RCI vs. NCL

[teachc5]

Has anyone out there been on the Voyager and NCL Spirit? Which ship is better? I do like the freestyle dining but wonder how the ship itself would measure up. Thanks.

[mrg0433]

We sailed RCI and Carnival in 2004. In December, we took our first NCL cruise on the Dawn. This Spring we sailed RCI Legend of the Seas and were constantly feeling disappointed because we missed all the personal attention and amentities we got on NCL. We missed NCL so much that we have already booked the NCL Spirit for Thanksgiving 2006.

 

Things I liked most about NCL: Discounts for prior guests and 3rd and 4th passengers. More ports of call than other cruiselines. NCL all drinks= 2 for 1 at 11pm (buy one six pack get one free and put in fridge in cabin--great for balcony). Self Serve Laundry and Movie Theater a bonus.

Superior food and service -- not to mention all the RESTAURANTS--Mexican, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese/Fast Food, English Pub, Steak House, formal and casual American, NY Deli, etc). Different ambiance depending on my mood for the evening--intimate dining or elegant grand style dining room/not simply a buffet option.

Freestyle Dining at a table for 2 (if desired)with the option of formal or informal attire and not having to eat in the buffet on formal night.

 

RCI VOYAGER: Huge ship with great ice show and Promenade. One elegant 3 story dining room--too noisey for my taste (more like a banquet hall). Johnny Rockets fast food menu and alternative dining (not comparable to the restaurants on NCL Spirit or NCL Dawn in my opinion).

No self serve laundry and no coffee pots in cabins. No 2 for 1 drinks--just drink of the day.

 

I would suggest trying both Voyager and NCL Spirit at some point. I have booked an RCI cruise in October, a Carnival cruise in February and can't wait for the NCL Spirit for Thanksgiving 2006. I am very pleased to see RCI adding more dining options on their newer ships. I will not expect the dining on my upcoming RCI Jewel of the Seas to be comparable to NCL. I simply will enjoy the fact that this ship is beautiful and has great ports of call, terrific balcony cabins, and great entertainment. When the cruise is over, I will look forward to my February getaway on Carnival for a "fun" cruise. Above all, I am already looking forward to spending Thanksgiving 2006 on my favorite cruiseline leaving NY and cruising by the Statue of Liberty and waking up in the gulf stream the next day. I will have all night to decide which restaurant to try first. Can't wait.

 

Mary

Plymouth, MA

[serene56]

Hi Mary: We are cruising in February also. When you going?

 

I did carnival and ROyal and we prefer carnival. Not saying the VOyager is not a fabulous ship. But we get when price dictates. Voyager was 200 cheaper pp then the cranival cruises... our web page for the VOyager

http://joephila.net/cruise/

[Maverick Cruiser]

We absolutely, positively do not like the freestyle dining on NCL. We didn't like having to stand in line just to get a table at dinner---sometimes as long as 40 minutes. Because you don't get the same waiter/assistant waiter every night, we feel the service suffers greatly. We like having the same wait-staff every night so we can build a rapport with them. We also don't like the very casual atmosphere of NCL. We've been on most of the RCCI ships, from the Monarch to the Adventure, and we feel they are far above any of the NCL ships.

[trish1c]

Hands down, I'd take NCL every time. Freestyle is so much better than being told when to eat & who to sit with in order to enjoy a served meal.

 

I also hated the singing waiters & all the CDs jumping around trying to get me to play silly games on RCI. Don't get me started on how much I hate Quest.

 

I can't give you a side by side comparison of the ships themselves but you have to think about the other aspects of your trip too.

[teachc5]

We sailed RCI and Carnival in 2004. In December, we took our first NCL cruise on the Dawn. This Spring we sailed RCI Legend of the Seas and were constantly feeling disappointed because we missed all the personal attention and amentities we got on NCL. We missed NCL so much that we have already booked the NCL Spirit for Thanksgiving 2006.

 

Things I liked most about NCL: Discounts for prior guests and 3rd and 4th passengers. More ports of call than other cruiselines. NCL all drinks= 2 for 1 at 11pm (buy one six pack get one free and put in fridge in cabin--great for balcony). Self Serve Laundry and Movie Theater a bonus.

Superior food and service -- not to mention all the RESTAURANTS--Mexican, French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese/Fast Food, English Pub, Steak House, formal and casual American, NY Deli, etc). Different ambiance depending on my mood for the evening--intimate dining or elegant grand style dining room/not simply a buffet option.

Freestyle Dining at a table for 2 (if desired)with the option of formal or informal attire and not having to eat in the buffet on formal night.

 

RCI VOYAGER: Huge ship with great ice show and Promenade. One elegant 3 story dining room--too noisey for my taste (more like a banquet hall). Johnny Rockets fast food menu and alternative dining (not comparable to the restaurants on NCL Spirit or NCL Dawn in my opinion).

No self serve laundry and no coffee pots in cabins. No 2 for 1 drinks--just drink of the day.

 

I would suggest trying both Voyager and NCL Spirit at some point. I have booked an RCI cruise in October, a Carnival cruise in February and can't wait for the NCL Spirit for Thanksgiving 2006. I am very pleased to see RCI adding more dining options on their newer ships. I will not expect the dining on my upcoming RCI Jewel of the Seas to be comparable to NCL. I simply will enjoy the fact that this ship is beautiful and has great ports of call, terrific balcony cabins, and great entertainment. When the cruise is over, I will look forward to my February getaway on Carnival for a "fun" cruise. Above all, I am already looking forward to spending Thanksgiving 2006 on my favorite cruiseline leaving NY and cruising by the Statue of Liberty and waking up in the gulf stream the next day. I will have all night to decide which restaurant to try first. Can't wait.

 

Mary

Plymouth, MA

 

 

 

Thanks for your help. I love the itinerary for the Spirit Thanksgiving cruise but I am concerned about the ship itself. I have been on the DAWN and loved it. I'm afraid that I might be disappointed because the Spirit is smaller. Do you think the prices will go down closer to the cruise itself?

[teachc5]

Hi Mary: We are cruising in February also. When you going?

 

I did carnival and ROyal and we prefer carnival. Not saying the VOyager is not a fabulous ship. But we get when price dictates. Voyager was 200 cheaper pp then the cranival cruises... our web page for the VOyager

http://joephila.net/cruise/

 

 

Thanks for sharing the great pictures.