NCL versus RCCL for 12 night Mediterranean?

[hbr777]

Hi everyone!

 

I am new here, and I have never cruised before. There are four of us traveling in June 2013 and we are considering a 12 night Mediterranean cruise. NCL has the itinerary that excites us the most (Barcelona to Venice, and includes Turkey and Greece and only 2 at sea days) on the Spirit, while RCCL includes Croatia but not Turkey or Greece, on the Serenade of the Seas. The RCCL boat is rated with higher satisfaction (93%) versus the NCL Spirit (73%), but... without sounding like an idiot, I don't really care about the vessel that much (see below) - we are more focused on the ports and itinerary.

 

We are 3 adults (late 40's and early 50's) and a 17 year-old making this trip of a lifetime. Three of us get motion sick and are terrified of being sick the entire time, so we don't want a little ship - that is my main concern with choosing the ship.

 

So, I'd love your biased opinions on whether this NCL cruise might be good for us!

 

Thanks for sharing,

Heidi

[SchoolNurseMom]

I don't have any advice as I am new to NCL too! But I'm jealous of your trip! Hope you get some opinions soon! :)

[joyy7403]

We sailed on the Jade in the Med, so I can't tell you anything about the Spirit. No one was sick (that we saw or heard of) and the ports were nothing short of fabulous! We spent 3 days before the cruise in Barcelona and would go back there in a heartbeat. Loved roaming around & riding the HOHO bus. We ended up going to Turkey because of the unrest in Egypt and LOVED it! The Grand Bizaar & the Spice Bizaar are not to be missed, plus visiting the mosques was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Greece was also beautiful, we would go back there also. Since we began & ended in Barcelona, I cannot tell you anything about Venice. I can tell you that all of the European people we met were very gracious & welcomed us to their countries. I hope to go back someday. You will have a wonderful time, don't worry about something that probably won't happen. Enjoy!!

[katiepe]

We are booked for the "opposite" sailing-Venice to Barcelona on the Spirit in October also for the itinerary which while busy sure is "bang for the buck".

I too have cruised before but never on NCL.

In actual fact I am finding it hard to find too much about the Spirit and virtually nothing about the Spirit doing this itinerary so hopefully you will get lots of responses;)

[F19810]

Based on the ports, I would go with the Spirit. I can't comment on the ships but Europe is more about the ports then the ships. I am very prone to motion sickness and use bonine whenever I go on a cruise. It works great. You can also get a prescription for a patch from your doctor.

Judy

[jdvmd]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! What a great choice you have to make for your first cruise. I think you answered your own question -- go with the itinerary that floats your boat!

[hbr777]

Thanks everyone - you all seem like a very friendly bunch!

 

I'll be honest with you: I have some people telling me to let the itinerary rule, and others who tell me (people I know socially and work with) that NCL's service is sub par. I have no basis of comparison. I can tell you anything about all-inclusive resorts on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, but I am lost with cruises.

 

I want a casual boat. I don't need to dress up and dine every night as the emphasis will be on the ports. On the other hand, I don't want a boat with beer drinking contests. Am I making any sense?

 

Those who have cruised with NCL - what is the line known for best? What is the vibe like? Any opinions will help!

[jdvmd]

NCL makes sense for you then. The itinerary is very port intensive. Since you have never been before, you will be up early and out for most of the day off the ship. The only time I have seen a beer drinking contest on NCL was on the old Norwegian Crown. I actually wish they would bring this back because I won! Not only did I get a free bottle of Bud, I also received a bottle of champagne! Talked my husband in participating and the guys were given BABY bottles of beer! He didn't win because some guy bit the nipple off the bottle.

I digress. I think you will find NCL appeals to a lot of us because of the friendly crew, tons of activities and the nice people you meet. I have never had a service issue on any NCL ship. Take what people say with a grain of salt. I think NCL offers a great product.

[portcbob]

Hi HBR777.

 

Mate, you should??? love both cruise lines, NCL & RCI.

 

I have sailed on the Norwegian Star ( loved her ) and also on the Mariner of the Seas RCI ( loved her also ). Both companies are excellent, with great food, entertainment, and plenty of things to do around the ship during sea days. I am currently booked with the Norwegian Jade for a 14 nighter in the Eastern Med/Adriatic which is embarking in Venice and the cruise in only 3 weeks away now.. The only real advantage I consider NCL has over RCI is the flexibility of the Freeystle dining. Which generally means you can choose what restaurant to dine in, with whom and when you want... Very very relaxed cruising and informal... RCI has I think from memory My Time Dining however you still need to book a time to get in to a particular restaurant you want.

If I were you I would seriously look at the ports you need to go to as I am really sure you will love both shipping companies who probably cancel one another out.

Have a great cruise which ever you choose.

 

Regards Bob.:)

[F19810]

I have been on NCL,RCL,Princess,Celebrity,HAL,Cunard and American Hawaii. I can't say that the service was any better or worse from one line to another. You will always get some people who love or hate one line or another for some reason whether it is the service, food, entertainment or the passengers on the ship. The one advantage of NCL is that you don't have to get dressed up on formal night to eat in the main dining room. On RCL you will have to eat in the buffet on formal night if you don't want to get dressed up. I still say pick your cruise based on ports.

Judy

[hbr777]

Ports rule the day, it sounds like!

 

My husband was really focused on this NCL cruise and it sounds so fabulous - I'd love to hear from someone who has done the 12 night one.

 

I think I am the only one of the four of us to be excited about the ports in Turkey but I am! Has anyone been to Turkey?

 

This is a year away but it is so exciting to plan this, and I cannot thank you enough for your help!

[Caliterp07]

I did a 12 night med cruise on RCI a couple years ago, and it was by far the coolest thing I've ever done.

 

Some things to think about--

 

• Where do the cruises start/end? Ours left from Rome (Civitavecchia), which was fabulous, because that's a hard city to do in a day (it's far from the port, and there's just TOO much to do there!) We were able to fly in 2-3 days early, get accustomed to the time change, and run around and sight see before catch the ship.
  
• What are the hours in port? Many cities really require 12+ hours to even get a taste of the places. We had very full days in Naples, Athens, Ephesus (Turkey), and 2 full days in Egypt. We were running around sight seeing the whole time, with zero down time. Other ports it would have been find to just have 4-5 hours in. Rhodes and Sicily were kind of bland tourist ports with nothing substantial going on.
  
• What are you really hoping to see? Historical sights? Religious places? Eat unique food? Pick the itinerary that hits the places that are important to you. I took Latin in high school, and our textbook was based on a family in Pompeii. I really, really wanted to see Pompeii, and all the Greek/Roman temples in the area. DH really, really wanted to see the pyramids. We found an itinerary that included both.
  

We loved Royal Caribbean, but you're right in that the Med doesn't revolve around the ship. Our itinerary only had 2 sea days as well, so the amenities on the ship weren't that big a deal. We're headed to the Baltic this summer, and chose NCL not because we're super excited with NCL but because the itinerary was right (2 days in Russia), the departure port was interesting (Copenhagen), and the price was right. I really don't know much about the ship and am not too worried about it!

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I want a casual boat. I don't need to dress up and dine every night as the emphasis will be on the ports. ... Those who have cruised with NCL - what is the line known for best? What is the vibe like?

 

I think NCL is exactly what you're looking for. I've been on the Pride of America and the Norwegian Pearl, so far, and I will be back on the Pearl again in 3 weeks. Both ships are bright, energetic, and fun. NCL is known for its excellent entertainment, fun ship design, variety of restaurants and bars, warm service and the White Hot Party. (Oh, and the best suites in the industry, bar none.) The NCL demographic is primarily 30-50 something, with a lot of families. But as you're doing a 12-day itinerary in Europe, I would expect a slightly older crowd and a lot of Europeans. I wouldn't worry at all about a Miami-Spring-Break-type crowd, as you're not sailing out of Miami during March.;)

 

My husband was really focused on this NCL cruise and it sounds so fabulous - I'd love to hear from someone who has done the 12 night one...Has anyone been to Turkey?

 

I'm obsessed with this itinerary, too, and I hope you go! I've just about convinced a travel buddy to do the 16-night Colonial America trip on the Dawn in October. His one condition was that he then wanted to go to Europe, and I'm proposing this exact trip in September 2013 or 2014. My friends who have been to Turkey have loved it, especially Istanbul.

[mickeysgal]

On RCL you will have to eat in the buffet on formal night if you don't want to get dressed up.

 

No you don't. I've seen plenty of people dressed casually on formal nights in the dining rooms on RCL. Should you dress up? Yes. Are you banished to the buffet if you don't? No. That's folklore.

 

RCL has My Time Dining and you can either chose to show up to eat at whatever time you'd like or you can make a reservation. We've done both and have had absolutely no problem with it with way. In fact, we've had reservations and just decided to be late for them a few nights. Not a problem at all. For RCL's specialty restaurants you do have to make dining reservations. No big deal. With NCL's specialty restaurants you can make reservations or just walk up. We made reservations when we sailed, but the restaurants were empty and we could have just walked up.

 

Having taken a Med cruise, I will tell you that it is so port intensive, that the ship is secondary. You're running around in port all day and you will be tired. Thoroughly review all potential itineraries...think hard about what you want to see. Try to spend a few days pre and/or post cruise in the city where the cruise starts/begins. Make the most out of this trip since the airfare is so stinkin' high nowdays to Europe.

 

I'm jealous...your first cruise and it's a beautiful choice.

 

Have fun!

[LMHC]

We did a 12 night on the NCL Jade last year and loved it. Turkey was one of our favorite ports (Izmir was our stop and we went to Ephesus). In Greece we could not dock in Athens due to civil unrest so we diverted to Crete which was more scenic. We had cruised several times and seas were rough one night and we all needed Bonine, but my wife takes it everyday in case. Myself and daughter usually only take Bonine once the first day to get out sea legs and then as needed after that. We travelled with my sister and neice who were first time cruisers and neither had a problem with sea sickness. NCL is a great choice due to flexibility of the freestyle dining with a port intensive cruise as you can eat when you are hungry not a set time and different ports have different return times. The entertainment shows also tend to reflect the culture of some of the ports. I think you will enjoy either way you choose. Once you book, I would also encourage you to join a Roll Call on another section of these boards which sometimes members will put together group excursions which will cut the costs in some of the ports and also allow you to meet some great people.

[Caliterp07]

No you don't. I've seen plenty of people dressed casually on formal nights in the dining rooms on RCL. Should you dress up? Yes. Are you banished to the buffet if you don't? No. That's folklore.

 

*ding ding ding*

 

They will ask you to change if you show up in shorts, but people show up in everything from jeans to tuxes. Women showed up in casual sun dresses to evening gowns. Even on formal night, jeans were fine.

 

It really isn't stuffy at all on RCL, even on more "formal" itineraries like the med. I found the clientele to be a perfect mix of children, young adults, middle aged, and elderly. We did the my time dining on our med cruise and sat with an australian college student on break with her mom, a pair of sisters from ireland, a couple who we found out live a mile from us in Virginia, and scores of others. It was a blast.

[Starry Eyes]

Thanks everyone - you all seem like a very friendly bunch!

 

I'll be honest with you: I have some people telling me to let the itinerary rule, and others who tell me (people I know socially and work with) that NCL's service is sub par. I have no basis of comparison. I can tell you anything about all-inclusive resorts on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, but I am lost with cruises.

 

I want a casual boat. I don't need to dress up and dine every night as the emphasis will be on the ports. On the other hand, I don't want a boat with beer drinking contests. Am I making any sense?

 

Those who have cruised with NCL - what is the line known for best? What is the vibe like? Any opinions will help!

NCL sounds like a good fit for you, especially since the itinerary appeals to you more. NCL is casual. freestyle open dining works well on port intensive cruises. Service on NCL ship's is fine, in my opinion. I admit there are other lines's whose service has wowed me more, but NCL gives better service than I get, in general, in hotels, bars and restaurants in the state. NCL may have the occasional pub crawl, but I do not recall beer drinking contests or hairy leg contests.

 

with four of you on a 12 nighter, I hope you are considering two cabins. Spirit was originally planned for the Asian market and was transferred to NCL after another ship in progress was destroyed by a shipyard mishap (?fire maybe). so it has a rep for slightly smaller cabins and beds, some Asian decor and no 4’s (bad luck?). You cabins with two baths are apt to be more comfortable than squeezing into one.

 

With concerns about motion sickness aim for cabins near midship. lower generally moves less than higher. And of course, consult you doctors at home re: motion sickness meds appropriate for you.

 

have a great time.

[zazou]

I'm booked on the Venice Barcelona Ncl cruise on 27th June.We choose this itinerary because of the ports mainly but also because of freestyle.

 

I can tell you that I've already sail the Spirit on the Caribbean and we loved it. She is smaller but nobody was motion sick in our party. The crew was hand down the best I had in 4 different ships.

 

We love the freestyle concept as we like to decide on a whimp when to eat and with whom. We never complain on the food but never rave about it also.

 

If you want to dress up and have a waiter who know you, probably NCL is not for you.

 

I can give you a report when I will come back as nobody have done yet this itinerary on the Spirit.

 

bye,

 

Isa

[ttnc4me]

We too are considering this exact cruise. Although, as an alternative, take out Greece & Turkey, but add Croatia and another Italian port and Carnival is half price for the beginning of June. However, I really would prefer to do Greece & Turkey.

 

I've scoured these boards relentlessly for info on the Spirit and from the threads I've read, it's not much to write home about. It's nothing bad mind you. Just kind of a "standard" older ship, albeit in good condition, with no bells and whistles. Of course everyone says "it's all about the ports", so I'm really trying hard to rely on that. Our kids will be 15, 13 & 10 and there's seemingly not much for them on the ship.

 

As for the OP... we were on the Pearl for spring break the last week of this past March and had zero issues with any partiers. I would have no concerns about the quality of passenger on NCL whatsoever. Lastly, I haven't read any other trip reports from Med cruises in June that suggest that it's rough seas either, so sea sickness shouldn't be much of a concern (of course Bonine will be packed just in case);). I think this would be a great trip for you, and hopefully we'll be there too!

[tomko2]

Reading the reviews posted by other Cruise Critic members really helped us alot when we planned our first Med. cruise (12 nights - RCL - Rome, Egypt, Turkey, etc.) and again for our second Med Crusie (12 nights - RCL - Barcelona, Venice, Dubrovnik, etc.).

We posted our reviews of each cruise:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=57957

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=33168

 

The link below my signature leads to photos of these and other cruises.

 

Whatever you decide on, I am sure you will vastly enjoy your Med. cruise.:)

 

Kathy

[hbr777]

Tomko - the reviews are excellent and I love your photos - they are also helpful!

 

I do think NCL will be a good fit for us, the more you tell me. We are happy to dress up if needed, but we are really very casual people. We are so excited to get the most of the ports that I bet we are wiped out by dinner time.

 

I did see the Carnival cruise, but honestly, the whole "Fun Ship" reputation scares me, although I may be way off base.

 

The more I read about Turkey, the more excited I get. I mean, TURKEY! I never would have a chance to go there unless it is a cruise. My husband travels all over the world on business but I don't so this cruise will be a trip of a lifetime for me!

[HokiePoq]

Hi everyone!

 

I am new here, and I have never cruised before. There are four of us traveling in June 2013 and we are considering a 12 night Mediterranean cruise. NCL has the itinerary that excites us the most (Barcelona to Venice, and includes Turkey and Greece and only 2 at sea days) on the Spirit, while RCCL includes Croatia but not Turkey or Greece, on the Serenade of the Seas. The RCCL boat is rated with higher satisfaction (93%) versus the NCL Spirit (73%), but... without sounding like an idiot, I don't really care about the vessel that much (see below) - we are more focused on the ports and itinerary.

 

We are 3 adults (late 40's and early 50's) and a 17 year-old making this trip of a lifetime. Three of us get motion sick and are terrified of being sick the entire time, so we don't want a little ship - that is my main concern with choosing the ship.

 

So, I'd love your biased opinions on whether this NCL cruise might be good for us!

 

Thanks for sharing,

Heidi

 

We did the Med on the Jade and the Gem, not the Spirit, and picked for the itinerary. I can speak to the ship's excursions. I was pleased with each and every one of the NCL excursions. Can't say that about one of the other lines I've cruised. Does the Spirit go to Ephesus? I think our port was Izmir and tours went to Ephesus from there. We booked to go to the better known places but Ephesus turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. We stopped in Croatia on the Gem...liked it but if I had to choose, I'd definitely pick Ephesus.

Have a great trip!

[hbr777]

Does the Spirit go to Ephesus? I think our port was Izmir and tours went to Ephesus from there. We booked to go to the better known places but Ephesus turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. We stopped in Croatia on the Gem...liked it but if I had to choose, I'd definitely pick Ephesus.

Have a great trip!

 

Oh, this is so good to know. Yes, it goes to Ephesus - I am not sure the port though. Yes, it seems like Ephesus would be more interesting than Croatia but the reality is that I want to go everywhere :)

 

I am sold on this cruise. Now I just have to convince my sister.

[hbr777]

Oh and yes, two cabins for sure!

[travelnap]

Tomko - the reviews are excellent and I love your photos - they are also helpful!

 

I do think NCL will be a good fit for us, the more you tell me. We are happy to dress up if needed, but we are really very casual people. We are so excited to get the most of the ports that I bet we are wiped out by dinner time.

 

I did see the Carnival cruise, but honestly, the whole "Fun Ship" reputation scares me, although I may be way off base.

 

The more I read about Turkey, the more excited I get. I mean, TURKEY! I never would have a chance to go there unless it is a cruise. My husband travels all over the world on business but I don't so this cruise will be a trip of a lifetime for me!

Hbr777, I think I would agree with most of the other posters, NCL sounds like a good fit for you. I have sailed most of the mass market lines including NCL and RCI, and have not found much of difference in any of them. Some are more formal, some are more relaxed and casual. NCL is very laid back. They have a very friendly crew, similar to the other lines, so I think you will enjoy them and they will take care of you. I am like you, I go for the ports not the ship itself. Food is always subjective but in my experience they don't vary all that much from one line to another. I liked RCI MDR better than I did NCL's but I liked NCL's buffet better than RCI's. With the itinerary you are looking at I think you will have a great time, no matter which line you sail with. For your age group both NCL and RCI will have similar demographics where you will fit right in. Happy Sailing.