NCL vs. Celebrity on Transatlantics - Questions

[Atlanta_Cruiser]

Hi,

 

I am looking at the EPIC for a TA. I have been cruising on Celebrity for my last 4 or 5 TAs as well as HAL and Princess. I have become a Celebrity fan of the bigger ships, but I saw some good pricing on NCL. so I have a few questions:

 

1. Can you tell me why you prefer NCL over other ships...

2. How is the entertainment with NCL? (Most TAs I have been on have had lackluster shows on TAs, so I am hoping to find a line that can step it up on TAs a tad.

3. How are the rooms? Are the balconies standard size?

4. What the NCL's strengths?

5. What are the weak areas?

 

 

I am a cup is half full person, so cons don't bother me, just like to be ready for them.

 

Any other information you can share would be most appreciated.

 

Happy Holidays,

 

Atlanta_Cruiser, Sandy Springs, GA

Edited December 15, 2013 by Atlanta_Cruiser
missed a question

[Turtles06]

I have sailed on two TAs with Celebrity (with a third booked) and five NCL cruises (though no TAs with Celebrity). Is there something other than price that might be driving you here, that might help others in guiding you? I have no desire to sail on a ship as large as the EPIC, so I can't help you with that ship, but I think the Celebrity S-class ships are simply stunning.

 

With the caveat that I haven't been on the EPIC or an NCL TA, I would say that NCL's strengths (on the NCL ships that I have been on) are the Freestyle dining concept, and having sufficient dining venues to pull off Freestyle dining very well. (That said, and recognizing that food is subjective, I think the food overall is better on Celebrity.)

 

Entertainment on NCL is generally pretty good (I will let others speak to the EPIC, which I gather is in a class by itself). Celebrity ships are much quieter in the wee hours than NCL ships, but during the day, I really appreciate the fact the Celebrity does not bombard you with constant announcements about bingo, art auctions, hairy leg contests, etc.

 

Another weakness of NCL (at least for me) is the more relaxed no-smoking policy, which among other things allows pax to smoke on their balconies and in the casino.

 

Whatever you decide, have a great crossing!

[chefcaw]

We have sailed 4 transatlantic with Celebrity on their S-class ships and once on the Epic. The Celebrity ships are beautiful and the service is overall great. The entertainment options and specialty restaurants on the Epic far outshine what Celebrity offers. We had not yet had a problem with a smoking neighbor yet. Our time will come :D

 

 

We are trying to decide between the Epic western transatlantic and the Celebrity Constellation western transatlantic. The difference is the Epic is about the ship and the Constellation is about the port stops. We have not yet been to Morocco, so that is of interest to us.

 

I do not think you will be sorry with either choice.

 

Chris

[insidecabin]

If Celebrity have the same entertainment on the TA's then Epic by a long way.

[NH Cruisers]

I would do either one. NCL would deffinitly get the edge for all the specialty resturants avail. If the Celebrity ship you would sail on has Aqua Class and you book it, eating at BLU would be great. Quieter times, relaxing and slower pace would be Celebrity. Shows, excitment contantly running all over trying to do everything NCL.

 

After a Celebrity cruise I am reinvigurated and rested. After NCL cruise I need a few days off to relax.

 

Jon

[4774Papa]

We have done six Celebrity and three NCL cruises. We have cruises booked for both in the future. Our preference is Celebrity and I will outline our perception of the strengths and weaknesses of both.

 

Celebrity's strengths

Better and consistently better MDR food. Also, Aqua makes BLU a great choice. BLU is great.

Celebrity's no-smoking policy is our preference, since you cannot smoke on your balcony (you can on NCL).

Entertainment is about the same on both, but the NCL Epic has a wonderful circ solet dinner show.

Celebrity's excursions tend to be less costly than NCL.

We like the varied itineraries that Celebrity offers, such as cruises to Asia, Australia/NZ, South America, Black Sea, British Isles and more.

Service is excellent on Celebrity, but so is NCL.

 

NCL's strengths

Freestyle dining is great, especially if you are traveling with family or friends. NCL's great variety of specialty dining give a lot of variety, but you have to pay for it.

Entertainment is good.

NCL appeals to a younger cruiser, so you will have a somewhat younger crowd.

NCL's prices are usually less than Celebrity, but not always.

NCL's Pride of America cruise of Hawaii offers a week long cruise of the Hawaiian island that starts and ends in Hawaii, instead of sailed from North America.

 

Some negatives (generally not huge negatives)

NCL's smoking policy is a negative.

NCL tends to have more announcements and pushy sales that can be a bit entertaining. Finding a deck chair around the pool is very hard on NCL since many put their towels out and them don't show up for quite some time. This is not so much a problem on Celebrity.

We were not fond of the Epic's stateroom configuration for the bathroom, since the toilet door is opaque glass If you have company in your cabin, you won't be comfortable using the toilet.

We were not wild about the size of the Epic. Just too many people. The ship just always seemed crowded.

 

We did a transatlantic on Celebrity Infinity from FLL to Harwich, UK and then a B2B British Isles cruise. It was great. Did wine tasting five times on the TA.

We would like to do another TA, and Celebrity seems to have more variety with TAs.

We are booked on the NCL Star for a cruise of Norway, Faroe Islands, etc. then a B2B TA from Copenhaven to Miami in September and October 2014. We shall see how it goes.

[insidecabin]

epic has the jazz club and comedy venue celebrity ships seem to have nothing to compete in the evening.

[polySeraph]

I'm currently looking at one of the Celebrity Infinity's South American itineraries. My DH is a little reluctant to choose a ship with traditional dining. He really likes the ability to walk into the MDR on NCL ships and ask for a table for 2 by the window. What is the best way to up the odds of getting a table for 2 on Celebrity? Select dining? Traditional dining with a table for 2 request? Are there any tables for 2 near the windows?

 

Also (and apologies for my phrasing this awkwardly), is a table for 2 really a table for 2? On our HAL cruise, even when we were seated at a table for 2, we had no privacy because the next table for 2 was so close that people felt free to lean over and chat.

Edited December 18, 2013 by polySeraph

[timbom]

Done several TA on Celebrity and only one on Norwegian. The NCL cruise was run like a normal cruise and they were not prepared for sea days. They had no special lecture's on board or Bridge tournament organizers.

 

Also they did not put extra entertainment staff on board for the long crossing or pick up other like Celebrity did.

 

Ncl food is good if you are willing to pay for it. I like NCL cabins better than Celebrity.

 

On short trips they are very even products (If you eat in special restaurants on NCL) but on long trips NCL doesn't seem to have a clue.

 

TA cruises usually sail less than full so you can usually pick up really special prices if you wait till those sailing have paid their fare (60 days out).

[DMH15]

My TA was on the Jewel. Lots of activities, including Dr Sidney, guest lecturer. We went to almost every one.

 

But that was several years ago. Maybe things have changed?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

[4774Papa]

I'm currently looking at one of the Celebrity Infinity's South American itineraries. My DH is a little reluctant to choose a ship with traditional dining. He really likes the ability to walk into the MDR on NCL ships and ask for a table for 2 by the window. What is the best way to up the odds of getting a table for 2 on Celebrity? Select dining? Traditional dining with a table for 2 request? Are there any tables for 2 near the windows?

 

Also (and apologies for my phrasing this awkwardly), is a table for 2 really a table for 2? On our HAL cruise, even when we were seated at a table for 2, we had no privacy because the next table for 2 was so close that people felt free to lean over and chat.

We did a repo from FLL through the Panama Canal down to Valparaiso, Chile two years ago. In January, we are doing around the horn on Infinity. South America is great.

 

Celebrity's Select Dining allows you to eat whenever you want. Tables for two are available as well as tables for four, six, eight and ten.

[polySeraph]

We did a repo from FLL through the Panama Canal down to Valparaiso, Chile two years ago. In January, we are doing around the horn on Infinity. South America is great.

 

Celebrity's Select Dining allows you to eat whenever you want. Tables for two are available as well as tables for four, six, eight and ten.

 

We are considering an Infinity repo (Valparaiso to FLL) and are holding off booking it until NCL releases its winter 2015-2016 itineraries. We did an Around-the-Horn itinerary with NCL in 2010. It was a great experience and we'd like to wait just a little bit to see what NCL does. (Not schlepping tuxes and gowns to SA is incredibly appealing to us.) All the same, that Infinity itinerary is very nice and there are some very attractive promos right now.

[Turtles06]

We are considering an Infinity repo (Valparaiso to FLL) and are holding off booking it until NCL releases its winter 2015-2016 itineraries. We did an Around-the-Horn itinerary with NCL in 2010. It was a great experience and we'd like to wait just a little bit to see what NCL does. (Not schlepping tuxes and gowns to SA is incredibly appealing to us.) All the same, that Infinity itinerary is very nice and there are some very attractive promos right now.

 

You can still sail on Celebrity and not bring truly formal wear like tuxes and gowns:

 

1) if you want to eat in the MDR on formal night, men are fine in a suit and tie, and women in a pair of dressy slacks and a dressy blouse/jacket, or just a dress

2) if that's too much to bring, then on formal nights you can:

(a) eat in a specialty restaurant, which is "smart casual" every night, or

(b)you can eat in the buffet (which for dinner is more limited in choices than on NCL, and on the Infinity not a really great option); or

© you can order room service, or:

(d) book your cabin in Aqua Class, where you dine in Blu, where the dress code is always "smart casual"

 

We aren't big fans of dressing up on vacation or taking the clothes to do so, but I would not let doing so deter me from sailing on Celebrity, especially if there's an itinerary you like. (And actually, it's been sort of fun to dress up, since it's so atypical for us!)

Edited December 18, 2013 by Turtles06

[Prada Cowboy]

Very simple:

If you go for Entertainment go on NCL!

If you go for food, quality and service go on Celebrity!

[Charles4515]

Hi,

 

I am looking at the EPIC for a TA. I have been cruising on Celebrity for my last 4 or 5 TAs as well as HAL and Princess. I have become a Celebrity fan of the bigger ships, but I saw some good pricing on NCL. so I have a few questions:

 

1. Can you tell me why you prefer NCL over other ships...

2. How is the entertainment with NCL? (Most TAs I have been on have had lackluster shows on TAs, so I am hoping to find a line that can step it up on TAs a tad.

3. How are the rooms? Are the balconies standard size?

4. What the NCL's strengths?

5. What are the weak areas?

 

 

I am a cup is half full person, so cons don't bother me, just like to be ready for them.

 

Any other information you can share would be most appreciated.

 

Happy Holidays,

 

Atlanta_Cruiser, Sandy Springs, GA

 

If you are a Celebrity fan don't do NCL! The service on NCL is poor. The staff is not as friendly. Frequent annoying announcements. Quality of furnishing and decor low budget. I was just on Breakaway and the entertainment was not all that great. More misses than hits. The casino was horribly smokey and stinky and opened out into the central public areas so smoke could be smelled there too. Embarkation was long lines. Celebrity and HAL are about three notches above NCL. Princess and Royal Caribbean are two notches above.

[UpTheBanner]

Service is exceptional on NCL and it far out shined the experience we received on Royal Caribbean. We found the food to be very good and always consistent. It would be great if NCL based one of their ships out of the UK. Royal Caribbean are ripping off the UK market IMO. I'd say try NCL and and see how it goes from there. NCL offers great value for money. A step above Royal Caribbean IMO.

Edited December 22, 2013 by UpTheBanner

[4774Papa]

If you are a Celebrity fan don't do NCL! The service on NCL is poor. The staff is not as friendly. Frequent annoying announcements. Quality of furnishing and decor low budget. I was just on Breakaway and the entertainment was not all that great. More misses than hits. The casino was horribly smokey and stinky and opened out into the central public areas so smoke could be smelled there too. Embarkation was long lines. Celebrity and HAL are about three notches above NCL. Princess and Royal Caribbean are two notches above.

We have found the service on NCL and Celebrity to be good, in general. The one exception on NCL was at Spice H2O on Epic, it always was hard to get served.

[Charles4515]

We have found the service on NCL and Celebrity to be good, in general. The one exception on NCL was at Spice H2O on Epic, it always was hard to get served.

 

This year I did a Royal Caribbean cruise in May, a Celebrity cruise in October and NCL in December. The experiences are fresh in my mind. Both had better service than NCL. Both were better cruise experiences than NCL. Celebrity is the best of the three. NCL is basically a cruise line that charges lower fares, has crowded ships, to get passengers onboard to sell add ons to make up the lower fare difference. Also NCL is very geared to drawing gamblers who spend a lot of the cruise in the casino. A discerning cruiser is going to notice the difference between Celebrity and NCL.The other person who says they are a Celebrity fan is probably not going to be happy with NCL.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Done several TA on Celebrity and only one on Norwegian. The NCL cruise was run like a normal cruise and they were not prepared for sea days. They had no special lecture's on board or Bridge tournament organizers.

 

Also they did not put extra entertainment staff on board for the long crossing or pick up other like Celebrity did.

 

Ncl food is good if you are willing to pay for it. I like NCL cabins better than Celebrity.

 

On short trips they are very even products (If you eat in special restaurants on NCL) but on long trips NCL doesn't seem to have a clue.

 

TA cruises usually sail less than full so you can usually pick up really special prices if you wait till those sailing have paid their fare (60 days out).

 

Of course the food issue is very subjective, but we have rarely paid extra for food on NCL. The offerings in the Freestyle MDR were very good, and I have been on longer 10 to 14 day cruises with them.

 

I wish that NCL would have arranged to have some guest lecturers, or movies in the Stardust, aboard the longer cruises.

[Barb Nahoumi]

This year I did a Royal Caribbean cruise in May, a Celebrity cruise in October and NCL in December. The experiences are fresh in my mind. Both had better service than NCL. Both were better cruise experiences than NCL. Celebrity is the best of the three. NCL is basically a cruise line that charges lower fares, has crowded ships, to get passengers onboard to sell add ons to make up the lower fare difference. Also NCL is very geared to drawing gamblers who spend a lot of the cruise in the casino. A discerning cruiser is going to notice the difference between Celebrity and NCL.The other person who says they are a Celebrity fan is probably not going to be happy with NCL.

 

We'll be trying Royal for our next cruise, and looking forward to a WOW experience.

[Barb Nahoumi]

We are considering an Infinity repo (Valparaiso to FLL) and are holding off booking it until NCL releases its winter 2015-2016 itineraries. We did an Around-the-Horn itinerary with NCL in 2010. It was a great experience and we'd like to wait just a little bit to see what NCL does. (Not schlepping tuxes and gowns to SA is incredibly appealing to us.) All the same, that Infinity itinerary is very nice and there are some very attractive promos right now.

 

Is formal night, and other dress codes enforced on Celebrity? NCL's resort casual appeals to us as well.

[polySeraph]

Could someone who has sailed on both Celebrity and NCL (and LIKES both) elaborate a little on the entertainment options of both lines? My DH really likes the entertainment on NCL and has expressed an interest in what the typical entertainment on Celebrity is like.

[4774Papa]

Could someone who has sailed on both Celebrity and NCL (and LIKES both) elaborate a little on the entertainment options of both lines? My DH really likes the entertainment on NCL and has expressed an interest in what the typical entertainment on Celebrity is like.

Celebrity has about 80% of its cruisers on early or late seating. You eat at assigned tables at the same time every night. Celebrity's shows are every evening either at 7 or 9, the same show, your choice. The shows are similar to most of the NCL shows either broadway reviews, popular songs from the past, etc. Also, there are comedy shows, circ solet type shows, magician shows, pianist, violinists, etc.

 

NCL's shows are generally more crowded. On most ships, I think there is one show a night. On Epic, some shows you book and pay an additional fee.

The best cruise show we have ever seen was the circ solet dinner theater show on Epic. It was super. Didn't care for Blue Man Group.

 

Celebrity has singers, comedians, etc from the area of the cruise. For example in our cruise around Australia, there were some Australians in the Entertainment, same with our cruise around the British Isles, Also, Celebrity has local groups in some ports with folk dancing or as in Scotland, a piper show with dancing.

 

We like the entertainment on both cruise lines.

[Turtles06]

Could someone who has sailed on both Celebrity and NCL (and LIKES both) elaborate a little on the entertainment options of both lines? My DH really likes the entertainment on NCL and has expressed an interest in what the typical entertainment on Celebrity is like.

 

I have sailed on and enjoy both lines. I think 4774Papa has given a good answer above. I would add the following to it. Unless something has changed radically since our last NCL cruise two years ago, NCL has piano bar entertainers, and they can be a lot of fun. Laurie Anne Gardner, for example, was so wonderful we came back and caught her set just about every night on the Gem. Celebrity has nothing like this.

 

But the main theatre entertainment is not all that different between the two lines, cheesy to decent production shows and sometimes very gifted (or very bad) guest performers (singers, musicians, comics, etc.). I wouldn't decide between the two lines over the entertainment.

[Demonyte]

NCL's shows are generally more crowded. On most ships, I think there is one show a night. On Epic, some shows you book and pay an additional fee.

 

On older ships (pre-Epic) there are usually two shows a night - with some exceptions, like the first night's show that has snippets of different shows later during the cruise.

 

On newer ships (post-Epic) there is no traditional daily changing entertainment in one main theatre but several different shows spread out in separate venues that are shown several times during the cruise. Only non-free entertainment options are the ones that include food: cirque and Second City lunch show - all other entertainment options are free of charge.