good as well, but Celebrity is SERIOUS about keeping their people happy.

 

OTHER: NCL had great nightlife... I mean FUN. Drinks are cheaper. Summit wasn't as "happening", but we are talking about a port-intensive Mediterranean cruise and comparing it to a Caribbean cruise.... not a fair comparison. But nonetheless, the Pearl's nightclub, Bliss, is hip and fun and was a great place to hang out at night. NCL felt a little more "Nickel and Diming" - this means that it seemed like they charged for more random things. It felt LESS inclusive. Summit had lots of little perks (cloth hand towels in the bathroom, cushions on deck chairs, and lots of other little things) which I enjoyed.

 

PRICE: Ummmm... not even comparable. NCL was MUCH cheaper. So overall, Celebrity is a better cruiseline. But as I am planning my Spring Break cruise next year, and times are tight, I am seriously considering NCL because it can cost hundreds of dollars less (including my union discount that Celebrity doesn't offer). If I happen to come into lots of extra money (I'm a teacher, so this isn't likely), I'll do the 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Millenium.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Happy cruising! -aj

 

AJ:)...I remember your postings before you went...it was a family

cruise, right? Did ya'll have a good time?:) You shared a cabin with

your nephew??

[teacher_md]

Lois -

 

Yes, I did some posting before my cruise to get my questions answered. The cruise was incredible! Memories for a lifetime. I actually shared the room with my niece and nephew and the room was a little bit tight. There were 7 of us total with three adjacent rooms.

 

I will post a detailed review when I get my act together. The Summit was a great ship and the itinerary unbeatable. Thanks for remembering!

 

happy cruising, AJ

[Lois R]

Lois -

 

Yes, I did some posting before my cruise to get my questions answered. The cruise was incredible! Memories for a lifetime. I actually shared the room with my niece and nephew and the room was a little bit tight. There were 7 of us total with three adjacent rooms.

 

I will post a detailed review when I get my act together. The Summit was a great ship and the itinerary unbeatable. Thanks for remembering!

 

happy cruising, AJ

 

Glad you had such a wonderful time:D:)....its ironic how the same

ship can give such different reviews. Unfortunelty, someone else

just posted their review and were quite disappointed with the ship.

 

When was your cruise? Last month? One of these days I want to

sail the Med or Europe or both.....its on my WISH LIST:)

 

I do remember because you were really excited about going!

Happy to read it met your expectations:)

[teacher_md]

Lois -

 

I sailed on the 6/27 sailing out of Barcelona. I highly recommend doing a Mediterranean cruise, just be careful not to get burnt out from sightseeing, For instance, try to vary your activities from day to day - museum one day, ruins another, city tour, beach time.

 

We were exhausted at points and really didn't even feel like getting off the ship... which is the whole point! Next time, I will just pick one or two things to do at each port and just take my time. That's hard to do when there's so much to see in Rome, Pisa/Florence, Nice/Monaco/Eze. It was a trip of a lifetime. We spent 3 days in Barcelona pre-cruise and then another 2+ weeks in Italy post cruise. I am GLAD to be home.

 

- aj

[Lois R]

Hi AJ:) its the $$$ that prevents me from doing either right now.

But I did see Constellation has a 7 nighter in Sept 2010 that might

work...Barcelona to Barcelona, more of an Italian Itinerary but it looks

so good to me since I have never been.....

Oh we have totally gotten off topic of this thread...sorry to the

Original Poster!

[teacher_md]

September would be a wonderful time to go. It was hot in July... especially in Florence. Florence is in a valley and traps all the heat.

 

If you go, you might as well go for a 10 or 12 night cruise. Airfare is so expensive. It just seemed like there was no way to save money - the cruise excursions were ridiculously expensive. We did mostly private tours and, while we got to do what we wanted and had great service, we seriously paid for it. In Rome, the private tour was 600 euros... which is like $900 bucks. Even when you split it up by person, it's still quite costly. Caribbean cruises are CHEAP compared to Mediterranean. Next time (after I win the lottery), I'll be brave enough to do all of the ports of call on my own using public transportation. My mom isn't in the best health, so that was not an option this time.

 

take care! -aj

[JennAngel9]

Sorry to re-hijack to the original thread, but (just in case the OP has not made a decision yet), I would strongly echo the majority of the comments that advocate for X. While I prefer X's M class ships to pretty much every other ship I've sailed on excepting the QM2, I think the recommendation makes sense for the OP based on the original and follow-up posts. Having sailed all the mass market US lines, I would say Celebrity is at least 5x more similar to HAL than it's next closest competitor and NCL and HAL are night and day! If you have an aversion to "glitz" or flamboyance of any kind, you will be much more comfortable on an X cruise!

 

The other differences that, amazingly, haven't been pointed out yet is that NCL is relatively smoker friendly and X is less so. Also, I think the M class ships themselves have a lot of great viewing spaces (many windows, and the spa areas) for inclement weather-- which was great for us when we cruised the Baltics early in the season, and might be nice as you cruise around the bottom of the world. ;)

[Bridge Maven]

Just want to add my two cents... I was on the Celebrity Summit this summer for a Mediterranean cruise and on the NCL Pearl for the Western Caribbean this Spring.

 

Have to say that I had an excellent time on both cruises, but they are VERY different.

 

FOOD: Celebrity's food was far and above better than NCL's. Not that NCL was horrible, but most of the time it was pretty good. On Celebrity, I thought it was the best cruise food I've ever had. NCL's specialty dining was hit and miss - the steakhouse was excellent. French restaurant was disappointing. I liked being able to sit with my partner for dinner every night instead of being grouped randomly with other people (freestyle).

 

ENTERTAINMENT: OK, once again Celebrity's singers and dancers/production shows were far and above better. I really enjoyed their entertainers (comedy, musicians, bands). NCL was hit and miss, but did have a few bright spots (Shark Bait comedy duo was excellent!)

 

SHIP CONDITION/STYLE: Again, we have 2 completely different experiences here. Celebrity Summit was classy, formal and elegant. NCL was colorful and fun without being ugly tacky (think Carnival ships - sorry if I offended anyone). Other than the cheesy atrium, the Pearl was beautiful. The Summit just had a more upscale, more formal vibe. Both good - just kind of depends on the experience you are going for.

 

SERVICE: Celebrity had better, more personal service. NCL was very good as well, but Celebrity is SERIOUS about keeping their people happy.

 

OTHER: NCL had great nightlife... I mean FUN. Drinks are cheaper. Summit wasn't as "happening", but we are talking about a port-intensive Mediterranean cruise and comparing it to a Caribbean cruise.... not a fair comparison. But nonetheless, the Pearl's nightclub, Bliss, is hip and fun and was a great place to hang out at night. NCL felt a little more "Nickel and Diming" - this means that it seemed like they charged for more random things. It felt LESS inclusive. Summit had lots of little perks (cloth hand towels in the bathroom, cushions on deck chairs, and lots of other little things) which I enjoyed.

 

PRICE: Ummmm... not even comparable. NCL was MUCH cheaper. So overall, Celebrity is a better cruiseline. But as I am planning my Spring Break cruise next year, and times are tight, I am seriously considering NCL because it can cost hundreds of dollars less (including my union discount that Celebrity doesn't offer). If I happen to come into lots of extra money (I'm a teacher, so this isn't likely), I'll do the 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Millenium.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Happy cruising! -aj

 

Teacher, it is hard to compare food between the two cruise lines if one cruise was in Europe and the other was a Caribbean cruise. We have been on over ten Celebrity Cruises in Europe, Alaska, Mexico and the Caribbean and the quality of its food varies significantly based on itinerary.

[teacher_md]

Excuse me, Bridge_Maven. This was my first cruise outside the Caribbean.

 

Regardless, I hope my comparison was helpful. -aj