Ok, so my husband and I took our first cruise on a whim back in December, when we were able to book a good deal on a balcony suite on the Norwegian Getaway. While fun, it wasn't a super great fit for us, but after some time to think on it we've decided to start considering another cruise.
We're both our mid-late twenties, but we're fairly laid back people, not big partiers. We enjoy relaxing by the pool, reading, going for walks around the ship, finding places to enjoy the view, maybe live music, wouldn't mind a decent show. Norwegian offered a half-hearted attempt at movies under the stars, and that ended up being one of our favorite activities. We also were happy with our balcony cabin. The balcony itself was small, but we enjoyed the view, and the room was a comfortable size and well-appointed. We really enjoyed getting to decide when and where we would eat.
There were several things that we didn't like with Norwegian. There wasn't really an adults only pool, only a splash area in Spice H2O that filled up quickly every day. The main pool was always packed. The food wasn't very good. The specialty restaurants were pretty good, but the buffet was only acceptable and the MDR was terrible. We ended up spending more on specialty restaurants, because the two times we tried dinner in the MDR weren't good.
In short, we're hoping for better food - quality over quantity. Better pool setup. A bit less kid focused.
Princess sounds like a good fit for us. I've read good things about the food and desserts. Shows sound fun. I am wondering though should we look to Regal or one of the Grand class ships? Do the grands feel dated? Is the entertainment as good? I've heard the pool setup for the Regal is not as good as the older ships. Any overall advice would be appreciated, especially thoughts about the overall experience and the differences good and bad between the ships.
Considering 2nd cruise - First with Princess
in Princess Cruises
Posted
Ok, so my husband and I took our first cruise on a whim back in December, when we were able to book a good deal on a balcony suite on the Norwegian Getaway. While fun, it wasn't a super great fit for us, but after some time to think on it we've decided to start considering another cruise.
We're both our mid-late twenties, but we're fairly laid back people, not big partiers. We enjoy relaxing by the pool, reading, going for walks around the ship, finding places to enjoy the view, maybe live music, wouldn't mind a decent show. Norwegian offered a half-hearted attempt at movies under the stars, and that ended up being one of our favorite activities. We also were happy with our balcony cabin. The balcony itself was small, but we enjoyed the view, and the room was a comfortable size and well-appointed. We really enjoyed getting to decide when and where we would eat.
There were several things that we didn't like with Norwegian. There wasn't really an adults only pool, only a splash area in Spice H2O that filled up quickly every day. The main pool was always packed. The food wasn't very good. The specialty restaurants were pretty good, but the buffet was only acceptable and the MDR was terrible. We ended up spending more on specialty restaurants, because the two times we tried dinner in the MDR weren't good.
In short, we're hoping for better food - quality over quantity. Better pool setup. A bit less kid focused.
Princess sounds like a good fit for us. I've read good things about the food and desserts. Shows sound fun. I am wondering though should we look to Regal or one of the Grand class ships? Do the grands feel dated? Is the entertainment as good? I've heard the pool setup for the Regal is not as good as the older ships. Any overall advice would be appreciated, especially thoughts about the overall experience and the differences good and bad between the ships.