Princess cruiser trying NCL

[DeRon]

We have sailed on NCL twice and twice on Princess. In our experience, service is luck of the draw.

 

Cabin Service. The absolute best cabin service we have had was on the NCL Jade but it has been acceptable to very good on all of our cruises.

 

Food. MDR. Princess is the clear winner here. Hands down. Not close.

 

Food. Buffet. NCL is the clear winner here. Hands down. Not close.

 

Specialty Restaurants. NCL Pride of America offered a wine/specialty restaurant package that included eating in specialty restaurants 4 of our 7 nights. Food was excellent in all the venues and the wine pairings very good as well. Our more limited experience with specialty restaurants on Princess was not as good. Food was not noticeably better than in the Coral or Golden MDR.

 

Cabins. NCL Jade had the nicest cabin and most spacious bathroom....Princess Coral the best layout for storing luggage and hanging clothes.

 

Room Service. NCL was prompt and efficient on both our cruises. Selection was better than on Princes and service faster.

 

Entertainment. Good to very good on both cruise lines.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation. NCL was smoother and took less time on both cruises we took with them than on Princess.

 

Summary....pluses and minuses on both cruise lines. NCL is superior for buffet, specialty dining and embarkation/disembarkation. Princess wins for food in MDR and overall quality of service, although as stated earlier...our favorite cabin service was on a NCL cruise.

 

We would not hesitate to cruise with NCL again....Our next cruise is on Princess due to itinerary and price....but would have equally happy to have chosen NCL.

 

Thank you! Very helpful!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You will be back....

[trojangirl90066]

Okay guys. I'm trying NCL. Taking the NCL Gem out of NYC to Bermuda. And yes, nervous. Ha!!

 

We've read so many iffy reviews on food, etc. But now I will be able to report 1st-hand.

 

If you are not in a full suite, try for an upgrade. It was the only thing that made the cruise tolerable for me. Cagney's breakfast & lunch is the best. We spent a lot of time in our cabin or on our balcony to escape the constant announcements of B I N G O, T shirt sale, jewelry sale and the LOUD music (not good music) all over the pool area. I am going on princess for the first time and really excited about it.

[DeRon]

You will be back....

 

Ha!! Probably. In fact, if Princess was leaving out of NY too...

[RMLincoln]

Things not mentioned:

Princess has the hardest beds, even with an egg crate!

NCL has different entertainment: usually has aerialists anong with the dancers. It would be a real treat (IMO) if you found Jane (M?) Powell on your cruise - she is a a very dynamic singer entertainer. I enjoyed her so much on a B2B that for her second night of entertaining I scheduled a quick dinner between her shoes and caught her twice that night.

MDR steaks not so fabulous but OK, seafood, IMO was excellent, so I'd go with their strengths.

I didn't find the menus for the specialty resaurants all that great and they didn't change, same every night so we ate in the MDR where it was different every night, usually ate early and no crows, no waiting, but also ate late once or twice and no problems at all. Enjoyed it just fine.

Cookies were the best!

Afternoon after shore excursions had to go find hamburgers on deck as the buffets was closed, oh well, we didn't starve!

Drink servers were pushy, especially at the pool. I got tired of saying No Thank You.

Music at the pool was too loud so we wnet and found a quiet hot tub near the kids pool and had it too ourselves for the whole cruise!

Got upgraded from inside to oceanview so I can't complain there.

Had super cabin stewards: on our B2B we had to change rooms but the new steward had all the notes form the previous one and also requested our bathrobes for us. Nice touch as they are not automatically.

Also I love Princess too.

I'ts hard to have a BAD day on cruise ship.

[sbflcruiser]

While I will say that all vacations are great. This was not our favorite experience. Here are my observations:

 

Service: Our service was just as good as we have found on Princess. We found follow up to any issue superior to Princess. We had a problem with our toilet for a couple of days, they would call to ask if we were continuing to have problems. Sent us a tray of canapes for the trouble.

 

Room: smallest room by far I have ever seen. However the beds are far superior to Princess, along with the bedding and pillows.

 

Bathroom: Like the layout better than princess, but wish they also have the self under the sink. Much better shower curtain and shelf options within the shower.

 

Storage: No drawers anywere but inside the closet, which on one side you could not hand full length. They had shelves but were open in the back and stuff would slide through the back and pile onto the bottom shelf/floor area.

 

Pools: Like the fresh water on Princess, not the salt water. However, like the stair and hot tub layout better. Also like that the pool chairs would lay completely flat.

 

Entertainment: Found a lot less things to do, when on the ship if not going to a show. (Did like the layout of the theater much better)

 

Food: We did not eat in the speciality restaurants. Pizza, Princess wins hands down my DH equated NCL to an upscale frozen pie. Main dinning room: most of the items were heavily salted some to the point of not finishing. (but did allow to be a deal breaker, just got something different). Our experience was that shorts were regularly worn in the dinning rooms but most all (we were in the caribbean so not sure if that made a difference). Enjoyed the buffet much more on Princess, bothe food taste and selection options for our personal taste. Having said we never went hungry during the week.

 

If the price and the itinerary were right we would sail again, but would not go out of our way to search NCL for that right combo.

[cynbar]

We are Princess and Celebrity loyalists who have sailed the Gem twice because she had the itineraries we wanted. We found NCL to be very different than the other two --- not necessarily worse, but different. You really need to go into it trying to appreciate the strengths of NCL. We agree with others that most of the meals in the MDR were a few steps below Princess and Celebrity, but the Venetian DR (rear of the ship) is beautiful, with the best tables for 2 at sea (along the side windows with plenty of space between them.) We liked the choice of specialty restaurants, didn't mind the surcharges, and ate there several nights out of each cruise. Ship was always clean, staff was accommodating, and the atmosphere was livelier and more energetic than the other two lines. However, the attitude is VERY casual, and it's not unusual to see people at dinner in the shorts they've worn all day, or sweatpants and t shirts and ball caps. If you expect it, you may not be too put off, and you can always join them and stay casual yourselves. The whole casual, freestyle concept is probably well suited for Bermuda, since you'll be under no pressure to keep to a schedule or hurry back to shower and change for the evening. We would sail NCL again although we look at Princess and Celebrity first.

[DeRon]

We are Princess and Celebrity loyalists who have sailed the Gem twice because she had the itineraries we wanted. We found NCL to be very different than the other two --- not necessarily worse, but different. You really need to go into it trying to appreciate the strengths of NCL. We agree with others that most of the meals in the MDR were a few steps below Princess and Celebrity, but the Venetian DR (rear of the ship) is beautiful, with the best tables for 2 at sea (along the side windows with plenty of space between them.) We liked the choice of specialty restaurants, didn't mind the surcharges, and ate there several nights out of each cruise. Ship was always clean, staff was accommodating, and the atmosphere was livelier and more energetic than the other two lines. However, the attitude is VERY casual, and it's not unusual to see people at dinner in the shorts they've worn all day, or sweatpants and t shirts and ball caps. If you expect it, you may not be too put off, and you can always join them and stay casual yourselves. The whole casual, freestyle concept is probably well suited for Bermuda, since you'll be under no pressure to keep to a schedule or hurry back to shower and change for the evening. We would sail NCL again although we look at Princess and Celebrity first.

 

Very encouraging. Something tells me that at the end of the cruise, we too would choose Princess first. We need to go in with proper expectations. Thank you for sharing.

[suzyed]

Have fun! Any vacation is what you make of it, land or sea. We also did the Hawaii island cruise on NCL. We just did it this last May and it was wonderful. I must say that NCL really takes note of Cruise Critic and takes it's comments seriously. We had a Roll Call Meet & Greet on embarkment day and every top officer, including the captain was present. They asked us to come back and report our reviews of the ship in person on the last day of the cruise. Many of us attended. Even though that ship had iffy reviews in the past the reviews have improved tremendously in the last couple of years. The Captain attributed that in a large part to CC and the feedback coming from all of us. They provided a nice room for us to use as long as we like and a nice spread of cookies, finger sandwiches and non-alcoholic beverages in addition to a bar tender. That really impressed me. Princess barely even gives us a couple decanters of peanuts. On one cruise they told us we had to leave the room after 45 minutes so they could set up for a wedding.

 

Our NCL cruise had some of the best service we have experienced in a long time. The food was good and we did not eat in the specialty restaurants. I would rate the dining room as average cruise fare and the buffet as above average. We did not experience people dressing poorly on what is now "Dress Up or Not Night", or if they did I did not notice. Only 20% or so of people dressed formally and the remainder were dressed in resort casual, like us. I would cruise NCL again if the itinerary was right.

We had the same experience at our Meet & Greet on our two NCL cruises to Alaska, with different captains each time. The Captain, and a few of the officers attended, house keeping, kitchen manager, hotel manager, CD, Loyalty ambassador, etc. etc. The had fruit, pastries, juices, coffee, tea, cheese and crackers...very nice!

The captain himself, told us that they DO read CC and take everything they read to heart!

We mostly ate in the specialty restaurants and found them very good to excellent! Service everywhere on the ship was friendly and efficient.

I don't know if it was because it was Alaska, or if it's because of the "dress up or not" approach...but we saw VERY little formal attire, which was fine with me...it was a very comfortable, casual atmostphere!

[suzyed]

Budget extra for eating in the specialty restaurants, where the food is not even that good, but is better than the food in the MDR. After a couple of nights in the MDR, we ate the rest of the week in the different restaurants.

We did our first NCL cruise 2 years ago, after many Princess cruises. While IMHO the food quality on Princess has gone down since we first started cruising, it is far better than on NCL. Will be curious on what your views will be.

So far we have only been on one Princess cruise, with another one booked for April 2012, but we found the food for the most part to be good. I love soup and I especially like the different types of soups that are traditionally served on cruises. I was not thrilled with the soups on Princess. They were for the most part pretty bland. The other starters offered were very good! We ate at the Chef's table and it was spectacular!! Love it!

[suzyed]

Keep watching for a drop in price of a suite, that makes an NCL cruise ok because you can eat in Cagnyes for breakfast and lunch. Then take the above advice and eat dinner in a specailty. You will have a great time, it's only the MDR food and service that are not good.

Agree!

[suzyed]

We have cruised on several different lines and I think everyone compares things, it's just human nature. What I try to do is not think in terms of "better" or "worse" but just "different". Different cruise lines do things differently - that's what makes all of them a little unique. I like unique things and that's why we're trying Princess for the first time in a week. I am eager to see what's new to me (a hot baked cookies and milk cart in the afternoon - yoo hoo!).

 

Some folks are uncomfortable with uniqueness - they want the same types of things and are disappointed when one line doesn't have something that another does or does something differently. It's probably good if people who like "sameness" stay with the same line, and maybe even the same ship, heck, maybe even the same cabin and same table at dinner.

 

We are platinum cruisers on RCL because they used to have several ships out here on the left coast. Getting on board was like "home territory". RCL has now left us lefties and I do miss the comfort of knowing exactly where I was going on the ships and the types of things to expect, even the shore excursions never seemed to vary.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I try to understand both sides of the issue and always wonder when reading reviews if I am reading a review of a "uniqueness lover" or a "comfort seeker".

 

Have a great voyage - I know I am looking forward to mine with great anticipation -

I'm with you....I like the uniqueness of each experience....never been on a cruise I didn't like....love!! :D

 

I just wish I didn't have to pay for specialty coffee on Princess...many of the the other lines do NOT charge for these.

[DeRon]

I am the OP. Well, we just got back from our 1st NCL cruise...we wondered if we would like it or not. We've been on 12 cruises now, and so far our favorite line has been Princess. But guess what?? Not any more! NCL was FANTASTIC!!!!

 

Now, I will say that we had a Penthouse suite which came with Butler and Concierge...ha! But for the money, apples to apples...we thought the cruise was unbeatable and even better than our wonderful experiences on Princess!

 

I will come back and give a full review when not so tired!

[hmh60]

I am the OP. Well, we just got back from our 1st NCL cruise...we wondered if we would like it or not. We've been on 12 cruises now, and so far our favorite line has been Princess. But guess what?? Not any more! NCL was FANTASTIC!!!!

 

Now, I will say that we had a Penthouse suite which came with Butler and Concierge...ha! But for the money, apples to apples...we thought the cruise was unbeatable and even better than our wonderful experiences on Princess!

 

I will come back and give a full review when not so tired!

 

Can't wait to hear about your experience. It will be interesting to hear how you compare the two.

[fayfam]

I am the OP. Well, we just got back from our 1st NCL cruise...we wondered if we would like it or not. We've been on 12 cruises now, and so far our favorite line has been Princess. But guess what?? Not any more! NCL was FANTASTIC!!!!

 

Now, I will say that we had a Penthouse suite which came with Butler and Concierge...ha! But for the money, apples to apples...we thought the cruise was unbeatable and even better than our wonderful experiences on Princess!

 

I will come back and give a full review when not so tired!

 

Fantastic. We loved our recent NCL Pearl pacific coastal cruise and wish they cruised in Australia. You guys are so lucky to have such a great selection of companies/ships. I look forward to your review.

 

Kerry :)

[suzyed]

I am the OP. Well, we just got back from our 1st NCL cruise...we wondered if we would like it or not. We've been on 12 cruises now, and so far our favorite line has been Princess. But guess what?? Not any more! NCL was FANTASTIC!!!!

 

Now, I will say that we had a Penthouse suite which came with Butler and Concierge...ha! But for the money, apples to apples...we thought the cruise was unbeatable and even better than our wonderful experiences on Princess!

 

I will come back and give a full review when not so tired!

So glad you loved it!! Our first NCL was in a Penthouse as well! To me...that was what cruising was all about! We were treated royally! Everyone from the Captain, to the Butler, to the Concierge, to the servers, the CD,....everyone was friendly and helpful!!:D

[amandajholden]

I am the OP. Well, we just got back from our 1st NCL cruise...we wondered if we would like it or not. We've been on 12 cruises now, and so far our favorite line has been Princess. But guess what?? Not any more! NCL was FANTASTIC!!!!

 

Now, I will say that we had a Penthouse suite which came with Butler and Concierge...ha! But for the money, apples to apples...we thought the cruise was unbeatable and even better than our wonderful experiences on Princess!

 

Can't wait to hear your review. My last two cruises were on Princess and we are sailing on the NCL Dawn in late November. I'm really excited because I think NCL will "feel right" for us. We're in a suite also - yeah!:)

[DeRon]

Can't wait to hear your review. My last two cruises were on Princess and we are sailing on the NCL Dawn in late November. I'm really excited because I think NCL will "feel right" for us. We're in a suite also - yeah!:)

 

YAY! If you are like us, you will love it! And the suite life...they treat you like royalty!