CruisingUS

(y)<3 Love your post. We are sailing NCL Escape in September (7 night Eastern, Angled Balcony, UBP and 4 SDP promos) for $2,196 including promo gratuities less TA OBC and CCL Fantasy in October (5 night Western, PH room) for $557 (Orig. $619 but paid with AARP 10% discounted cards). NCL Escape is costing us approximately $100 pp/pd more than CCL. For that $100 we are getting a newer ship with more outdoor activities, an angled balcony, unlimited beverages, 2 dinners each at Modernos and 2 dinners each at Cagneys and IMHO probably better entertainment than we will be getting on CCL. I personally find the non-specialty food and the services on both lines to be relatively similar in quality. IMHO we are getting value for our money spent on both lines. I prefer the newer NCL ship and DH prefers the older CCL ships. We both like the mid-size ships on both lines. Both of us just love to cruise and will look for a deal on any line. Yes we are paying more for our NCL cruise...but we are also getting much more for our money on that cruise.

Exactly. We are on the same line of thinking. Quality is important to me. That isn't true for everyone.

So what, it's what I prefer. I sailed on a 6500 person ship for a year and a half and am not in a hurry to sail with that number of people again. DW and I were just in Warnemunde and had the privilege of seeing the Getaway tied up at the dock. DW had been interested in sailing the larger ships until she saw that.

Is that like a military exp? B/c if it is...obviously it is a different situation.

TY for your service if u did serve

We fly into FLL and have SAS transport take us to hotel in the blue lagoon area of Miami. A lot of the hotels there have free shuttle to port of miami. SAS transport picks us up in Miami when cruise over and takes us back to fll. Very reliant and on time. I like to be close to port and not worry about traffic which to me is horrendous in south Florida!

 

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this

I like to play it risky and fly there the day of :evilsmile:

for me the ship is the destination. So much to do, eat, and relax.

You could absolutely spend 7 days on Escape, and probably still couldn't do everything you'd like to. If that's your plan for all 3 ships, I would 100% pick Escape. I'm 33, and I'm relatively boring in real life. I'm a critical care nurse and I work around 60 hours a week most of the time. I'm definitely not the clubbing type, or a partier in my every day life. I was absolutely bored on both Celebrity cruises I've been on. I feel it has a great itenirary, I'd think about it, but if I were planning to be on the ship a lot, absolutely not.

1. isn't that like 2x the # hrs worked by nurses?

2. I am concerned as my next cruise is with X....I never feel board on NCL but I am concerned about X as I am younger too

I have some VERY gaudy glasses; so this is a great excuse to use them. :cool:

NCL updated their loyalty this year. Wish I was plat there. Two free specialty dinners. I could go to that Brazilian Steakhouse every night. No one upset about a silly prize/trinket. I'm sure that will change the more that people become platinum. I don't think it would be possible for CCL to have free specialty dinners with the number of plats I've heard thrown around.

It is true that there are usually very few Pt on the ship, let alone gold.

Quite a bit of silver imo.

The nice thing about NCL is that even their lowest level gets some sparkling wine. I think stuff like that creates more loyalty at the lower level, and it wouldn't surprise me if CCL does something similiar as they just brought someone in to restructure their loyalty program.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that view point. But we are debating the merits of CCL vs NCL on the CCL forum so of course I'm writing from that perspective. (And my eyes have only gotten worse since HD came out so now a blank wall looks just as good to me:D.)

:')

Magic & Epic are the 18th, Oasis 19th.

Perfect opportunity to try NCL over CCL.

Actually I think I might be higher on NCL's loyalty list than CCL's at this point but the perks at either level are nothing to crow about. If the difference is enough for you that's great, it works for many. I do know that the more I spend the pickier that I will be. For example there were some minor lapses in service on our last cruise that weren't a big deal, but if I had been paying 2 or 3 times more for the cruise then they would have been a bigger deal. I totally understand your sour grapes attitude for that trip and I also would have some pretty high expectations of such a trip with that price tag. But to me it is not sour grapes, it's more of a why pay more for something that I don't appreciate? A good analogy is HD TVs back when they first came out. Everyone was "oh, they are so worth the extra money" and I'm like "with my vision it looks the same as the regular TV so why spend it?".

The converse is true too. Why spend hundreds for a lower quality product that I don't like when I can spend a little more for something that I do? The food on CCL is just not suitable for my taste. I like to food on NCL and RCCL much more.

Btw, the difference between 360 vs 720 is noticeable to me. ;p

Why we took our first ever last Thanksgiving. I try to only go out of Port Canaveral. I live close by, so if I see something there, I'll grab it first. At the time, Sunshine balconies were higher than Oasis of the Seas & Epic. I'm sure the Oasis comparison shouldn't count as they're balconies overlooking the boardwalk. You can price check this Thanksgiving and see the Magic, Oasis & Epic in Port Canaveral. Epic is the better price. With the UBP & specialty dining promo, just makes that price much nicer. All were leaving Port Canaveral, balconies, seven day, going nowhere special.

 

We did our first ever and loved it. Starting with the food. Was nice to see four omelet burners in different areas of the Garden Cafe. I'd give CCL the win on the room size. Rest went to NCL. I really loved how I rarely heard or noticed the CD. I like how their jumbo tv is at the back of the boat. Instead of a smokestack as your backround, it's the ocean. We liked it so much, we booked this Thanksgiving with a different itinerary. Never been to Tortola. Like above, the base price is still lower than the Magic that is in port that week.

Are they leaving within a few days of ea other?

I have sailed both CCL and NCL and in my opinion NCL isn't worth the premium price they are charging, there simply isn't that much difference in the two products (at least on the mid-sized ships that I'm willing to book). This is based on experience so no one can say that I am acting out of ignorance. I can also say based on my experience that the difference in quality between the two lines is not as great as people make it out to be. Every time we book a cruise I comparison shop and we are more than willing to try another line if their price is competitive with CCL's. I cruise to see new ports, to spend time on the ocean and to spend time with my wife and/or family. I'm pretty sure every cruise line is going to provide that:). (And FWIW I'm much closer to 60 than to 45:D).

I didn't say that the difference is big. Law of diminishing returns applies here. But there is a big enough difference for me to where I am willing to pay the premium to sail on NCL or RCCL as I have a different check list than you do.

I assume you are getting more loyalty perks from CCL than other lines, which sweetens the deal.

IDK u personally. So I cannot speak for you. But for me and the vast majority of cruisers, our unconscious mind influences a lot of our decisions and perceptions. With exp that are expensive that we cannot regularly afford, the mind can unconsciously create a sour grapes scenario where we perceive the higher quality product to be more inferior that it is in reality to justify buying the cheaper product.

I am personally subjected to it, as you can see in the thread below. A RSSC trip to mexico is 6.5k AFTER discounts. That is a 10x price difference compared to CCL/NCL. To me, it is already coloring the exp in my mind b/c there is no way that it can be 10x better than their "competitors."

#Sourgrapes

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2517959

If your friend is a partier and he buys Cheers, then he should definitely try NCL with there UBP included.

 

Carnival isn't necessarily less expensive when you compare cabins.

 

Although the base usually is,if a person likes SDP and UBP and you ADD those in to the CCL price many times NCL is a better deal.

Right. These are logical arguments that I use. He sees very little value in the UBP b/c he just brings on his on liquor w/ rum runners for sea days or goes off the ship to drink. He will chill the rum runner in the ice bucket and use w/e chaser he can get from breakfast or the soda we bring on board. Honestly, I cannot argue w/ his logic. He accomplishes the same thing for a fraction of the price.

He's a good guy. Very easy to please. Buying him a bucket of beers on sea days makes him really happy.

So I get the typical carnival mind set. I have lived it

You asked me to compare two specific ships, so I did based on when I am likely to cruise next which resulted in two different ports, so I also included pricing for other East Coast sailings. I never factor the drink package into the mix because we have never used it. We've decided to try it on our next cruise and only time will tell if we ever buy it again. I also compared other cruise lines to that Escape sailing and while it may not meet your specific apples to apples comparison it meets my McIntosh to Granny Smith comparison. NCL does offer a good product just as the other cruise lines do, but I will say again that when I have looked for a cruise based on criteria that is important to me they have always been hundreds to thousands more to the point that if I wanted to include Cheers I could do so I would still save money. Yes, NCL does have good deals from time to time and if one can shop around one can get a good deal on NCL especially if one does use a drinks package, but overall I would say that CCL is less expensive the vast majority of the time.

 

So I looked at the sailing you quoted and Vista comes in at $1827 and Escape at $2729 so I could still add Cheers (which I don't have to pay for until I'm onboard, BTW) and still save a little money (and yes, those are for balcony cabins, if I'm going to compare apples to apples it will be the flavor of apple that I prefer ;) ).

CCL is (mostly) cheaper, and so is their quality of their product.

If you are motivated solely on price, stay with CCL. NCL is a good happy medium where it is more expensive than CCL, but imo you get what you pay for. plain and simple. some people like hamburger, and I like steak. different strokes for different folks. CCL is aiming for entry level cruising via their pricing, and they create very loyal customers. If you are happy, why leave or experience something new? To a certain extent, ignorance is bliss. I almost envy those who are easily satisfied with the imho lower quality CCL product, b/c I would save more money.

My friend perfectly exemplifies this as he is very loyal to CCL. It is a party boat. He loves it. CCL is all he knows and he will not budge. I want him to come to my next cruise, which is on X. But he refuses to simply b/c of price and price alone. I respect that. My X cruise is 2x a CCL cruise. Not all millennials have money to vacation. So I get it.

I've done the big 3 as a customer, so I know what the typical experience free from bias. There is a difference, but to many on this board that difference is not significant. It is to me. That is why I am willing to pay more. But I can understand why CCL fits your needs, esp if you are from 0-45 yo.

I will say this. Brand loyalty can blind you to a better experience in this industry. It is happening with my friend.

With that being said, it would seem that I would never sail with CCL again. That isn't true. I plan on doing so as their prices are dirt cheap, esp with last minute sales. I know what I am getting into, and it is not a premium experience unless you are willing to cough up more money. Also, I like to sail CCL b/c my friend. But it won't stop me from trying to convince him to try other lines.

The one thing that Celebrity does REALLY well is customizing your food requirements/ preferences. During each of our last 4 cruises on Celebrity, we were travelling with family members/ friends who were vegetarian. The Oceanview Cafe buffet has a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, across multiple cuisines. However even in the MDR, the staff was very eager to please. They noticed that DW did not enjoy the limited vegetarian continental dishes. They had a chef come out and ask us each night, what we wanted for the next meal in the MDR. We thought this was above and beyond anyone's duties and made sure that this feedback went to the right people. Celebrity really won us over with their awesome attitude.

 

Don't forget to try the vegetarian burger in the Mast Grill, DW loves it.

 

Cheers!

 

Nick

Wow. That is impressive. I have yet to see that kind of exp yet.

On another CL, others have had issues with the salt level. Very little was done to accommodate that person. That person just ended up dumping a lot of food as they could not eat it for medical reasons. Good to hear that X is willing to go out of their way to help. I have yet to sail with X, so I am looking forward to it. I am in the process of trying to convince my friends to come, so this is good news.

Nonred available to everyone. Red is reserved for suites.

Thanks. For the record, I like mixing into the loud part of the ship as it is just a part of the fun cruise exp for me. It is lively.

It is nice to know where to go if I cannot find a spot if everything else is full.

Whenever I do a comparison, I make sure that it's comparing apples to apples. Granted, you're comparing two new ships with the Escape and the Vista, but you're comparing again, just like you did the last time, one ship sailing out of Galveston versus one sailing out of NYC. Not a fair comparison.

How about a 6 day of each of those two ships sailing out of Miami one day apart?

Escape 4/14/18 636 + UBP cost 85.32 = 721.32

Vista 4/15/18 484 + Cheers cost 344.70 = 828.70

And both times you quoted prices on the Vista, you forgot to include the cost of Cheers, which was the crux of my argument. Enjoy your balcony, I'll enjoy my drinks package. And I would save over 200 for the two of us by booking the Escape with my above comparison, which is a fair and equitable one since they are both 6 days sailing out of the same port only 1 day apart and they each visit 3 ports and two of the ports are the same, GC and Ocho.

Wow...NCL cheaper than CCL...while not uncommon, I still find it intriguing when it happens.

The Havens has a small foot print. The red outline shows the Havens footprint. And there is public sundeck seating along the port side. Every ship reserves top deck space for its suites guests.

 

We're just off the Breakaway and having a private sundeck in the Havens was with every penny.

 

 

 

 

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So are you saying that the areas that are not red on the top deck is open to everyone who isn't in a suite? Or are the reserved for the suite first and then everyone gets whatever is left over?

Incorrect information. The age to become a Latitudes member is 18 and there is NO delay until 21.

 

Latitudes Frequently Asked Questions:

 

https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program/faq

This must have been a recent change. My sister and I were both bronze when we were <18yo. Our cards said bronze. We went to the latitudes welcome parties too where alcohol was served. The latitudes party invitation had our names on it too with our parents. We got all the perks, which tbh you aren't missing much until you hit gold.

Your son is acrueing points. I pulled my rewards summary last time I was on NCL, and I had points when I was a minor.

best - personal trainer. Would barely have to work as hardly anyone would request their services when the buffet is so close.

worst - doctor. poor pay, on call 24/7, don't have everything on hand, dealing with the morgue, collecting DNA w/ rape kits, dealing with norovirus diarrhea/vomit, entitled people demanding antibiotics or a MRI...

There are dozens and dozens of posts about this, and about vegan eating too. Do a search of Cruise Critic and you'll find many many comments about these food preferences.

whoops. ok just let this thread die.

I am a meat eater. But I have a lot of friends who are vegetarian.

I was wondering if anyone can speak to the quality and options for vegetarians on Celebrity.

I will direct them to this page later when this topic comes up in real life.

Thanks.

That poster is a shill for Carnival. I would take any of his postings with a HUGE grain of salt.

After reading more of his posts, it seems that this is the case.

Every X ship will sails almost entirely full. The question is how heavily they had to discount those final cabins to get there. They don't publicize that info.

 

Passenger volume has actually decreased in recent years along with capacity. X hasn't added a new ship since Reflection in 2012 while disposing of Zenith and Century.

 

Parent Royal does regularly brag about strong advance bookings at X, however it will be interesting to see what happens if they continue to edge toward non-refundable deposits. That would likely put an end to folks holding deposits on multiple cruises they may or may not take and cause the rest of us to book closer to sailing.

Very true. I will just keep my eyes pealed. I possibly will try to snag a last minute deal next year when I have vacation time. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Traveling as a single if you book a concierge level or higher the single supplement can sometimes be lower so the net cost can be lower than a lower category paying double. I don't if I understand what I just said :)

John

I understand. The person helping me checked. At this point, that discount is not available. Hence I was wondering if some kind of discount like this would be applied closer to sailing in my OP.

How do you view the NCL Brand?

I am brand loyal...as you can see from my signature. NCL works for us.

How would you rate the food? Entertainment? Shows? Value? Service?

Food is pretty good: some things better than others. Some food is outstanding, like the new Food Republic offerings on the Escape. As to the MDRs and other specialty venues, since I don't have to prepare it, I have a very low bar. The buffet? Well...I'm not a fan, but that isn't a food quality issue as much as it is a buffet issue.

Entertainment: love the big shows, adore the crew talent shows, and can usually find one or two of the rotating lounge acts to follow and enjoy. Do not like: over amplified poolside music. Love when they have regional entertainment like they did on some of the European cruises and wish they would do that a bit more.

Love getting out of my comfort zone a bit with the cruise directors staff: trivia contests, learn to line dance, etc. I am not brave enough to try to do the dance contest or the not so newly wed game myself, but always have a good time watching other compete.

Value: well...you have to pick your cruise if you want value. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Service: before the cruise: hit or miss. On ship: outstanding. Wonderful wonderful service from stewards and waiters to hostesses and bartenders . People who remember you from day to day even though you are one of 6000 passengers.

Do you see it as a low end, mid tier, or upper crust brand?

Mid Tier.

What are some particular reasons you choose NCL over its competitors? Is it your go to cruise line you check out first when booking a cruise?

We are usually a multi-generational family and I love that NCL is a pretty multi-generational line. There is no NCL "type" there are people from all over all spectrums on a ship. Young, old, in-between. Gamblers, sun bathers, talkers, readers, dancers, drinkers, on-the-ship-just-for-the-ports, don't-get-off-the-ship-at-all, locals (who commute to the port), non-locals (from all over), dressed to the hilt, flipflops and board shorts, etc. I have never felt like I didn't fit in because there was always someone else like me on each sailing.

Yeah, it's our go to cruise line. The got us with the free style dining, and hooked us with the service. When I flirt with booking other lines, it kills me that they want me to say what time I am going to want to eat dinner on a Tuesday in 2018. I vacation to relax, not to watch a clock. And, I can't imagine more friendly, more able, more amiable staff on any other line, so I don't see the need to shift. They might be as friendly, as able and as amiable, but if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Oh, and my husband won't wear a tie. Ever. So there's that.

This is exactly how I feel. Perhaps it is b/c I am more of a type B person. This is the aspect that I miss most when going on other cruise lines.

I wouldn't say that I am brand loyal, even though I have been on the same number of NCL cruises as you have. But it is my go to CL that I have sailed the most with.

I also really agree with you on the mutligenerational appeal of NCL cruises. My parents and sibling are 4 very different people, but we are never bored as there is something that appeals to us (exception is Alaska, but I just personally don't like looking at trees)

Looking at the base cruise fares on that one, I doubt that you'd see the prices go any lower. Also bear in mind that this cruise is on the Navigator, so the G and H cabins are window cabins - you need to be in an F or above for a balcony suite if that's important to you.

 

Best thing to do is to work with a TA who is familiar with Regent - they'll be able to advise you on the best strategy to get the best fare.

 

Good luck!

TY.

I have to pay a double occupancy fare, making it 6.5k for one person. They will not waive it at this time. But I will keep an eye on it and work with a TA. But I don't expect any big discounts any time soon.