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Celebrity vs Norwegian cruise


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Hi cruisers!

 

I'm considering taking a Celebrity cruise. I have taken a number of Norwegian cruises, but I see a good deal on Celebrity. I'm interested in the Aqua level or a suite because it's our 20th anniversary and we want to do something special.

 

 

So I have 2 questions:

Firstly, What are differences between a Celebrity cruise and a NCL cruise? From those who have cruised on both lines.

 

 

Secondly, from those who have cruised on the Aqua level, how is that?

Thank you

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Hi cruisers!

 

I'm considering taking a Celebrity cruise. I have taken a number of Norwegian cruises, but I see a good deal on Celebrity. I'm interested in the Aqua level or a suite because it's our 20th anniversary and we want to do something special.

 

 

So I have 2 questions:

Firstly, What are differences between a Celebrity cruise and a NCL cruise? From those who have cruised on both lines.

 

 

Secondly, from those who have cruised on the Aqua level, how is that?

Thank you

 

I have cruised on both several times, in short, food much better on Celebrity overall and entertainment much better on NCL than Celebrity. Also, you will see some complaints of Celebrity nickel and diming people, NCL is far worse. Only one daily announcement on Celebrity, NCL is incessant.

 

As far as Blu goes, have done it several times. I found the food to be excellent, smaller kitchen, more cooked to order than the MDR on either line.

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I am a loyal Celebrity cruiser, and after many years we did sail on NCL for a New Years cruise this year. I found the food in the dining room to be sub par. Had to return a few dishes to the kitchen as they were either cold or not to my liking. In the specialty restaurants NCL was great. Can't say too much about the entertainment as the showroom was filled when we arrived so did not go.

On Celebrity the food in the dining room is very good, some entertainment is very good, others so so. We now sail in Aqua Or above, so we dine in Blu or Luminae. The service and staff in Blu and Luminae are exceptional. You will not be disappointed. I will never sail on NCL again. When we originally sailed NCL, many years ago, our favorite ship was the Norway, the old La France, which did not have anytime dining and everyone was treated like a king.

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We have cruised on both lines and found more similarities than differences. The specialty restaurants on Norwegian are a good perk and/or more reasonably priced than Celebrity specialty restaurants. Main dining room on Celebrity was far better years ago than now. Celebrity has a lovely Aqua Spa and Cafe al Bacio. Breakfast buffets are good on both lines. Years ago, Celebrity had no announcements but that has changed. Both lines have fewer activities than before--no more food demos, fruit carvings, arts and crafts (on last two Celebrity cruises). Celebrity has guest speakers; they vary from ordinary (boring) to outstanding on our recent Independence Day cruise. There are more families on Norwegian. Norwegian has better entertainment in public areas in the evenings. Main shows are similar but Norwegian production shows are better. We choose based on the itinerary, fewest sea days and price.

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We. Years ago, Celebrity had no announcements but that has changed. .

 

We started sailing on Celebrity 2010 and our last cruise was in April. We now have over 25 cruises with Celebrity and there is and has been only one announcement at 10 am from the captain and CD.

 

So they must have gone from none to one.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

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DItto what others have said regarding the food and the entertainment. The evening entertainment can be a challenge if you like to party a bit. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's dreadful.

 

The ships are just classier on Celebrity, no circus colors, no gawdy decor, it's sleek and classy, especially on the S-class ships. You will find the ships less crowded usually. The pool deck can be a challenge though on a sunny sea day. Getting on the ship after a port day is way better on Celebrity, from the water and cold towels to the security where they don't check every bottle for booze like on most other lines. I find the little things add up to an overall better experience. Everything from more comfortable lounge chairs to the pool towels you don't have to check out, to the better sheets on the beds.

 

I will still do NCL if I see a smokin deal but otherwise I would not consider them.

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I have done 3 cruises on Norwegian on their smaller ships, and have just booked my 2nd on Celebrity after sailing on Reflection. We cruise balcony on NCL, and Concierge on Celebrity. I like both lines for different reasons.

Food is really subjective, and I can only give my opinion, bur we found the MDR on the Reflection to be better than MDR food on our recent cruise on the Jade. Specialty restaurants were very good on both. I preferred the buffet on NCL. NCL has Pepsi, Celebrity has Coke, which we vastly prefer, and yes, that was important to DH.

Both lines do their share of nickel and dining, NCL is worse. NCL has better entertainment, IMO. NCL has the Haven, but it's pricey. I hear good things about Aqua on Celebrity, maybe someday...

The major differences were, for us, the service. Celebrity just seems to try harder, and they pay attention to the little things. But we have never had a bad time with Norwegian. The vibe is just different. NCL prides itself on its energy, and freestyle cruising. Celebrity is a little quieter, and the best way to put it, refined.

We always pick cruises for itinerary and value. I get more loyalty perks on NCL, but I'm finding Concierge to be just a little nicer, and our TA got us a great deal on Concierge on our 2019 Australia/New Zealand cruise. I'm booked on Norwegian for a Panama Canal cruise next April; as I said I like both lines and try never to pass up a good deal.

I'd say go with your instincts, and pick the line and itinerary you like. And have a wonderful time!

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We used to cruise with NCL exclusively with very many sailings on our beloved Norway. Then a couple on the Jewel and one on the Gem. We saw the food go downhill through the years and the noise became excessive. We now sail on the S class Celebrity ships always in an Aqua cabin and love it. Blu can't be beat IMHO. And the Persian Garden is fantastic. Also love the footstools on the balcony and the wonderful shower.

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We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and it's our "go-to" cruise line. Having said that, we've cruised NCL four times in the last two years after we discovered the UDP (Ultimate Dining Package). We eat all evening meals in the alternative restaurants of NCL. Here is a quick comparison from our point of view:

 

Food -- overall, Celebrity is much better. With the UDP on NCL it ups the quality to just above Celebrity's MDR.

 

Price -- NCL seems cheaper, but they charge for every little thing. The UDP is $152.22 per person for a 7 night cruise. Their "free" beverage package cost you $99 per person for a 7 night cruise. We did a BtoB this past June matching the NCL Escape with Celebrity's Equinox. In the end, it was more expensive on NCL (in an inside cabin) compared to Celebrity (in a balcony cabin). Like $350 per person more expensive.

 

Ships -- NCL's newer ships are very expensive. They are large and crowded. The entire ship is chopped up into small venues with very little open space. There is no better large ship than Celebrity's S-class. Smoking is a big issue on NCL's larger ships because they placed the casino in the middle of the atrium and the smoke fills many common areas of the ship. Celebrity's policy is much, much better by banning all inside smoking.

 

Service -- Celebrity is better overall, but that can be a ship by ship, person by person situation.

 

Passengers -- NCL is a younger crowd (which is great with us); more kids; and many inexperienced travelers. Celebrity is an older crowd (Not HAL old, but up there); multi-generational family groups with fewer younger children; well traveled in general.

 

Cabins -- NCL cabins are smaller, but well designed. Celebrity has larger cabins and much larger balconies (NCL's Mini-suites -- it's a joke how small the balconies are).

 

Itineraries -- Overall, I like NCL's better. Maybe it has to do with having 29 cruises on Celebrity and they tend to stick to the same ports?

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

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Celebrity will feel extremely sedate after NCL, and the X buffet doesn't compare well to NCL.

 

This statement is soooooooooooooooooooooo true. This is exactly what I felt coming from NCL to Celebrity. It was like a sense of calm and order that I noticed immediately and it didn't end the entire cruise. NCL felt so crowded and chaotic especially on Epic. I really kept feeling like cattle being herded to small spaces.

 

Sadly this is a mixed blessing, it can be too sedate on Celebrity in some ways. I really wish they had better entertainment in the evenings but I still find myself reluctant to sail NCL again even though I love their relaxed dress code which was why I initially chose to sail them. I did not every want to wear a ball gown in the evening That said, Celebrity has relaxed that a lot so better for me. I do miss a bit of the energy on NCL ships but not the stress of crowds/herding of people getting on/getting off; evening areas; elevators (OMG elevators on Epic :eek:). When you see 'adults' almost come to fist fights over things it really shows something might need a bit of tweaking.

 

I am not a foodie, but of course some food would be better than others but I personally have not found Celebrity way beyond NCL but maybe things have gone downhill since I last sailed with them few years back. The service side and delivery of things is a different story, NCL could improve. As perditax says, buffet is better on Celebrity but for me it is more contrast in the service side, being able to find cutlery and napkins is a bonus and not having to clear my own table to sit down is really nice too. Food is subjective though, some prefer caviar and wine, while others want buffet and beer (me LOL).

 

I think if you gave a sense of what you value on a cruise you might get more focused comparison in those areas.

 

Oh and in case you don't see in my signature... my next sailing is on Celebrity again.

Edited by poffles
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Usually sail on Celebrity, but did sail on NCL Breakaway last spring. Will not go on NCL again--upcharges for everything! Entertainment was poor! Seats in theater were so uncomfortable. Pool area was so small; no adult only pool. Food in "no extra charge" dining rooms was fairly good but not as good as BLU on Celebrity. Embarkation on NCL in NYC was horrendous!

 

 

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We have sailed both. Celebrity twice, and again in 9 days. NCL 7 times(2 times in suites). I think it really comes down to what you are looking for.

 

We felt the food overall, was better on the 2 Celebrity sailings over any of the NCL. Our experience with NCL was to get the same quality as Celebrity you had to pay extra for specialty.

 

 

Entertainment wise during the day i would say comparable. Trivia and other activities. Night time activities far better on NCL. If you are looking for the big waterpark adventure than the newer NCL with slides are the winner. The pool on the Summit was in much better than the pool on either Breakaway or Gem. More room and you can stand.

 

 

We have never done a suite on Celebrity, twice on NCL Breakaway. The Haven is a great experience but was not missed on Celebrity. We have done the Bermuda run on both lines and if w4e had to choose we would do the Summit in a balcony room over the Breakaway unless in the Haven.

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What about if your booked in a Haven balcony cabin versus a Celebrity suite? How do the overall offerings of the 2 cruise lines compare now? We're booked in the Haven on the Getaway this December and a Sky Suite on the Reflection in early 2019. By the way we are in our mid sixties and enjoy lectures, cheesy games and trivia on sea days as well as great evening entertainment in the main theater.

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Have cruised on NCL Jade and Star and wouldn't cruise NCL again. Food was awful so ate every evening in the speciality restaurants. Prices were cheaper but you get what you pay for - ended up being more expensive due to speciality restaurant charges. We were in a suite (not Haven) and no difference in service just the size of the cabin. Very disappointed. Jade was a better ship than the Star but would now only go with Celebrity. However, I've heard good things about MSC Yacht Club which looks promising as Celebritys prices seem to be on the rise.

 

 

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Have cruised on NCL Jade and Star and wouldn't cruise NCL again. Food was awful so ate every evening in the speciality restaurants. Prices were cheaper but you get what you pay for - ended up being more expensive due to speciality restaurant charges. We were in a suite (not Haven) and no difference in service just the size of the cabin. Very disappointed. Jade was a better ship than the Star but would now only go with Celebrity. However, I've heard good things about MSC Yacht Club which looks promising as Celebritys prices seem to be on the rise.

 

 

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That's the only way that we would cruise NCL. Eat every evening meal in the alternatives and the food is really good. MDR for lunch only and try to stay out of the buffet.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

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were platinum plus on ncl and elite plus on celebrity so have done both quite a lot

 

We find lots in common, the service is great from both and the officers visible and participate in lots of things.

 

Ncl do their game show type things on more open areas rather than be tucked away in celeb central and ncl have a big nightlife in terms of decent night clubs that get busy.

 

We find the entertainment on the bigger ncl ships better than celebrity in terms of choice and variety but the smaller ncl are about par with celebrity.

 

The food is better in the mdr on celebrity than ncl but we find that the choice of dining on ncl better and we eat most of our meals in the specialty on ncl due to the fantastic dining package deals.

 

I find packing for ncl easier and more dress down but also love dressing up a bit more on celebrity

 

I think the celebrity product is classier and has more room to hang around in with less people and I find their pool areas better but when we had our son sailing with us ncl won each time for the variety of things for a teen to do

 

We love both products so if it's entertainment I'd pick ncl bigger ships but if we just want to relax we go celebrity

 

 

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Hi cruisers!

 

I'm considering taking a Celebrity cruise. I have taken a number of Norwegian cruises, but I see a good deal on Celebrity. I'm interested in the Aqua level or a suite because it's our 20th anniversary and we want to do something special.

 

 

So I have 2 questions:

Firstly, What are differences between a Celebrity cruise and a NCL cruise? From those who have cruised on both lines.

 

 

Secondly, from those who have cruised on the Aqua level, how is that?

Thank you

1)X/few announcements NCL/constant announcements latest sales etc. Food on NCL generally the worst of any major line(MDR)Specialty rest. food is pretty good. Much better if you're in the Haven. Food on X is decent, though there have been a lot of quality declines as of late. Specialty rest. on X are still excellent. Dress code style on NCL is kind of like being at a flea market. Yes, there are a few who dress up, but they are a "few". On X most pax dress up on "chic" nights. Other nights it's smart casual: slacks/collared shirts etc. Entertainment on X has diminished as of late. Still have good comedians, but the overall shows are more about glitz than substance. You WILL still see actual musicians on board X, whereas NCL has eliminated most "live" music on most shows.

2)Aqua level cabins are the same overall size as regular cabins, but with better locations on the ships(I'm using the Eclipse as my guide, as this is the ship we sail when on X)The Rest. "Blu" features a more healthy menu(obviously subjective to one's personal tastes) Overall X caters to a more relaxed clientele compared to NCL. If you were in the Haven then you should have had excellent trips on NCL(using the Breakaway type class here) Hopefully I & others have given you a little insight as to what to expect on X.

Edited by keithm
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The dress code is very different between the two lines, if that matters to you. Our experience is that NCL has essentially no dress code, wear what you want all the time except maybe in a couple of the specialty restaurants. Celebrity has a dress code for evenings and most cruisers follow it, they "clean up" for dinner and no shorts allowed in the dining rooms. Celebrity did give up their formal nights, however, so no need to bring fancy clothes.

 

We prefer Celebrity and Princess but have enjoyed our NCL cruises, we just go in with different expectations (and we budget for the specialty restaurants.)

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We have sailed both, and we prefer Celebrity. The food on X is hands down better in both the MDR and buffet and on the NCL ship we were on, and getting a table in the buffet on NCL, particularly at breakfast, was next to impossible. I never had that problem on X. I found the service to be about the same on both. Staff was very attentive. We were on an older NCL ship, and the cabin was TINY, I mean TINY. X cabin seems spacious by comparison. Bev package as included in both cruises, it was pretty similar in terms of drinks. Wine choices were better on X. I prefered the entertainment on Celebrity, although I thought NCL was good. One if the differences that matter to me was the atmosphere around the pool areas. NCL still has the requisite blaring music, hairy chest contests, belly flop contests. I absolutely hate that part of cruising and that's one of the things I like about Celebrity, you see little or none of that and there are places you can go to get away and still be in a nice area.

 

The other thing I didn't care for was the uber relaxed dress code. I am not a ball gown at dinner person, but the MDR is nice, why dress like a slob? The first night of our last NCL cruise we dressed smart casual, not formal at all. At the table next to us were the ratty jeans, t-shirt and cargo shorts crowd. I liked not being tied to a fixed seating time, but I didn't enjoy the feeling like I was dining at Wal Mart judging by the way some people were dressed.

 

And I agree with the others that the nickel and dining on NCL is far worse.

 

I'm not writing off NCL, they have some good deals, so if it was a good deal I'd sail them again, but I prefer X.

Edited by poeticlicensed
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