alternate cruise line question

[pjo]

Out family regularly sails on Princess. We are thinking of a Bermuda cruise out of NY next summer. Since Princess does not do Bermuda our choices are the Celebrity Summit or the Norwegian Breakaway. If you like Princess which is the closest alternative? Any advice is appreciated.

 

Paul

[skynight]

Out family regularly sails on Princess. We are thinking of a Bermuda cruise out of NY next summer. Since Princess does not do Bermuda our choices are the Celebrity Summit or the Norwegian Breakaway. If you like Princess which is the closest alternative? Any advice is appreciated.

 

Paul

 

Celebrity is closest. But, if you are taking the entire family and children NCL may be a nice choice with their free style cruising.

[karl_nj]

Celebrity is closest. But, if you are taking the entire family and children NCL may be a nice choice with their free style cruising.

 

If you are going with younger children, I found that it was better to go with Celebrity and traditional dining. With "freestyle" you never know when you will be able to be seated, and your waiter doesn't know your kids and what they prefer to eat.

[skynight]

If you are going with younger children, I found that it was better to go with Celebrity and traditional dining. With "freestyle" you never know when you will be able to be seated, and your waiter doesn't know your kids and what they prefer to eat.

Yes, dining with larger groups is a issue on NCL.

[pjo]

Our boys (men) are 22, 19 and 17. We do like the freestyle dining option. With this additional info, which ship?

 

Paul

[geocruiser]

I have been on X but not the Summit. I have not sailed on NCL BUT I have had a ship tour on Break-a-Way this April. It came into Port C in Fl. I went with my TA. The ship stop as a port of call so we were not able to view PAX cabins. The ship is beautiful. I felt there were way too many people on board. People everywhere (and a lot of them were off the ship touring). We ate in a paid to eat restaurant. The food in this extra charge dinning venue was not any where as good a X or Princess main dinning room. Maybe it was only what I ate. But I would not pay to eat there. The ship felt very cowed to me, I kept thinking what is it like on a sea day when no one is on land. But the ship was nice. We did not get a chance to try the food in the buffet (which I would have wanted too). I did not have time too. Sorry I can't help you with more info.

[SandyAtSea]

Our boys (men) are 22, 19 and 17. We do like the freestyle dining option. With this additional info, which ship?

 

Paul

 

I have two boys in their 20s and I can guarantee you they would pick the NCL Breakaway.

[OCruisers]

While Celebrity is certainly your closest match to Princess, your "boys" would probably enjoy the activities offered later in the evening more on NCL than on Celebrity. ;)

LuLu

[Pam in CA]

Having sailed on the Summit to Bermuda, I'd avoid it like the plague. Had a good time but it was the worst cruise experience I've ever had. Food was sub-par with meat so overcooked a steak knife couldn't make a dent, a non-working toilet for three days with absolutely no reaction from the Passenger Services Desk other than, "You, too?" I wasn't expecting anything but an "We're sorry" would have been nice. Scooters parked in the one narrow hallway to get to the mid-ship elevator for the entire cruise and a wheelchair stored literally in front of my cabin door, partially blocking access. Tiny balcony cabin so narrow that there was only 11" between the end of the bed and the wall and the small couch didn't fit against the wall so it had to be angled. Other Celebrity ships are probably better. I'd sail NCL before spending a small fortune on X again, particularly the Summit.

[pjo]

I appreciate the immediate feedback. Looks like the Breakaway is the ship. Thank you.

 

Paul

[OCruisers]

I appreciate the immediate feedback. Looks like the Breakaway is the ship. Thank you.

Paul

 

Paul have a wonderful time with your family on Breakaway in Bermuda. :)

It would be great if you gave us your report when you return.

LuLu

[TracieABD]

I have not sailed X, but have sailed on NCL. If you can swing it, try to book a suite. NCL has amazing suite perks. Also, you may want to consider their Ultimate Dining Package, as the food in the MDR is a bit hit and miss, more miss really.

[latebloomer56]

I have not sailed X, but have sailed on NCL. If you can swing it, try to book a suite. NCL has amazing suite perks. Also, you may want to consider their Ultimate Dining Package, as the food in the MDR is a bit hit and miss, more miss really.

I totally agree we treated ourselves to our first suite last May on the Gem out of NYC was great. Had such a wonderful experience we took our Aunt and Grandson to Bermuda out of Boston in the family suite service was great they had such a good time. We had heard about the suite life on NCL and was glad to have tried it. Plan to take our boys (22 & 26) with our daughter-in-law & grandson in 2016 as NCL has home port advantage. They will love the free style cruising.

I still love my Princess when it's just the two of us. We like our alone time.

[Bruin Steve]

I've taken NCL once...Never again...

OTOH, I've cruised many times on Celebrity...including on Summit a couple of times...

I would take the Summit in a heartbeat...

You've got to realize that Summit is a 91,000 gross ton ship with only 1,950 passengers--the space-per-passenger ratios blow everything else away...Much roomier, much more relaxed...

 

Despite Pam's lone experience here, IMHO, the food on every Celebrity ship is SUPERIOR to most cruise lines (save Ocenaia in our experience)...as is the service...I've enjoyed just about every meal I've had on Celebrity above any meal I've had on Princess...Of course, judgments on food are highly subjective, so people can differ...But food is one of the areas where Celebrioty has always earned high marks in various surveys...

[geoherb]

NCL is one cruise line I don't check out before booking a cruise.

[Bluwaterz]

I, too, had a wonderful time on the Celebrity Summit. Great service, food, etc. Just the opposite of Pam's experience. I have also sailed on NCL and much preferred Celebrity but I do agree that teens and young twenties might prefer NCL for their nightlife and other activities.

[smilz]

I have sailed RCCL to Bermuda once, Celebrity twice, and NCL four times. Though NCL is my least favorite cruise line, it best matches our needs for a Bermuda cruise. The Bermuda cruise is a different animal. We found a set dining time not desirable when we were out and about on the island. The MDR food on NCL is really not very good and we budget to eat in the specialty restaurants. We especially enjoy the teppanyaki (sp) grill and the Brazilian restaurant. The steakhouse is as good or better than the CG. We did a four generation cruise and had no problem getting in the restaurants. The entertainment is about on par with princess but may appeal to a younger crowd. Check to see how long the Celebrity ship is in port as it can vary year to year. Also check where it is departing from. Bayonne is cheaper to park and or stay but you just cant beat the thrill of Manhattan. Whatever you decide enjoy Bermuda! We love it:D

[Griff4AU]

I guess I'll bring this thread back up so it doesn't disappear too far down.

 

I did a search under the Princess threads for Breakaway to see if any Princess cruisers have sailed on her (I'm still going through the threads). While Princess is our line, we'll be on the Breakaway next Sunday. While it seems like some of NCL's ships are Carnival wannabe's, I am hoping the Breakaway and Getaway are different. We'll see and report. Living in South Florida, we've been tempted to hop on the Getaway (especially since we get Friends and Family rates), but the itinerary for an inaugural sailing absolutely stinks. We'll see how the Breakaway does.

[geoherb]

A friend of mine is just back from the Getaway. She said she had a good time--much better than her previous NCL cruise last fall.

[mreasier]

Have you considered Royal Caribbean? They do Bermuda out of Cape Liberty, NJ, right outside of New York. We did a 7 day Bermuda cruise on the Explorer of the Seas from there last October and had a great time. We enjoyed the food, cabin, service, and entertainment. We still prefer Princess but would not hesitate doing Royal Caribbean again. I checked their web site. They are doing 5 day Bermuda on the Liberty of the Seas from Cape Liberty in the summer of 2015.

[Griff4AU]

Have you considered Royal Caribbean? They do Bermuda out of Cape Liberty, NJ, right outside of New York.

Thanks Wayne, but RCCL doesn't have the 7 day run "right now" (Mrs. Griff's timing), and X (my preferred 2nd choice line) only had the Summit, which has gotten some very mixed reviews. Although NCL is down on my favorite's list, a good friend is a Planner with them so we see some non-published fares. I really do want NCL to do well as I believe competition is a good thing and makes everyone better.

 

If we were patient, we would have sailed on the Vision for their 10 sailing in August (great itinerary and local for us), but I see us on another Princess boat (probably) in August.

 

It does seem like X and RCCL are most folks Plan B around here, at least with my demographic. Hopefully NCL is stepping up their game some with the Getaway and Breakaway.

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

I'll vote for Royal Caribbean also. You can't go wrong with them & it's more family oriented than NCL with more to do plus better food and very similar to Princess.

[thinfool]

My choice would be HAL. In 2015 from Boston.

[Pam in CA]

For Bermuda, I'd book whichever ship docks in Hamilton. If you dock at King's Wharf, you'll spend a lot more time (and money) getting anywhere. I would much rather be in Hamilton than King's Wharf.

[iceleven]

HAL's Veendam stopped going to Bermuda a couple years ago. Most all ships are all too large to dock in Hamilton now. I don't think there are any cruise lines, that have a dedicated itinerary just to Bermuda, that can port in Hamilton.

 

King's Wharf isn't too bad, but I do agree it is far out and away from most things. You can take a ferry to Hamilton which, in of itself, a nice ride. The buses are quick and efficient and gives you the opportunity to see the entire island and also Georgetown, the other end of the island.

 

There are no car rentals in Bermuda. One must hire a taxi, (very expensive), rent a moped/scooter (dangerous) or take the bus. I always rented the modpeds and loved the independence and thrill but I also saw a lot of tourists with "road rash" from accidents. Even I took a terrible spill which left me with permanent scars, even today. They drive on the left and have roundabouts that can be very confusing.

 

Bermuda is one of my all-time favorite islands. I used to fly there three times a year and did so for 8 years when I lived on the east coast. It was like my 2nd home. I cruised there only twice.