Loyal to Royal, until now..

[Norwegianlatvian]

Hi! Hei! Sveiki!

 

Yesterday I booked my first cruise with NCL. A 9 day Canary Islands cruise from Barcelona in February 2014. My cruise history so far is 4 cruises with RCCL + one more to come in September this year.

 

What should I expect to be different besides the Freestyle dining concept?

 

Thanks in advance for your kind answer!

[GORDONCHICK]

A very friendly crew that go above and beyond and officers that show up to the Meet & Greet.

[hartsnvt]

A very friendly crew that go above and beyond and officers that show up to the Meet & Greet.

 

I agree with the crew that is just so wonderful! And yes, Freestyle dining allows you to choose what to wear, when to dine, with who and when, it is totally refreshing to not be on an eating schedule!

As for the Meet and greets that may be planned by your sailing group on your roll call, I would not count that as one of the highlights of my cruise vacation. Yes it is nice to meet the officers, but ours was barely 45 mins and we had one woman complaining to the crew which was embarassing.

 

The buffet had so many choices that were mostly quite yummy and I loved the fact that one of the MDRs did allow nice shorts at dinner.

 

Also, I also enjoyed not being hustled for drinks at every turn like on many other cruise lines.

 

You will enjoy your NCL cruise! A great attitude goes a long way!

[MS52]

I've sailed three time with Royal and twice with NCL. I find them to be very similar. (Love them both!)

[Relmal]

We have sailed with Royal a number of times and our first cruise with NCL was just a couple of weeks ago on the Epic. My honest advice to you is if you liked your cruises with Royal - stay loyal. We will not be repeat customers of NCL. Also that seemed to be the concensus of everyone we met onboard who had previously sailed RCCL.

 

I will tell you the Epic had awesome entertainment. That was it for us, the pool situation was awful, the food was worse and we did not find the crew exceptional, far from it. It is true some of the officers were at a meet and greet and seemed nice, but there was nothing personal with the crew.

 

I have never had a bad cruise and we still made the most of this one. Met some great people, had wonderful weather. Enjoyed the entertainment and the ports.

 

If I were you I would cancel and book with Royal. If you don't, I'm curious to hear your thoughts when you get back.

 

Best of luck and Bon Voyage.

[j603]

Can't say I side with RelMal. I have sailed with Disney, NCL and Carnival. I had 2 delightful trips on NCL and in fact I have 2 more coming up! I totally get the whole brand loyalty thing but sometimes it is fun and exciting to break away from the same old thing. We only live once! I say go for it. I have read some really great reviews about the NCL ships that sail European! I hope you enjoy all of your cruises!

[computerworks]

You picked a great first cruise with Norwegian. The Spirit is a beautiful ship and the crew is amazing. The Canary Island itinerary has some beautiful ports.

 

Take a look at the two links in my signature... We did that cruise at the end of last year and it was marvelous.

[josumello]

Have sailed all the major lines. Unfortunately with NCL it was one and done. Frankly the freestyle was a joke. There was always a long wait to be seated. One night an elderly man "last it" and caused a big scene. He was screaming that he booked because of freestyle and he expected to be seated when he wanted to eat. Actually he was right but did not handle it well. The waitstaff was so overworked that they were downright surly. There was no method to taking orders and serving. God forbid if you wanted a drink or a glass of wine. Finally the food was the worst we have ever had on a cruise ship. Decided to try the specialty restaurants and they were just as bad. The ship we were on was the Gem. The entertainment was very good and most of the crew were fine. The pool area was a challenge also. My advice, if dinning is important to you it might be a good idea to rethink NCL. The other problems you could probably live with.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

[Norwegianlatvian]

Thank you all for you opinions. After 4 (soon 5) cruises with RCCL I start to get tired of the same routine. Nothing (exept the ports of course) is new to me, and therefore I want to try NCL.

 

Lovely first world problem right?

[vols_159]

Hi! Hei! Sveiki!

 

Yesterday I booked my first cruise with NCL. A 9 day Canary Islands cruise from Barcelona in February 2014. My cruise history so far is 4 cruises with RCCL + one more to come in September this year.

 

What should I expect to be different besides the Freestyle dining concept?

 

Thanks in advance for your kind answer!

 

Just like dinning at home walk in ask for a table and bam you are seated if there is a wait u get a pager and normally a glass of wine or something if there's a long wait less formal inwear shorts every night

[graphicguy]

Thank you all for you opinions. After 4 (soon 5) cruises with RCCL I start to get tired of the same routine. Nothing (exept the ports of course) is new to me, and therefore I want to try NCL.

 

Lovely first world problem right?

 

Been on both. Nothing wrong with RCCL. But, you'll love NCL. Great service. Food is good. Entertainment is wonderful.

 

As others pointed out, eat when and where you want to without being told when and where.

 

You don't have to pack a sport coat/suit/tux, either.

 

The ship is beautiful and the itinerary sounds great.

 

Have fun.

[graphicguy]

Just like dinning at home walk in ask for a table and bam you are seated if there is a wait u get a pager and normally a glass of wine or something if there's a long wait less formal inwear shorts every night

 

We never waited more than 5 minutes, and were usually seated immediately.

 

The good news is, you can head to another dining venue if you don't want to wait, regardless of how you're dressed.

[darrengs]

...God forbid if you wanted a drink or a glass of wine...

 

I do have to agree with this statement. I have only been on 2 NCL cruises (third one coming in November), but getting drinks with dinner is definitely a challenge, especially in the MDR.

[KAWS]

Thank you all for you opinions. After 4 (soon 5) cruises with RCCL I start to get tired of the same routine. Nothing (exept the ports of course) is new to me, and therefore I want to try NCL.

 

Lovely first world problem right?

 

I like to try out all the cruise lines and form my own opinion as to likes/dislikes. My fav so far is Royal. The other cruise lines have their wows and pluses too. We just prefer Royal (so far).

 

We are going with NCL next year because it's the only cruise line that starts and ends in Honolulu. Don't want the 5 sea days to get there and/or back. Two sea days in a row is my personal limit.

[Sequim88]

Interesting reading for this mostly RCI cruiser doing first NCL next year. Met a fairly loyal NCL cruiser on our last transatlantic who was very positive about NCL. He cruised NCL about 2/3 of the time and otherwise RCI and said he prefered NCL unless there was an itinerary factor. Our next TA itinerary is a factor but decided NCL was worth a try despite just making Platinum (2nd lowest) on RCI's loyalty system. And price is about $200pp less than the last TA on RCI for same cabin.

 

A couple big differences I've gleaned from reading threads are no need to pack formal wear and NCL can provide a bar setup in cabin so we can leave the rum runners at home if we want a nightcap in the cabin. RCI has specialty (extra fee) restaurants (most ships only two) but NCL has a LOT more choices. We're not too worried about waiting at MDRs because we eat later than most folks - 8:00-8:30pm usually. Drinks with dinner will be interesting because on RCI we would have the same beverage server every night and always add extra tip ($1-2) so get served very well. NCL it appears even if you eat at same time and in same section waitstaff moves around a lot so tipping extra might not help.

 

On downside I've observed from threads that cabin size is a bit smaller on NCL ships compared to RCI for similar category. Also it appears that some of the free features on RCI like sauna or steamroom require purchasing a spa pass on NCL.

 

Bottom line is we're not looking for better or worse but do expect some things to just be different.

 

Two sea days in a row is my personal limit.

2 is just getting started. Last TA was 7 in a row right out of Miami. Next one is only 6 but makes up for it with another string of three after Azores and two more after Dover. 11 sea days in all - exactly why we prefer repositioning cruises. Port stops mean having to get up early and go touristing but sea days are made for sleeping in.

[mellygo]

We have sailed RCCI, Celebrity and NCL, and differences between RCCI and NCL are minimal I believe - although we have usually had much more attentive staff on NCL than on RCCI. Celebrity is just more formal, and that is nice for a change. Staff ratio to passengers used to be better on Celebrity than on RCCI - but I don't know if that is still the case. People who cruise one of the monster ships like Epic or Allure, must recognize that of course the pool is going to be more crowded. Of course you may have to wait to be seated, depending on when you choose to show up for dinner. There are LOTS more people on the ship!! Also when you have more people, you also have more "crazy" people. We prefer the smaller ships, and loved the Jade and the Jewel. We are sailing next on the NCL Sun. Although the entertainment is tempting on Epic, I don't think we would enjoy our cruise as much - but any cruise beats a vacation at a relative's home, or in a tent IMHO!! I know you will love your cruise :)

[Norwegianlatvian]

 

Bottom line is we're not looking for better or worse but do expect some things to just be different.

 

 

 

..and different is what I search for.

 

I addition I am not complaining on the price for this cruise: 2185 US Dollars for two persons in a balcony stateroom (BC) for 9 nights.. For a 7 night Caribbean cruise from San Juan in a balcony stateroom (D2) with RCCL I paid 2240 US Dollars. (Prepaid Gratuities/Service charge included in both prices).

[Va. Plumber]

I have sailed both lines equally. Never had a problem with NCL dinner seating. Hint: I believe you can go by MDR during day and make a reservation. So what if you have to wait a few minutes? Just about any shore restaurant has a waiting line and they don't usually offer a free drink.

We were on Allure in 2011. It appeared that the lines for "My Time Dining" were rather chaotic.

 

Although Giovanni's on the Allure was about the best ever encountered, I enjoy the range of offerings on NCL.

[wallyworld583]

Hi! Hei! Sveiki!

 

Yesterday I booked my first cruise with NCL. A 9 day Canary Islands cruise from Barcelona in February 2014. My cruise history so far is 4 cruises with RCCL + one more to come in September this year.

 

What should I expect to be different besides the Freestyle dining concept?

 

Thanks in advance for your kind answer!

 

Started cruising in 1992. Been on Celebrity, Princess, RCCL, HAL, NCL, Carnival. We used to cruise a lot with NCL. Absolutely loved the Norway. Have been on 2 cruises since they started Freestyle and we will not go back. Food, service were not what we expected. If you like RCCL then you may be disappointed with NCL. We took grandaughters (8 &10) on NCL and the following year we took them on RCCL. They both said they much preferred RCCL! Says something when 9 & 11 yo see a difference.

[lettienets]

In Europe because there are so many languages on the ship (I got off the Jade in Mar) the entertainment was interesting where language didn't matter. They had marionettes, four tenors, artistic acrobats and another aerial/dance show spectacular which were a nice change from the old Broadway stuff. The officers, cruise director and hotel manager seemed very visible around the ship sometimes on excursion days saying goodbye or welcoming you back. That was different. I found the lines ups for dinner got better or nonexistent after the first couple of nights. But this isn't a huge ship either. Food was good. This was my first NCL cruise in 22 years so I was happy I got along ok with the freestyle. Kind of missed the dressing up, but it was a nice change.

[Cruise_More_Often]

We have cruised Royal, too, for the itinerary. Although we liked the cruises, we still LOVE NCL, and every time we stray and come back to NCL, we appreciate NCL even more.

 

A few things I think you'll like on NCL (I could go on and on, but I'll stick with just a few ;)):

• You can dine by yourself (or with your significant other) if you choose. If you want to sit with others, you will have to ask.
  
• Of the two main dining rooms, one will always be smaller, with less of a "formal" feel to it.
  
• There is entertainment all over the ships at night, and not just a string quartet (I'm not sure I've ever heard a string quartet on an NCL ship, and IMO, that's a very good thing).
  
• Very visible senior staff, and if you attend your Meet and Greet, you will get to talk to them; and some will actually remember you.
  

 

Okay, that's enough for a start. Have a great cruise!

[tiffygirl]

We have sailed with Royal a number of times and our first cruise with NCL was just a couple of weeks ago on the Epic. My honest advice to you is if you liked your cruises with Royal - stay loyal. We will not be repeat customers of NCL. Also that seemed to be the concensus of everyone we met onboard who had previously sailed RCCL.

 

I will tell you the Epic had awesome entertainment. That was it for us, the pool situation was awful, the food was worse and we did not find the crew exceptional, far from it. It is true some of the officers were at a meet and greet and seemed nice, but there was nothing personal with the crew.

 

I have never had a bad cruise and we still made the most of this one. Met some great people, had wonderful weather. Enjoyed the entertainment and the ports.

 

If I were you I would cancel and book with Royal. If you don't, I'm curious to hear your thoughts when you get back.

 

Best of luck and Bon Voyage.

 

Really?? Really? you advise to cancel and rebook with royal because of YOUR experience??

 

Well i had my first experience on royals freedom of the seas in Jan and although it was a good cruise MY experience on the Epic was far superior. Royal Caribbean is over rated IMHO, the food is no better than any other line that I've been on, nor is the entertainment. in fact i would say that area was extremely weak. The service was just decent.

 

these were my perceptions only. this was my family's first cruise so they fell in love with royal. which I'm cool with that nor do discourage them from taking Royal in the future,as they now appreciate the fine art of cruising:D the reason i didn't enjoy my rcl cruise is my own fault. i went on royal expecting to get what i got from my NCL experiences. i wanted to relive my epic cruise again... lol. i found myself saying ..."well NCL does this, and NCL does that, why doesn't royal greet me when i get back on the ship from port..." and ect... it went on for 7 days.. i was sick of my own self for whining so damn much.

 

so its kinda like your last relationship you just got out of, then you get with somebody new and you begin comparing them, you don't mean to, it just hapens...then you realize that you missed those little things what that ex did for you...so you get back together...OR you say yea those things were nice but this has got potential and i want something different and new.( although wild horses couldnt drag me back to my ex so this may not be good analogy lol)

 

my point is, everyones experience will be different based upon their expectations. OP, go enjoy your NCL cruise, they are not royal Caribbean. NCL has its own brand of cruising, you will find some differences and some similarities, a lot of positives and very few negatives (i hope). They have a lot to offer. But if you find you still enjoy Royal's product better, then you made the best decision for you .

[Warmer Climes]

Started cruising in 1992. Been on Celebrity, Princess, RCCL, HAL, NCL, Carnival. We used to cruise a lot with NCL. Absolutely loved the Norway. Have been on 2 cruises since they started Freestyle and we will not go back. Food, service were not what we expected. If you like RCCL then you may be disappointed with NCL. We took grandaughters (8 &10) on NCL and the following year we took them on RCCL. They both said they much preferred RCCL! Says something when 9 & 11 yo see a difference.

 

And that just goes to show that one person's experience can be very different from another's on the same cruise line-

 

We started cruising on RCCL and then tried NCL and our daughter much preferred NCL. We did one more RCCL cruise with her and she has spent a lot of time trying to influence us to stick with NCL because of the kids' program.

 

My perception is that both cruise lines deliver a good product. The food is similar, NCL has better entertainment. We don't like traditional dining- sitting with other people, parade of chefs-ugh. In many many NCL cruises I have never had a long wait for dinner. I have had some spotty service in the MDR on both lines.

 

My preference would be NCL but next year the Feb. itineraries are too "been there, done that" for us so we are booked with Celebrity for something different.

I plan to have a great time like I always do on vacation.

 

Happy cruising!

Barb

[LAatl]

Have sailed all the major lines. Unfortunately with NCL it was one and done. Frankly the freestyle was a joke. There was always a long wait to be seated. One night an elderly man "last it" and caused a big scene. He was screaming that he booked because of freestyle and he expected to be seated when he wanted to eat. Actually he was right but did not handle it well. The waitstaff was so overworked that they were downright surly. There was no method to taking orders and serving. God forbid if you wanted a drink or a glass of wine. Finally the food was the worst we have ever had on a cruise ship. Decided to try the specialty restaurants and they were just as bad. The ship we were on was the Gem. The entertainment was very good and most of the crew were fine. The pool area was a challenge also. My advice, if dinning is important to you it might be a good idea to rethink NCL. The other problems you could probably live with.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

the problem with the freestyle experience is that if 2,000 people want to eat at 5:30...then there's going to be a wait. So the elderly man who got upset...should realize that.

[buckirj1]

In my experience, NCL has far better service. I found RCI's service to be intrusive and obsequious, but that didn't stop staff and crew from arguing with me when I _did_ need something from them. RCI seems to have no idea how to deal with solo cruisers, either. What passes for "Your Time" dining on RCI is pathetic, once you've experienced actual Freestyle cruising.

 

NCL's bathrooms and showers are much better.

 

NCL has awesome entertainment; RCI's exists simply to pass the time until passengers go to bed.