Suite Life on NCL vs RCI

[rclibertygirl5]

We have sailed on several RCI ships in suites but I was just reviewing the list of suite benefits on NCL and they appear to be substantially better than the suite benefits on RCI. Can anyone who has sailed in suites on both cruiselines please comment on your experience and which you preferred?

[Debde]

I have not YET sailed on NCL but I will say I have been researching and from what I read-NCL blows Royal far out of the water!!

Can I just say-The Haven!!!!

[chellebells]

We have sailed on several RCI ships in suites but I was just reviewing the list of suite benefits on NCL and they appear to be substantially better than the suite benefits on RCI. Can anyone who has sailed in suites on both cruiselines please comment on your experience and which you preferred?

 

I have sailed in RCI Owner's Suites and every NCL Suite category.

 

Though I love the size, look and feel of the Owner's Suite I do feel that NCL has better benefits, especially if you are on a ship that has a Haven. Breakfast and Lunch in a reserved dining room (either Cagney's or the Haven restaurant), a butler, the concierge in my experience is much more accessible and accomodating and overall being made to feel "special".

 

If you have any specific questions or want to see any pictures of either please let me know.

[aubreyc1988]

I havent been on NCL but from what I have read

 

Suites are better and cheaper - not sure what their point system is.

 

But for us, a junior suite with RCL was opulence for us and we wouldnt do anything bigger.

 

Plus I have heard that the money you save in your NCL fare is spent on the ways they nickel and dime you on board. JUST what I've heard!

 

We personally havent done NCL because of their lack of itineraries going out of miami

[justjim95]

That's interesting. I am doing some research now trying to decide which to book and due to the price am leaning towards RCI. We have never sailed on NCL but are really considering it as we like the ship that is sailing our itinerary better than NCL.

 

We are looking at either the 12N Mediterranean/Greek Isle cruise on the Vision of the Sean in a Grand Suite versus a 14 Day Mediterranean cruise on NCL's Jade in a Penthouse Suite. We are Emerald members on RCI and with our discount the RCI cruise is about $3k less expensive.

 

In my research I have found the perks are similar since we won't be in a Haven Suite (that was about $4k more). RCI has a concierge lounge with free drinks and apps where NCL has butler service with an in-room coffee and cappuccino maker. Really hard decision for us ...

[chellebells]

That's interesting. I am doing some research now trying to decide which to book and due to the price am leaning towards RCI. We have never sailed on NCL but are really considering it as we like the ship that is sailing our itinerary better than NCL.

 

We are looking at either the 12N Mediterranean/Greek Isle cruise on the Vision of the Sean in a Grand Suite versus a 14 Day Mediterranean cruise on NCL's Jade in a Penthouse Suite. We are Emerald members on RCI and with our discount the RCI cruise is about $3k less expensive.

 

In my research I have found the perks are similar since we won't be in a Haven Suite (that was about $4k more). RCI has a concierge lounge with free drinks and apps where NCL has butler service with an in-room coffee and cappuccino maker. Really hard decision for us ...

 

Are they the same ports of call? $3k is a big difference and I would think that on a port intensive itinerary that could be put to good use on some amazing private tours. :)

 

In this case i would probably go with RCI....unless upgrading to the Haven is an option :eek:

[Clarea]

That's interesting. I am doing some research now trying to decide which to book and due to the price am leaning towards RCI. We have never sailed on NCL but are really considering it as we like the ship that is sailing our itinerary better than NCL.

 

We are looking at either the 12N Mediterranean/Greek Isle cruise on the Vision of the Sean in a Grand Suite versus a 14 Day Mediterranean cruise on NCL's Jade in a Penthouse Suite. We are Emerald members on RCI and with our discount the RCI cruise is about $3k less expensive.

 

In my research I have found the perks are similar since we won't be in a Haven Suite (that was about $4k more). RCI has a concierge lounge with free drinks and apps where NCL has butler service with an in-room coffee and cappuccino maker. Really hard decision for us ...

If it makes any difference to you, Royal has free specialty coffee available in the Concierge Lounge 24 hours.

[chellebells]

[/img]

 

Here is the Haven on the Jewel which is a sistership of the Jade. Their is a courtyard butler that will serve you meals in there as well.

[SAS21]

I have sailed both RCL(many times) and NCL(once) in suites.

 

The major differences:

 

NCL has a seperate waiting lounge before embarkation for suite guests only (this was in Seattle) with snacks(not just cookies) and drinks while you wait for your concierge to escort you onto the ship. The concierge takes you directly to the suite breakfast and lunch dining venue of Cagney's. Major Plus no fighting crowds in buffet upon boarding. You have access to Cagneys the entire cruise for breakfast and lunch. Once you have eaten lunch you can go to your cabin. Cagney's is a specialty restuarant at night.

 

They also have butler service. AWESOME!

This was was my only experience having a butler and must say it was pretty nice. He handled all our excursion tickets and delivered our room service when ordered each morning(with a smile). Basically anything we needed he took care of. We never used the concierge other than for priority disembarking for excursions and wheelchair service for my stepmother. We were not impressed with the concierge, she was not very friendly.

 

RCL could learn a few tips from this level of service.

 

Having said all this I still prefer RCL over NCL for cruising.

 

NCL could use some tips from RCL on all other aspects of cruising.

 

There are pluses and minuses to each cruiseline, we just have to decide which one we prefer.

 

We paid less for a 2 bedroom suite, 4 PPL, in Sept. on NCL to Alaska

than an OS, 2 ppl, in Jan. on RCL to the Caribbeain.

 

Hope this helps!

[scanditaly]

I have sailed both RCL(many times) and NCL(once) in suites.

 

The major differences:

 

NCL has a seperate waiting lounge before embarkation for suite guests only (this was in Seattle) with snacks(not just cookies) and drinks while you wait for your concierge to escort you onto the ship. The concierge takes you directly to the suite breakfast and lunch dining venue of Cagney's. Major Plus no fighting crowds in buffet upon boarding. You have access to Cagneys the entire cruise for breakfast and lunch. Once you have eaten lunch you can go to your cabin. Cagney's is a specialty restuarant at night.

 

They also have butler service. AWESOME!

This was was my only experience having a butler and must say it was pretty nice. He handled all our excursion tickets and delivered our room service when ordered each morning(with a smile). Basically anything we needed he took care of. We never used the concierge other than for priority disembarking for excursions and wheelchair service for my stepmother. We were not impressed with the concierge, she was not very friendly.

 

RCL could learn a few tips from this level of service.

 

Having said all this I still prefer RCL over NCL for cruising.

 

NCL could use some tips from RCL on all other aspects of cruising.

 

There are pluses and minuses to each cruiseline, we just have to decide which one we prefer.

 

We paid less for a 2 bedroom suite, 4 PPL, in Sept. on NCL to Alaska

than an OS, 2 ppl, in Jan. on RCL to the Caribbeain.

 

Hope this helps!

We also paid less on NCL, really felt "nickel-dimed".

[DCT61]

Ive never really understood the "nickel and dime" comment in regards to NCL. What I have observed, is that what charge people accept without thought of on one cruiseline, they notice on NCL.

We thought the suite benefits were pretty much equal on NCL vs RCCL. The one thing that set NCL apart was the service. NCL really made us feel special for being in a suite. We were escorted off the ship at every port. The concierge would notice us in a lounge and make an effort to come over and speak to us. She would call us every day to see if there was anything we needed. This is not to say RCCL was bad..it wasn't. There just wasn't a personal touch.

That being said, our experience in a CL suite on the OASIS, was probably the best of all our cruises. The main reason being the suite itself. It was spectacular, and we cant wait to try it again.

[RSLeesburg]

Ive never really understood the "nickel and dime" comment in regards to NCL. What I have observed, is that what charge people accept without thought of on one cruiseline, they notice on NCL.

 

We thought the suite benefits were pretty much equal on NCL vs RCCL. The one thing that set NCL apart was the service. NCL really made us feel special for being in a suite. We were escorted off the ship at every port. The concierge would notice us in a lounge and make an effort to come over and speak to us. She would call us every day to see if there was anything we needed. This is not to say RCCL was bad..it wasn't. There just wasn't a personal touch.

 

That being said, our experience in a CL suite on the OASIS, was probably the best of all our cruises. The main reason being the suite itself. It was spectacular, and we cant wait to try it again.

 

 

A question. On NCL there are suites that are not part of Haven. Are these still considered full suites, or are just the ones in Haven considered full suites.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[cb at sea]

I think NCL has the best suite perks going.

[chellebells]

A question. On NCL there are suites that are not part of Haven. Are these still considered full suites, or are just the ones in Haven considered full suites.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

Any category beginning with an S is a full suite, and yes some are not part of the Haven. I believe that S plus a letter are the non Haven suites while S plus a number are the Haven suites.

 

All the perks are the same except for access to the Haven.

[Debde]

We also paid less on NCL, really felt "nickel-dimed".

 

I'd like to know more on this. :confused:

From what I have read-if you have a suite, on certain ships, you never have to leave the Haven. Meals, snacks, bars all at your fingertips. meals and snacks are complimentary. Plenty of pay and non-pay options for food outside the haven seem to be available. Enquiring minds need to know the $5 and dime on NCL.

[SAS21]

We were not in the Haven suites, however there was an S in the category type. It was a 2 bedroom suite, which held 5 ppl.

 

Other than the butler and specific lunch and breakfast option of dining in Cagneys without the crowds, I prefer RCI. I found the MDR service horrible.

Edited February 26, 2014 by SAS21

[jaspersmommy]

We have been sailing only with Celebrity the past few years, and we've just booked two cruises with other lines. One is with Princess and the other with RCI. We haven't sailed either line before.

 

Celebrity's suite perks are good. I could definitely do without the butler, but I know a lot of people would disagree with me. I'd rather see the butler scrapped and have a few other more meaningful perks instead. Celebrity will be adding more for suite guests next year (and I imagine it will come with a cost).

 

I was really impressed with the suite perks provided by Princess. There is no butler. The other perks more than made up for it, such as a complimentary one-time mini-bar set-up, complimentary laundry, exclusive breakfast venue for suite guests and many other goodies. I believe that mini-suites don't qualify for these perks but full suites do.

 

When I was booking the RCI cruise, I looked around the website quite a bit before I could find suite perks. When I finally did, the first thought that came into my head was "surely this can't be it!". I'm still hoping that there are suite perks that weren't listed there, because there was very little of significance.

 

As I said, I haven't sailed RCI before, but I am very disappointed in the suite perks... they don't seem very competitive. However, when I look at the cost of the RCI cruise, it was much less than Celebrity or Princess, so I guess the extras come at a cost.

[RSLeesburg]

Any category beginning with an S is a full suite, and yes some are not part of the Haven. I believe that S plus a letter are the non Haven suites while S plus a number are the Haven suites.

 

All the perks are the same except for access to the Haven.

 

Thanks!

[John&LaLa]

Not a fan of NCL......unless it was a suite. Had OS on Gem, had access to Haven but never went there since we were on a lower deck. Butler was good but Concierge Claudio was the best ever. My wife always says that cruise was like being on Queen for a day. Final note, only way we could afford it was it was a westbound TA

 

Sent from my A/S8 using Forums mobile app

[pcutrone]

I don't think the NCL ships can hold their own against Allure and Oasis, but you absolutely cannot beat the suite perks on NCL. The butler and concierge are something that the RCCL ships are sorely lacking. The personalized service, the amazing amount of attention, how you are escorted to the shows, off the ship in port, given behind the scenes tours, etc. is wonderful. But there is a trade off. You don't get RCCL ships, shows, activities, etc. I haven't been on the Breakaway or Getaway and maybe those can compete, but if you want a special "suite" experience, I would take NCL.

[Yorkshire-Pudding]

Sailed in GS on Independence (2010) and Radiance (2013) and a 2 bed Haven villa on NCL Epic (2011). The better suite experience was NCL and RCI does not even come close.

 

Cabins

The villa on NCL Epic is the same size as GS. We felt that the quality of the furnishings and layout of NCL was superior to RCI. On NCL there was a dining table for 4 which made in room dining a very pleasant experience. However the balcony on RCI was superior to NCL, far larger and usable. The bathroom of main bedroom on Epic was better with separate walk in shower and toilet with own door. The butler was a nice touch but the NCL concierge was outstanding. Suite guests were escorted to venues ahead of everyone else through a back entrance to choose seating in theatres. We were escorted onto the ship to our suite at embarkation which was a nice touch.

 

The Epic had two bathrooms and two bedrooms and the privacy curtain on Royal just does not compare.

 

We felt standard of cleanliness on Epic and Independence was better. On Radiance our cabin steward did not have sufficient time to clean and we found a lot of dust in accessible places.

 

Haven

We were on a port intensive Med cruise on the Epic and the butler would have snacks waiting for us on our return which was lovely, small sandwiches and cakes. Early morning tea and toast only had to be requested once from butler and arrived the same time every day. On Epic, there is a high spec coffee machine and it was lovely to be able to make our own cappuccinos. There was also a bottle of champagne. We are quite a private family so loved the quiet and peace offered by the Haven. We had lunch quite often in the Haven as there was a "at your seat" service from the Haven butler for lunches, snacks and drinks. The Haven sundeck was a lovely place to relax and better than the RCI facilities for gold card holders.

 

Food

The Haven restaurant has no real equivalent on Royal. We had most of our meals in the Haven. Did not eat in any of the speciality restaurants or MDR. On our Radiance cruise we did not eat in the MDR and all dinners were in speciality restaurant. I think the Windjammer offers more choice than NCL but food was hotter on NCL and fresher. Our last Windjammer experience on Radiance was not very nice, insufficient seats and very crowded. There was no facility on Radiance for suite guests to take food to a speciality restaurants as on Freedom class.

 

Entertainment

RCI wins for entertainment. There was the Blue Man Group on Epic but that was the only really good show. The circus type offering which included a meal was appalling. Our son felt the RCI kids clubs were better and less rowdy.

 

Concierge

We tend to book all our tours before boarding any ship, however little things do crop up. We felt that NCL offered a more polished and professional service. There was always someone available whereas on Radiance is was only at certain times. On Radiance there was coffee 24 hours per day in the lounge but we had a machine in our cabin on Epic.

 

Overall

As our NCL experience was sandwiched between our Royal cruises and it did bring home to us the real difference between the lines. NCL does offer a ship within a ship experience which really appealed to our family. We liked the suite offering on NCL but feel Royal has better big ship facilities. We may not sail NCL again but this is because they do not sail out of the UK. I am planning a 2015 cruise to the Baltic and have decided to sail with Celebrity following the announcement of its enhanced suite benefits. We are hoping that it will be a reasonable compromise between the suite benefits of NCL but the big ship facilities of Royal. I note that Anthem of the Seas will homebirth in Southampton and this may be worth investigating in the future.

[melbur]

Have sailed suites on NCL, RCI, and Princess . . and NCL is the hands down winner. Although I am a big RCI fan in general, the suite perks pale in comparison to NCL. The Haven is outstanding and the service you get from both the concierge and butler is fantastic. Probably the best dining I've had on any ship is in the Haven DR.

There is no nickel and diming that I see, every cruise line tries to upsell the spa, restaurants, etc so I don't get that comment.

NCL now has the Ultimate Dining Pkg, which I love. One flat price lets you eat in any Spec Restaurant the entire cruise.

[yolanda1]

I'm glad I saw this thread. We are currently trying to make the same decision..........

 

We have Emerald status with RCI, and to be honest, find their suite perks to be rather underwhelming. Our last cruise in a Grand Suite on a Vision class ship left us feeling that in future we definitely wouldn't pay the extra for a Suite on the smaller ships. The huge price difference between a JS and GS simply wasn't worth it to us on that class of ship. It's different on the larger ones though. We also felt the level of Concierge service on RCI was average to say the least. Now considering trying a suite on an NCL European sailing, but we haven't decided which one yet. It is encouraging to hear that, compared to RCI, for many people NCL comes out tops for Suite guests.

 

We do really like RCI and they do some things very well indeed, but we have never fallen into the "Loyal to Royal" category. It's good to try new companies and new things, and although the loyalty points are useful, we don't believe they are good enough to warrant our guaranteed repeat business to one company! Now..... which ship and itinerary.... :confused:

[RosieRoo]

I have sailed in suites on almost every cruise line and I think NCL's suite benefits are the best out there. Just being able to eat in the specialty restaurant for breakfast and lunch is a big perk for us as my husband doesn't like buffets. I am not sure why people say they nickel and dime you. There are several pay restaurants but there are also restaurants you can eat at that charge no fees. Usually if you book a suite on an NCL ship 9 months out they give you a $300 OBC so you could really eat in pay restaurants all week if you wanted to and it wouldn't cost you anything out of pocket.

We also love RCL and are Diamond Plus, which gives us great perks, but I think the suite benefits on NCL are the best out there at the moment.

Edited March 24, 2014 by RosieRoo

[smoosh21]

I have sailed in RCI Owner's Suites and every NCL Suite category.

 

Though I love the size, look and feel of the Owner's Suite I do feel that NCL has better benefits, especially if you are on a ship that has a Haven. Breakfast and Lunch in a reserved dining room (either Cagney's or the Haven restaurant), a butler, the concierge in my experience is much more accessible and accomodating and overall being made to feel "special".

 

If you have any specific questions or want to see any pictures of either please let me know.

 

Royal also lets you eat in the Special restaurant for breakfast and lunch as long as you have that Gold Card.

We ate in Chops every day for Breakfast and lunch on the Mariner. You can either get your own food from Buffet and carry it in, or you can get what they are cooking.

They usually had two or lunches every day to choose from, including Freshly made Salmon. They also made eggs benedict to order.

 

Not sure if all classes of ship can offer this, but the Voyager Class definitely does.

 

If you are on Oasis class, they also serve Breakfast and Lunch in the Concierge Lounge and have a special menu for that.

 

Except for the Haven, I haven't seen anything listed on NCLs website that seems all that much better than Royal (And there is a special Suite Level on the Oasis Class ships that has very nice places to sit and relax with its own special bar)