NCL Sky vs Imagination etc....sailed Mar 4, some comparisons

[sharecruises]

A bit late but wanted to post this up...

 

sailed on NCL Sky Mar 4th for a weekend getaway and had a great time, def will do NCL again, would like to try a bigger ship but still booked this for our Halloween cruise. NCL is really really good for groups/singles...they are very easy to work with

 

Boarding was so super easy....go thru security, go up to one desk get your sign/sail card and security pic taken all at one time, no lines, very easy. When you board they spray your hands. They have staff all dressed up in clown etc outfits who are welcoming you on board! Real party atmosphere

 

Plus they have staff to tag your carry ons and hold them securely at the Captain Cook Bar IF you wish (I still just toted my carry on along)

 

First Impression : ship is sparkling clean, attractive but lacks some of the Carnival flair and whimsey *(and neon lol). Smaller atrium, they apparently took out the Hawaii decor here, looks more spare and Scandinavian but nice. Much of the ship still has the Hawaii decor (it used to be Pride of Aloha) but that was ok cause it is all tropical and pretty nice. I was not sure I would like the "disco" area, but actually found it more usable and nicer than the smoky Carnival discos

 

Nice point .....NO smoking except for cabins, casino and one side of the lido and I think ? a cigar bar but I of course never went there. Yipppeee

I loved being in all the clubs without the smell of smoke

[sharecruises]

We were directed to the lido deck and the ...FOOD

 

Nice large pool, some hot tubs...and they had staff out grillin and chillin right on the deck...great welcome grill area, grilled chicken , burgers , hot dogs etc....with huge "Weber" type grills

 

Buffet is kind of odd , winds around, several areas with the same food BUT works out well as there is never a line

 

Here is what I liked : you must sanitize your hands. They have staff right there to make sure you do before you even try to get food. They are serious about this

 

Staff staff staff everywhere....officers in sharp white uniforms, friendly and helpful...they steer you to whichever buffet line will be fastest...they are everywhere. Other wait staff in blue uniforms who are "senior" wait staff and also steer you around. Lots of people serving, cleaning, running around with ice tea and ice water and coffee on trays. Lots and lots and lots of staff...they are everywhere. Very friendly and very efficient

 

Everyone spoke English nicely :) More Americans and more Canadians, Austrailians, Filipinos.....some "Norwegians" and other Scandinavians who spoke English perfectly. So many more officers and senior staff members, all of whom interact with the guests a lot. Great entertainment staff, best I have ever seen...and they are everywhere.

[sharecruises]

Embark food on buffet and grill was great, they don't have as many "stations" like Carnival (ie, Deli, Burritos, etc) but they have a good variety and loved the way they have officers helping you get in the fastest line. Just no wait at all ...very nice. Very very clean too.

 

NCL Sky has a wonderful back area called Great Outdoors....huge canvas awning/tent thingy over tables and chairs, eat outdoors at the aft of the ship and what a view! I really liked this as it makes you remember you are on a ship, reminded me of the "old days" when I first cruised and you could see the ocean more and eat outside and it was soooo nice. This was our favorite place to eat and where we ate except for dinner.

[sharecruises]

Cabin : here I feel Imagination really has the winner...Imag had their cabins totally redone, new fittings, new bathroom, new flat screen tv

 

Honestly NCL sky cabin was a bit of let down....hallways are more narrow and the cabin *(an outside) was sort of plain, small tube style tv. It did have a fridge. Our room steward was very friendly however and spent time talking to us....I felt all the workers and staff were more relaxed and had the time to be friendly and helpful. The cabin did have a fridge. We also had our bottle of wine from travel agent right there...(on Carnival they usually send it to the dining room, often a horrible mess to deal with, as some group members don't get their bottle and the "wine lady" can be a real pain)

 

I also had welcome letter& letter from group coordinator waiting for me in my cabin.

 

 

I will say that Imagination (one of my fav ships) has very nice new cabins, great flat screen tv, great bathrooms. This NCL cabin reminded me of the Destiny with its older bathroom and tube tv.

 

As this was a 3 night cruise the cabin was not a deal breaker but for a 7 night I would really like to try a newer NCL ship.

[sharecruises]

Food.....well of course I worried about the Freestyle with a group...but we had over 20 on board so we had "reservations" at set time , earlier than usual so we could see the shows. Not all of the group showed up but they still honored our group "reservation" (scheduled ahead of time by my ta)

 

Dining was amazing.....first night we did have lobster (half a tail lol) and grouper but they would bring extra lobster tails and they sure did

 

It is different than Carnival ..more like being in a real restaurant. If you don't want a potato, no problem, they don't bring it, the plates are not all pre plated. They can make changes or get you things off the menu if you want. I asked for steamed aspargus and so they would bring it to me every night and also for another gal.

 

Some negatives : the shrimp cocktail is not good...very tiny shrimp in a sauce. Also not as many choices as Carnival I don't think but everything we ate was wonderful except for the shrimp. I heard the pay for restaurants have real shrimp but we never felt the need to try them and honestly it would have been hard/awkward with a group. The regular dining room was fine.

 

They have sooooo many more waiters and servers and busboys...wine steward person too....maitre d comes by to chat...the group coordinator visited us too....very friendly people and they have the time and energy to interact and chat with us. One guy was so funny...young Tony...he was not even part of our wait staff but every night he came by to chat and joke with us.

 

No "entertainment" or singing waiters here....also no lines. No wait for food. Most people just come in as they please and it all works out. My fears of Freestyle were unfounded. I think it would be nice to be without a group and take advantage of the real "Freestyle" but I felt it worked great for us.

[sharecruises]

After dinner....off to our group cocktail party 1 hour open bar in Captain Cook Lounge which is kind of a wooden northern feeling lounge with Hawaii pictures on the walls LOL>> it is a piano bar...and NON smoking....but the piano player was only just fair...not a great voice but a good personality

 

NCL shined here however : they had a space for us, and open bar meant open bar, anything but top shelf....no premade punch and whiskey sours LOL. We could enjoy frozen drinks or whatever we wanted pretty much. The group coordinator again stopped by to welcome us.

 

then we skipped the welcome show cause I saw Motown Hour in the Outrigger Bar....wow...what a lovely place....slanted windows overlooking the ocean, outdoor deck, a neat tropical decor....and the best group ever

 

Yes.....a 6 piece cover band....from Phillipines...these folks could sing anything...wife, hubby and 4 others...plus their own sound guy. Fabulous

They did Motown and R and B show that was amazing...Aretha, Tempts (yay), Four Tops and so many more....OMG they even did Manhattans "Let's Just Kiss and Say Goodbye"

 

wow wow wow....loved them

 

I really miss the old larger cover bands that Carnival used to have...here was the best ever

 

after the Motown show they did a 70's hour....wow...what fun! The entertainment staff all came out to get us up and dancing...they really interact on NCL.....all dressed in 70's...John Travolta, satin bell bottom suits LOL...

 

The cover band could rock any song from the 70's with equal skill...they were amazing

 

at one point the entertainment crew came out as the Village People and we all did YMCa ! The assistant cruise director was amazing, so high energy and great dancer/mc...wow

[sharecruises]

NCL also had a really good 3 piece Reggae/Island group....very talented. They played on deck in day and also in one of the lounges at night. They did Island music in the day but at night they did a mix of pop and R and B music..."Lady in Red", "Sign your name across my heart" etc....very talented

 

The cover band...6 piece ...was the best however. They did other shows thru the cruise...an Abba show on Sat...they also did some Latin shows...and some people who spoke Spanish said their accent was perfect ...but they don't understand or speak Spanish LOL. I know this cause....they are able to interact with the customers. The lead singer would come down and sit with my group cause we were fans and we got to talk with them and learn more about the group and their music. Really nice

 

Production show was very good.....less dancers but more singers (3 leads and one other guy who came out and sang).....NO feathers or Vegas...more rock and roll....I liked that...more contemporary

 

3rd night was a comedian Rich Purpura who was funny without being vulgar...good show

 

NCL staff seems to be allowed to party more....you would see some of them in the buffet, at the clubs. Oh...and soooo many "officers" in white everywhere all the time

 

and again the hand sanitizers

 

We went to Nassau and then on 2nd day to their private island which was nice beach day, nothing great, they are still doing construction I think.

 

When you come back on the ship they spray your hands...and again you just can't eat without sanitizing....good job NCL IMHO

 

Last night we had our 2nd open bar party in the lovely Outrigger lounge....and wow....the appetizers they served were amazing...shrimp, salmon rolls, caviar on a little bread cut out, skewers of steak with peppers and onions and terriaki sauce, chicken tenders...amazing....we had fabulous service and anything we wanted to drink except top shelf...wow...and all this on only a 3 night cruise?? wow

 

I liked a lot of things about the cruise...the cabins could be improved....

I loved the sanitary and clean ship.....hot hot tubs...no lines, the great staff, all the officers and the way it was so efficient

 

I prefer the cabins on Imagination and Glory .....I also sort of miss the Promenade on Carnival ships but I did like the large outdoor eating area on NCL. Best part for me was the Cover Band and the Reggae Band...wow wow wow....that is something I have not seen in the past few years.....I like r&b and rock and pop and that is what they delivered :) Yipppee

 

I am planning another cruise on NCL Sky...but would love to do a longer cruise on a newer ship, Pearl or maybe Epic.

 

I also just did a cruise on Valor and while I preferred Glory in Jan I did buy another future Cruise cert LOL>>> so I will be on Carnival again.

 

Oh..that is one thing I was not fond of about NCL : future cruise cert is $250....you get $100 credit on board on the cruise you are on. I was going to buy one BUT the small print says you can only use the $250 on a 5 night or longer cruise...so I didn't buy it.

[sharecruises]

Thoughts about Imagination vs NCL Sky...

 

for a group I think the Sky is best...they treat groups great and are so easy to work with. Carnival now has the 30 day book or lose the group deal and harder to manage. They also just do NOT give a group as much as NCL does.

 

I do love Imagination however....I love the buffet set up , the salad bar....it is a great ship and with the new redo the cabins are wonderful, very large, like new....new bathroom and flat screen tv. I also think Imagination is less crowded than the larger Conquest type ships.

 

I think the lobster tails on Imagination are larger and the shrimp cocktail is much better. IMHO Imagination is one of the best run Carnival ships and tho older it seems to have some of the best staff.

 

IF I was just going on my own, I would pick either one based on price JMO.

 

I have NOT been on the 3 night Royal ships but some of my table mates had and they prefered Sky and/or Imagination. I have heard the cabins are really small on the Majesty of the Seas and also it is not the greatest food.

 

For a group cruise?? NCL really does go all out for groups and this was a welcome change.

 

You can read my review of my Dec 10 cruise on Imag here>>

 

Great Cruise Imagination Dec 10, 2010 3 Nt Bahamas

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1341262

[CanadianTwosome]

How refreshing! It's so nice to see such a great, positive comparison with good things said about both lines!!

 

I actually like the 'shrimp cocktail' on NCL, but I agree completely; it isn't what I'd call shrimp cocktail... it's more of a 'shrimp salad'. I think I saw that Carnival has 'real' shrimp cocktail in their MDR, and I'm expecting my daughter to eat one (or maybe two...) every night. :)

 

Based on the entertainment that you enjoyed, I highly recommend the NCL Epic. This ship doesn't actually have the traditional 'show' entertainment, but it's got music everywhere. There's a dueling piano bar, a blues bar, live music on deck, a comedy club, a Legends show, and a cirque-type show (but that one has a surcharge). We didn't have enough time to experience everything! :)

[mystone99]

Thanks for the review. DW and I are considering a NCL next year because they have the 10 and 11-day cruises to the Caribbean, and were thinking of doing the Sky first to see how we liked it.

Glad you had a good time

[Sauer-kraut]

ShareCruises, have you posted this on the NCL boards?

 

I agree with your assesment of the cabins (although I've not sailed the SKY), I found the Imagination OV cabin we had more spacious than the balcony cabin on the NCL SUN.

[Brighton Line]

Hands down all the NCL cabins are small, from Balcony to Inside. I'll be comparing the Jewel/Gem to the Glory in July. In 2012 I'll be on the Sky but trying the NCL Suite Life which I hear stands out in the industry.

Thanks for your great review and Washy Washy Happy Happy!!

[halos]

Nice, nice review!!

 

My 'NCL' advice to you would be:

Next time DO try a larger ship with longer itinerary :)

I enjoyed my cruise on the Sky VERY much but it didn't compare to my cruises on the Dawn.

Next time DO treat yourself to at least one of the specialty restaurants...especially if you are on a longer cruise.

 

I do agree 100% that the shrimp and the lobster on NCL in the MDR are far from good...I never order them any more in the mdr.

 

Yes, the fabulous thing about NCL crew and officers is they are around the ship everywhere....very approachable and so much fun :)

The NCL staff are my favorite thing about the line.

 

Thanks for the review. DW and I are considering a NCL next year because they have the 10 and 11-day cruises to the Caribbean, and were thinking of doing the Sky first to see how we liked it.

 

Glad you had a good time

 

 

 

The long NCL cruises are just freaking amazing...I can't say enough about how awesome they are. You will love it :)

 

Also, the Cruise Critic Meet & Greets on NCL are a MUST DO~~~~!!!!!

[Aquahound]

I just did a CC wide search for Sky reviews and came across this thread. Thank you for you review. I'm booked on the Sky a few weeks from now and haven't been on NCL in 10 years. Your review was very helpful.

 

If you are still around, can you answer one thing. The docs say passenger check-in starts at 12. Is that actually true, of do they really start much earlier like other cruise lines?

[live.love.cruise]

Thank you for the comparison review. I sailed the Imagination a couple of years ago and we're looking @ the Sky for next year for a group cruise. It looks like we picked the right ship! :)

[sharecruises]

Thanks for your kind words

 

You can board before 12...we were there about 11:15 and got right on board. I always board early *(11:15 is actually late for me LOL)

 

Thanks Halo...I would love to try a longer cruise on NCL. The service and attention were really great and of course the entertainment. I love love love the bands and shows and that is a "deal breaker" for me LOL. One lady said that Carnival cutbacks on entertainment didn't affect her cause she goes to bed early with her kids???? :eek::eek: LOL

 

Well I don't have kids and I don't go to bed early...I actually found the smaller disco more "fun" for ME cause it was non smoking and also cause the seating was sort of friendlier. I always start out ok in Carnival disco and then give up cause of the smoke it seems.

 

I do still like Imagination....honestly I think it is a better experience than Destiny or my recent Valor.....Imagination seems to still be one of the well run "old style" Carnival ships...it has ONLY sailed from Miami since it was built and it has a fantastic staff and the "redo" on it was very well done.

 

You could not go wrong with Imagination or NCL Sky IMHO...great 3 night cruises