Talk to Me About The Promenade Decks on NCL

[gooselover]

DH and I are contemplating our first NCL cruise. We have cruised Carnival 4x and RCCL Liberty of the Seas once. What we DID like about RCCL is their promenade deck - so many shops and things to look at! With Carnival it is much smaller with just a couple shops.

 

So, talk to me about promenade deck on NCL. I appreciate it!

[sdmike]

NCL has about 5 different classes of ships, all different. You need to be more specific.

 

NCL doesn't have anything like RCCL's promenade deck, which is basically an inside mall with rooms overlooking it. The Breakaway and Getaway have a lovely outdoor boardwalk with restaurants and bars lining it. Most NCL ships have a few different shops that vary in number, type and size depending on the ship. For example, the Epic has a candy store that others do not. None of them are set up like RCCL's shopping mall promenade.

Edited November 20, 2013 by sdmike

[gooselover]

Forgive me, I do need to be more specific. We are wanting a southern Caribbean cruise. Seems the Sun and the Pearl do this. However, beings that we like the bigger ships, we are also thinking of Getaway for the eastern Caribbean. Jewel is somewhat close to us in Galveston next year also, but that does the western and we just got off Carnival Magic with the same itinerary. So, again, more specifically, Pearl, Sun, and Getaway

[sdmike]

I highly recommend looking at the deck plans and images on the NCL website. It will tell you what's on each level, show pictures, and show you the deck plans on where it's all laid out. For those ships, I have the following comments.

 

The Sun is the oldest and smallest of those three ships. Great crew and great ship, but if you're looking for lots of venues and things to do, it's lower on the list than the other two.

 

The Pearl is a Jewel Class ship and a size considered to be "not too big, and not too small". They have a nice atrium area, a large souvenir shop and a few other stores, good entertainment, and plenty of dining options. They also have rock climbing and bowling alleys (which others in the class do not), but again, nothing like what you experienced on the RCCL ship.

 

The Getaway is the newest ship. It's considered one of the "mega ships", but it's smaller than the Oasis and Allure. There are probably 15 eating venues, various clubs, lots to do outside (wild water slides and other things), great entertainment, plenty of shopping, etc. Still nothing like the "mall" you experienced, but the outside waterfront area with restaurants and bars overlooking the ocean is a trademark area. Again, I suggest do you some looking at deck plans and using google for some pictures. Here area couple from Breakaway, the sister ship to the Getaway

 

Water park

 

 

Ropes course

 

 

A small section of the outside boardwalk area (not my picture)

 

 

678 Ocean Place (center ship, 3 levels of stuff)

 

 

Edited November 20, 2013 by sdmike

[sdmike]

lost in that is my recommendation. If you like big, lots to do and see, etc., try Getaway or Breakaway

[gooselover]

Getaway it is! Thank you for making this an easy decision! I know that Getaway is Eastern, but that's okay, we love the eastern!

[NH Cruisers]

You original question was about the promenade area like on the Voyager class ships and the freedom class. That big open area in the middle is unique to Royal Caribbean. There is nothing really even close to that on other ships I have been on. Some have larger Atriums than others. I personally have grown to like the way Norwiegian has been going with the outside promenade with entry to shops and resturants from outside. I am on a cruise, so I like to see the sea.

 

That said all the ships have at least minor differences even in the same class. It took a few cruises on ships other than Voyager class to really start loving the ships for their differences. The Norweigian Gem and Dawn are way smaller than the Voyager Class ships and do not have the WOW factor of them. No giant inside area, no triple level dinning room.

But you know, they don't need them. I was and am very happy with them.

[Sauer-kraut]

If you are booking a balcony be prepared that it will be smaller than what you are used to on CCL :D