RCL persons thinking of NCL

[excited1stcruise]

Hello, we are currently booked for a November cruise on the Explorer of the seas with Royal. We wanted to add another cruise in before the November cruise. I have been doing some research and see NCL has some decent rates for the cruises I inquired about. Is there a lot of difference from RCL to NCL? Will I be missing something? We have only cruised RCL because we have family that work directly with Royal at their home office in Miami and stayed loyal.

Any and all information would be appreciated.

[crystalspin]

I have no idea what you'll miss from RCCI -- what you'll experience on NCL includes:

 

-- being able to eat when you want, where you want, and with whom you want (although there may be a short wait for a table for two, as in a restaurant)

-- not having to bring formal or very dressy-dressy clothes unless you want to. Smart casual takes you anywhere (long pants and closed toe shoes for men in the more-classic MDR for dinner)

-- being able to have bar setup in your stateroom AND being allowed to take drinks poured in your room anywhere on board. However, all wine brought on board NCL is subject to $15/750ml bottle corkage fee, no "free 2 bottles per stateroom if drunk in stateroom" as on RCCI.

[homeschoolmama]

Depends on the ship you choose. Epic is awful but smaller ncl ships have some nice features, especially if dining choices are important to you.

There is the old adage you pay for what you get and that can certainly be true for cruise ships. Another consideration is if you will be cruising enough in the future that you want to establish loyalty with a particular cruise line . Multiple cruises on one family of lines (e.g. rccl, celebrity etc is one family of lines with some reciprocity of loyaty perks. Another family is carnival, holland and costa) can give you discounts on future cruises, onboard credits and special events on board. I have sailed both lines many times and our preference is hands down rccl, but really depends on your personal preferences of activities, eating, ports, etc.

 

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[msumike]

I have over 500 points with RCCL I have been on NCL twice and loved it. Tried to book Allure or Oasis for an eastern and RCL was 700 more pp than. NCL, and I will be on the brand new Getaway. Although I enjoy RCL the price difference was a real "WOW" to me.

 

 

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[crystalspin]

Heh, heh. I didn't mention that one because I wasn't up to doing representative dummy bookings for both lines, but --

 

another big difference against any other line DH checked -- was the ability to afford a balcony for the same or sometimes less than an interior, on our 14-day Panama Canal cruise last December. Over 2-weeks having the extra space of the balcony cabin was a big deal, not to mention being able to watch the PC transit from our own balcony without having to "cruise" all around the ship.

[Starry Eyes]

I have sailed both lines regularly and I like them both. which NCL ship are you considering? NCL ships vary substantially (as do Royal Caribbean's), so knwing the ship would help us compare to your prior RCL cruises. What do you like or not like about cruises/ships?

[xcell]

tell us what you liked on rccl and we can go from there..

 

i like royal but was getting tired of repeating the ships (kids like the big ones)

 

we went on epic in dec and going on the breakaway in march...

 

what i liked...waterslides, trampoline (for my kids), and i thought the buffet was better (food not lay out)...O'shehan pub was a nice mix. nice to watch different shows. coffee machine in the rooms my dad liked

 

what i didnt like was the slow service at the "freestyle" restaurant (rather the sit down MTD). small rooms, especially the bathroom layout (hopefully better on the breakaway), the stores (not that we shop there a lot) were not so great. my kids love the stores on the allure and oasis - the ones by the boardwalk. lack of open space, everything felt confined and narrow.

 

with that being said, it's a different experience and that's what im looking for right now. kids are happy anywhere...really...

Edited January 25, 2014 by xcell

[excited1stcruise]

What we like is:

1) Pools and some of the games and contests they do.

2) We are not foodies but do enjoy a nice meal with a nice glass of wine

3) We do like to see the shows and most popular are the comedians.

4) We do like the my time dinning and not sure what all the freestyle means with NCL. Do you just show up at any level of the main dining area when you want or do you make reservations?

5) Clean room and smiling faces

6) nice spots to sit and relax and look out and enjoy the view and breeze.

 

Is there a good mix of ages on board? Heard someone once say that NCL is for the older crowd.

 

I have looked at many of the ships from the newest to the old ones. We dont really care where they go but prefer leaving out of ports in Florida or Baltimore. Nothing shorter then a 5 night and nothing longer then a 8.

 

I really appreciate all the responses. Like I said we have only done RCCL since we do get some special perks so this was the only place I knew I could get information.

[Starry Eyes]

What we like is:

1) Pools and some of the games and contests they do.

2) We are not foodies but do enjoy a nice meal with a nice glass of wine

3) We do like to see the shows and most popular are the comedians.

4) We do like the my time dinning and not sure what all the freestyle means with NCL. Do you just show up at any level of the main dining area when you want or do you make reservations?

5) Clean room and smiling faces

6) nice spots to sit and relax and look out and enjoy the view and breeze.

 

Is there a good mix of ages on board? Heard someone once say that NCL is for the older crowd.

 

I have looked at many of the ships from the newest to the old ones. We dont really care where they go but prefer leaving out of ports in Florida or Baltimore. Nothing shorter then a 5 night and nothing longer then a 8.

 

I really appreciate all the responses. Like I said we have only done RCCL since we do get some special perks so this was the only place I knew I could get information.

1. Pool games and such are regularly done on NCL ships; fairly similar in my opinion.

2. If you are not foodies, odds are NCL's food in the free venues will be satisfactory. Foodies and those who like more variety should budget for some of the specialty restaurants.

3. NCL generally does a good job with entertainment. A couple ships have comedy clubs similar to Oasis and Allure, but older ships on either line do not have dedicated clubs. NCL comedy is often Second City; I have had some very good troupes aboard.

4. Freestyle means everybody shows up and dines in the main dining rooms when they wish (no reservations except perhaps for a very large group). The specialty restaurants do take reservations.

5. Crew....I've been on over 40 cruises. I have a lot of great waiters and cabin stewards, and I've had a few less than stellar ones. Honestly even the lesser ones give as good of service as I'd likely get at local establishments in the US. On average, I would say the waitstaff and stewards have been a bit better on Royal Caribbean than on NCL. Still the range on NCL is decent to excellent. Plenty of smiles from NCL crew; I foresee no problem there. (Side note: if you book a full suite on NCL, expect at least as good or better service than Royal; NCL shines in the suite area.)

6. NCL has a range of ships with a range of designs. Once you narrow down what ship(s) you are contemplating we can tell you more about seating, venues and breezes and such.

 

The age mix on my NCL sailings has varied, as it has for my Royal Caribbean sailings. Longer sailings on both lines skew toward an older crowd (5-7 night cruises should draw plenty of younger folks at popular travel times. 8 nighters may, too, depending upon days of week...retirees are more flexible than people in the work force. Cruises of 10+ nights you are apt to see a shift toward retirees as cruises get progressively longer...thats on either line) Obviously, more families sail when schools are out. The big Royal Caribbean ships you have sailed to date tend to draw a younger crowd than some Royal's smaller ships (Radiance class, fr example, is a favorite of many established Royal Caribbean cruisers who don't care about flowrider or ice rinks). You'll find the same variability on NCL. NCL seems to attract a more casual crowd (no required formal nights) and generally a fun-loving crowd. Comparing apples to apples in terms of ship type, length and sailing date, I do not think the average age on NCL is substantially different from RCL. (OTOH, HAL and Celebrity and Princess seem to draw an older crowds on average, especially HAL in my limited experience with them.)

[excited1stcruise]

1. Pool games and such are regularly done on NCL ships; fairly similar in my opinion.

2. If you are not foodies, odds are NCL's food in the free venues will be satisfactory. Foodies and those who like more variety should budget for some of the specialty restaurants.

3. NCL generally does a good job with entertainment. A couple ships have comedy clubs similar to Oasis and Allure, but older ships on either line do not have dedicated clubs. NCL comedy is often Second City; I have had some very good troupes aboard.

4. Freestyle means everybody shows up and dines in the main dining rooms when they wish (no reservations except perhaps for a very large group). The specialty restaurants do take reservations.

5. Crew....I've been on over 40 cruises. I have a lot of great waiters and cabin stewards, and I've had a few less than stellar ones. Honestly even the lesser ones give as good of service as I'd likely get at local establishments in the US. On average, I would say the waitstaff and stewards have been a bit better on Royal Caribbean than on NCL. Still the range on NCL is decent to excellent. Plenty of smiles from NCL crew; I foresee no problem there. (Side note: if you book a full suite on NCL, expect at least as good or better service than Royal; NCL shines in the suite area.)

6. NCL has a range of ships with a range of designs. Once you narrow down what ship(s) you are contemplating we can tell you more about seating, venues and breezes and such.

 

The age mix on my NCL sailings has varied, as it has for my Royal Caribbean sailings. Longer sailings on both lines skew toward an older crowd (5-7 night cruises should draw plenty of younger folks at popular travel times. 8 nighters may, too, depending upon days of week...retirees are more flexible than people in the work force. Cruises of 10+ nights you are apt to see a shift toward retirees as cruises get progressively longer...thats on either line) Obviously, more families sail when schools are out. The big Royal Caribbean ships you have sailed to date tend to draw a younger crowd than some Royal's smaller ships (Radiance class, fr example, is a favorite of many established Royal Caribbean cruisers who don't care about flowrider or ice rinks). You'll find the same variability on NCL. NCL seems to attract a more casual crowd (no required formal nights) and generally a fun-loving crowd. Comparing apples to apples in terms of ship type, length and sailing date, I do not think the average age on NCL is substantially different from RCL. (OTOH, HAL and Celebrity and Princess seem to draw an older crowds on average, especially HAL in my limited experience with them.)

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such detail. We are thinking that we should try one of the bigger ships on NCL. Hubby thinks since we started with the biggest on RCI and are working are way down that we should do the same. Still in discussion on which ship but I will be back to share when and what ship we are booked on. Again thank you so much for your help and making us feel more comfortable about sailing with NCI.

[DrNora]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply in such detail. We are thinking that we should try one of the bigger ships on NCL. Hubby thinks since we started with the biggest on RCI and are working are way down that we should do the same. Still in discussion on which ship but I will be back to share when and what ship we are booked on. Again thank you so much for your help and making us feel more comfortable about sailing with NCI.

 

A lot also depends on the category of stateroom. We have been blessed to be able to travel in suites for the past 18 years. There is a HUGE difference between RCL and NCL here. The Haven is an area that is not replicated or attempted to be on RCCL.( HOWEVER...every night on RCCL you can get 3 hours of free cocktails in the concierge lounge.) We have been in suites on 4 different lines , each multiple times. We have liked the layout of NCL best.. Have had good and bad concierges on all lines...we don't use them much at all.

 

I think that changing things up is fun in and of itself. We were nervous the first time that we tried NCL- the whole Freestyle concept..but with 3 kids it work out very very well!

[Cruzface]

Having been on both lines, they are very similar, but I would choose NCL every time. Not sure why the previous poster said the Epic was "awful." It's probably our favorite and the only one we have done twice. Check out the reviews in my signature...Enjoy your cruise.

[jonbgd]

Having been on both lines, they are very similar, but I would choose NCL every time. Not sure why the previous poster said the Epic was "awful." It's probably our favorite and the only one we have done twice. Check out the reviews in my signature...Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

I have been on the Epic twice as well

And pulling the Liberty of the seas from your sig as RCCl ships we have both sailed on.

While I like both ships as Im on a cruise

IMHO the LOS is a nicer ship. If the prices were the same I would book RCCL all day long

 

To the OP

The biggest thing I miss on NCL is not having the same waiter every night in the MDR

 

I usually book whoever would be the cheaper of the 2

Our next cruise is RCCL but the one after that looks like it will be on NCL

as it is cheaper than RCCl even with my Diamond balcony discount

[homeschoolmama]

Compared to my other 43 cruises, it was awful! However, I guess that just proves that the pros and cons of each ship is in the eye of the beholder. There are certainly enough ships and itineraries to meet all types of people and interests. I have found the ones I enjoy the most; hope you do also.

 

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[xcell]

What we like is:

1) Pools and some of the games and contests they do. Never participated in any pool games and contest- TIE

 

2) We are not foodies but do enjoy a nice meal with a nice glass of wine - MDR: Food & Service RCCL; Upcharge: never used them but I'd assume TIE

 

3) We do like to see the shows and most popular are the comedians.: If you have seen them once the repeats are no fun so TIE (I liked Blue Man Group, Chicago, Hair Spray, Ice shows, etc...)

 

5) Clean room and smiling faces: TIE I have had good and bad but my last cruise on Epic, I really like the room attendant...

6) nice spots to sit and relax and look out and enjoy the view and breeze. RCCL Allure or Oasis (I will let you know once I go on the Breakawa).

 

Basically, if you been on the Allure/Oasis it's hard to compare...they are great ships. I'm trying to different lines to see what I'm missing and to try something different.

[sixesandeights]

Hello, we are currently booked for a November cruise on the Explorer of the seas with Royal. We wanted to add another cruise in before the November cruise. I have been doing some research and see NCL has some decent rates for the cruises I inquired about. Is there a lot of difference from RCL to NCL? Will I be missing something? We have only cruised RCL because we have family that work directly with Royal at their home office in Miami and stayed loyal.

Any and all information would be appreciated.

 

I have not sailed with NCL in years, and have been on RCCL many times recently. I have an NCL cruise coming up, but here is the differences that I have noticed so far between the two experiences:

 

1) NCL does NOT guarantee the price of your fair. This was a MAJOR shock for us, as we are avid cruisers and have never had a problem getting OBC for price drops on fairs. They only reduce the price for the first 48 hours after booking, after that you are SOL. I booked in advance not knowing this (my fault I made an assumption based on other main stream lines) and when my total fair dropped $300 4 days later the customer service people said there was nothing they could do. We were eventually able to pay more to upgrade to a better room at the new lower prices, but this was the only option. Them giving me the OBC credit for the new deal was very nice however.

 

2) I am booked on the Epic and there seems to be a distinct lack of entertainment,but this may just be on this ship I am not sure. There seems to only be 3 shows. These same shows play every day. On RCCL there is different shows/acts each night so there is always something different to see.

 

3) From talking with other that have been on NCL Specialty restaurants seem to be a must. The food in the MDR, again from others opinions, is not as good on NCL as other mainstream lines and this seems to be to push you toward the for pay places.

 

4) RCCL everything is included. On NCL everything seems to have an upcharge of some sort. I am sure that this was implemented as a form of crowd control, but I have seen other lines manage this without upcharges on everything. I will see how obtrusive this is to my when I am on the boat.

 

5) NCL seems to be MUCH less "formal" then RCCL. I would not call RCCL overly formal, but formal nights are typically formal nights, and khakis and polos in the evening seem to be standard. On NCL even the formal night is actively advertised as optional. My wife and I (28 and 31) really enjoy this on RCCL so we will see if people in shorts and bathing suits will detract from dinners in $30 a plate upcharge specialty restaurants.

 

6) RCCL does not like people that stay up late. We have had many issues with there being nothing to do and no where to drink after 1:30am on many RCCL ships. This has been the single biggest factor for us trying other lines. On the Epic there seems to be at least one bar that is open 24 hours a day that also servers food without an upcharge. This will be a major selling feature for anyone that likes to have some late nights on their cruise.

 

7) Excursions through the Cruise line seem to be quite a bit more expensive with NCL. The excursions on NCL seem to start in the $70 - $80 range, and quickly go over $100 per person. This is for fairly basic excursions in my opinion. I know that typically Dolphin swims and Snuba are over $100 on any line, but tubing trips down a river at $100 a person seems excessive.

 

8) NCL seems to really push this freestyle cruising as a selling feature for their line, but with all other lines offering my time dining I think they need to come up with something else. We enjoy set time dining. We enjoy having the same waiter that gets to know you and your likes and dislikes. Not offering that seem like a mistake. It is not a unique feature anymore, and other then dining nothing else seems to be "free"style because of all the upcharges.

 

These are just my observations of the process so far. These differences from RCCL to me right now seem to be mostly negative, but i could just be adjusting to their style here at NCL. I just wanted to offer up what I saw as major differences from RCCL as I am in the same situation as you basically. I am hoping that none of this will matter once we are on the boat, and really any day on a Cruise ship is a good day. Hope you find the cruise you are looking for.

 

Chris

[Bluewake]

Just like Starry Eyes wrote, we've found the entertainment on NCL to be more diverse and interesting, the room service to be equal, and the service in the dining rooms to be better on RCCL because the staff gets to know you and, thus, tends to be much more attentive.

 

I will add that, from my perspective, the quality and options of the food in the main dining room and the buffet is just a bit better on RCCL. And, although I very much enjoy the fact there are no "mandatory" dress-up nights with NCL's Freestyle, I must say that we have encountered some minor wait times for dinner on NCL. On a recent NCL cruise, after standing in line the first couple of nights, we decided to make reservations each night for the rest of the cruise.

 

As for the ships, I think both lines have ships with tasteful decor that isn't over the top (as some Carnival ships can be, in my opinion). NCL cabins seem a bit smaller but the bathrooms are larger...a nice plus.

 

We've found that when we've had questions or needed assistance with a bill or shore excursion, the NCL staff has been a bit more responsive. Of course, all this depends on the staff member.

 

The last differences are the financial considerations. Frankly, NCL has been accused of "nickel and diming" because of the surcharges for the specialty restaurants and other things. But because of the generally lower overall cruise prices, if you don't do all those extra cost things, the overall value of NCL may be better than RCCL. And one final financial difference that I think may be significant is the price drop policy. I've easily gotten lowered prices, on-board credits, or upgrades from RCCL when the price dropped even after final payment. But, NCL seems to have a bit more restrictive policy. However, on a recent cruise, I did ask and was given an upgrade when the price dropped quite a bit after final payment so perhaps that is loosening up a bit.

 

Still, any of these differences haven't been substantive...we have booked on NCL and RCCL based primarily on the itinerary and the price and have enjoyed each and every cruise we've taken. If you go on NCL, you will have a great time.

[AjBren2]

I have not sailed with NCL in years, and have been on RCCL many times recently. I have an NCL cruise coming up, but here is the differences that I have noticed so far between the two experiences:

 

 

 

1) NCL does NOT guarantee the price of your fair. This was a MAJOR shock for us, as we are avid cruisers and have never had a problem getting OBC for price drops on fairs. They only reduce the price for the first 48 hours after booking, after that you are SOL. I booked in advance not knowing this (my fault I made an assumption based on other main stream lines) and when my total fair dropped $300 4 days later the customer service people said there was nothing they could do. We were eventually able to pay more to upgrade to a better room at the new lower prices, but this was the only option. Them giving me the OBC credit for the new deal was very nice however.

 

 

 

2) I am booked on the Epic and there seems to be a distinct lack of entertainment,but this may just be on this ship I am not sure. There seems to only be 3 shows. These same shows play every day. On RCCL there is different shows/acts each night so there is always something different to see.

 

 

 

3) From talking with other that have been on NCL Specialty restaurants seem to be a must. The food in the MDR, again from others opinions, is not as good on NCL as other mainstream lines and this seems to be to push you toward the for pay places.

 

 

 

4) RCCL everything is included. On NCL everything seems to have an upcharge of some sort. I am sure that this was implemented as a form of crowd control, but I have seen other lines manage this without upcharges on everything. I will see how obtrusive this is to my when I am on the boat.

 

 

 

5) NCL seems to be MUCH less "formal" then RCCL. I would not call RCCL overly formal, but formal nights are typically formal nights, and khakis and polos in the evening seem to be standard. On NCL even the formal night is actively advertised as optional. My wife and I (28 and 31) really enjoy this on RCCL so we will see if people in shorts and bathing suits will detract from dinners in $30 a plate upcharge specialty restaurants.

 

 

 

6) RCCL does not like people that stay up late. We have had many issues with there being nothing to do and no where to drink after 1:30am on many RCCL ships. This has been the single biggest factor for us trying other lines. On the Epic there seems to be at least one bar that is open 24 hours a day that also servers food without an upcharge. This will be a major selling feature for anyone that likes to have some late nights on their cruise.

 

 

 

7) Excursions through the Cruise line seem to be quite a bit more expensive with NCL. The excursions on NCL seem to start in the $70 - $80 range, and quickly go over $100 per person. This is for fairly basic excursions in my opinion. I know that typically Dolphin swims and Snuba are over $100 on any line, but tubing trips down a river at $100 a person seems excessive.

 

 

 

8) NCL seems to really push this freestyle cruising as a selling feature for their line, but with all other lines offering my time dining I think they need to come up with something else. We enjoy set time dining. We enjoy having the same waiter that gets to know you and your likes and dislikes. Not offering that seem like a mistake. It is not a unique feature anymore, and other then dining nothing else seems to be "free"style because of all the upcharges.

 

 

 

These are just my observations of the process so far. These differences from RCCL to me right now seem to be mostly negative, but i could just be adjusting to their style here at NCL. I just wanted to offer up what I saw as major differences from RCCL as I am in the same situation as you basically. I am hoping that none of this will matter once we are on the boat, and really any day on a Cruise ship is a good day. Hope you find the cruise you are looking for.

 

 

 

Chris

 

 

Aside from specialty restaurants, what are all the up charges, of which you speak? Also I must disagree with the "only reducing the price within 48 hours". I booked 7+ months in advance and changed my reservation 3 times. I changed because of price drop, increased OBC and changed entire cruise date and always came out in a better situation. As long as you make your changes before the final payment is due, you shouldn't have an issue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited February 2, 2014 by AjBren2

[KeithJenner]

I have not sailed with NCL in years, and have been on RCCL many times recently. I have an NCL cruise coming up, but here is the differences that I have noticed so far between the two experiences:

 

 

 

1) NCL does NOT guarantee the price of your fair. This was a MAJOR shock for us, as we are avid cruisers and have never had a problem getting OBC for price drops on fairs. They only reduce the price for the first 48 hours after booking, after that you are SOL. I booked in advance not knowing this (my fault I made an assumption based on other main stream lines) and when my total fair dropped $300 4 days later the customer service people said there was nothing they could do. We were eventually able to pay more to upgrade to a better room at the new lower prices, but this was the only option. Them giving me the OBC credit for the new deal was very nice however.

 

 

 

2) I am booked on the Epic and there seems to be a distinct lack of entertainment,but this may just be on this ship I am not sure. There seems to only be 3 shows. These same shows play every day. On RCCL there is different shows/acts each night so there is always something different to see.

 

 

 

3) From talking with other that have been on NCL Specialty restaurants seem to be a must. The food in the MDR, again from others opinions, is not as good on NCL as other mainstream lines and this seems to be to push you toward the for pay places.

 

 

 

4) RCCL everything is included. On NCL everything seems to have an upcharge of some sort. I am sure that this was implemented as a form of crowd control, but I have seen other lines manage this without upcharges on everything. I will see how obtrusive this is to my when I am on the boat.

 

 

 

5) NCL seems to be MUCH less "formal" then RCCL. I would not call RCCL overly formal, but formal nights are typically formal nights, and khakis and polos in the evening seem to be standard. On NCL even the formal night is actively advertised as optional. My wife and I (28 and 31) really enjoy this on RCCL so we will see if people in shorts and bathing suits will detract from dinners in $30 a plate upcharge specialty restaurants.

 

 

 

6) RCCL does not like people that stay up late. We have had many issues with there being nothing to do and no where to drink after 1:30am on many RCCL ships. This has been the single biggest factor for us trying other lines. On the Epic there seems to be at least one bar that is open 24 hours a day that also servers food without an upcharge. This will be a major selling feature for anyone that likes to have some late nights on their cruise.

 

 

 

7) Excursions through the Cruise line seem to be quite a bit more expensive with NCL. The excursions on NCL seem to start in the $70 - $80 range, and quickly go over $100 per person. This is for fairly basic excursions in my opinion. I know that typically Dolphin swims and Snuba are over $100 on any line, but tubing trips down a river at $100 a person seems excessive.

 

 

 

8) NCL seems to really push this freestyle cruising as a selling feature for their line, but with all other lines offering my time dining I think they need to come up with something else. We enjoy set time dining. We enjoy having the same waiter that gets to know you and your likes and dislikes. Not offering that seem like a mistake. It is not a unique feature anymore, and other then dining nothing else seems to be "free"style because of all the upcharges.

 

 

 

These are just my observations of the process so far. These differences from RCCL to me right now seem to be mostly negative, but i could just be adjusting to their style here at NCL. I just wanted to offer up what I saw as major differences from RCCL as I am in the same situation as you basically. I am hoping that none of this will matter once we are on the boat, and really any day on a Cruise ship is a good day. Hope you find the cruise you are looking for.

 

 

 

Chris

 

 

I'm tempted to say you should just cancel. Negative pre cruise opinions like these are usually followed by a negative post cruise review.

 

I'll just try to reassure you on a couple of points though.

 

1) this has never been an issue for me, but my understanding is that NCL in the US guarantee the fare up to final payment, which people say is in line with other lines. I'm from the UK where we don't get such guarantees, but the US seems much different.

 

2) There are far more than 3 shows. In fact, there are 4 formal venues (the Theatre, Headliners, Fat Cats and Cirque), all of which have shows pretty well every night. The last time I was on the Epic, there were about a dozen different options through the week.

 

3) Some people say the speciality restaurants are a must. Many more people (myself included) disagree. The majority of people eat at the free places. The dining package is on no interest to me, despite the fact that I like many of the speciality places, because I really enjoy the MDRs and o'Sheehans and wouldn't want to. Cruise without eating there.

 

4) I haven't got the experience from other lines, but I have only ever paid for one or two speciality restaurants each cruise, beer/wine and things from shops plus a couple of games of bowls. That's it. I know of very few charges that NCL make which aren't charged by the other mainstream lines.

 

5) Probably true. If this is an issue then I would not advise NCL.

 

6) Can't really comment, but the Epic has the 24 hour bar plus Bliss which is open late.

 

7) Can't compare.

 

8) Again, if freestyle is not appealing then I wouldn't advise NCL. They aren't going to change it back to anything traditional now, and they seem to be doing pretty well out of it. Personally, I think it's great that there is a line where we are able to just do our own thing, and plenty of people agree. It is a problem for many people who are used to other lines, but we are like many people in that we trie cruising specifically because of it. If all dining was the traditional style I wouldn't have set foot on a cruise ship.

 

I hope you have a good time, but your post suggests that you may have already decided you aren't going to enjoy it.

 

 

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Edited February 2, 2014 by KeithJenner

[LittleMissMagic]

What we like is:

1) Pools and some of the games and contests they do.

2) We are not foodies but do enjoy a nice meal with a nice glass of wine

3) We do like to see the shows and most popular are the comedians.

4) We do like the my time dinning and not sure what all the freestyle means with NCL. Do you just show up at any level of the main dining area when you want or do you make reservations?

5) Clean room and smiling faces

6) nice spots to sit and relax and look out and enjoy the view and breeze.

 

Is there a good mix of ages on board? Heard someone once say that NCL is for the older crowd.

 

I have looked at many of the ships from the newest to the old ones. We dont really care where they go but prefer leaving out of ports in Florida or Baltimore. Nothing shorter then a 5 night and nothing longer then a 8.

 

I really appreciate all the responses. Like I said we have only done RCCL since we do get some special perks so this was the only place I knew I could get information.

 

I have the most cruises with Royal Caribbean, but lately, I've found myself quite enjoying Princess and Norwegian. In fact, I'm looking to do my next cruise on NCL (thinking Dawn or Epic).

 

Norwegian has similar pool games to Royal Caribbean's. They also offer similar nightly adult entertainment like the Not-So Newlywed Game Show (their version of Love and Marriage - almost every cruise line has one!).

 

I'm not a foodie, either. The way I rate my dining experience is on circulation and functionality of the buffet and diversity of food offerings. The Norwegian Epic has the best buffet I've been in hands down as far as ease of movement and a diverse selection of food.

 

Entertainment options on Norwegians smaller ships is similar to that on the smaller Royal Caribbean ships. The newer, larger NCL ships - the Epic, Breakaway, and Getaway - have additional entertainment venues. I quite enjoyed Blue Man Group and Howl at the Moon on the Epic.

 

Freestyle Dining is the reason Royal and other cruise lines have implemented My Time Dining and the like. For Freestyle in the free eateries, you can just show up whenever, and they'll seat you. If they are unable to seat you right away, (in our experience) they'll give you a buzzer and a glass of champagne. You're more likely to be seated right away if you visit the dining room before 6PM or after 8PM (6-8 tends to be the dinner rush, but wait isn't that bad). For specialty restaurants, you'll reserve a time at which you'll arrive to eat.

 

I think the NCL ships are a little more gaudy in decor. They're rather bright, and you can tell that some of the older ships are dated. But they are clean.

 

No, I would not say that NCL has an older crowd. From what I've seen, NCL draws a crowd very similar to Royal Caribbean - families of all generations.

[xcell]

NCL actually has been pretty good at giving OBC or upgrading after final payment. RCCL will only do upgrades but not OBC.

 

If it is before final payment, then you have the option of cancelling and then rebooking BUT may loose any promo offers you had in the first place.

 

Slow service in the MDR is not as evident on RCCL because they have to get you out so they can set up for the next group (this is the early and late schedule times). MTD they want to get you out because the more people they seat, the more tips they can get from the pre-paid grats.