Might "jump ship" from NCL - Comparisons

[garycarla]

We have been doing most of our cruises on NCL - for a few reasons. Donations in the casino have resulted in free cruises, and we are now at the top of their loyalty group - not that it gets us that much.

 

But, since we have a free cruise from being NOIR at MGM - Mlife, we are going to try Royal.

 

Anyone that has done both have any comments or comparisons.

[skatermegs]

Congratulations! I have done both NCL and RCCL as well as HAL, and I will say that RCCL is by far my favorite! The biggest difference I noticed was the crowd- the cruisers on NCL seemed to be younger and often, louder. I loved cruising with NCL though, and I would definitely do it again depending on the itinerary. In fact, I am considering cruising with them to do the Hawaii cruise. But overall I find that Royal Caribbean has better food, and the buffet is more organized, and I found my room to be more spacious (or better organized so it seems larger) and overall the staff seems more accommodating. Also, it was easier to find a chair by the pool, and the adults only pool is almost always quiet and relaxing.

Either way, you'll love your cruise! Do you have any specific questions?

[garycarla]

Being a casino VIP and Plat level got us spoiled. Usually get a balcony and spend a little more to get a suite. Actually got a suite free on once cruise.

 

We have avoided the newer BIG ships on NCL but thinking we would shoot for one the newer whiz bang megaships on Royal. The deal we have is only for Caribbean cruises, but that is okay. Figuring the ship will be more the "destination" than the ports we have already seen.

 

Are there certain level cabins that get you extra perks or dining options?

[Clarea]

Being a casino VIP and Plat level got us spoiled. Usually get a balcony and spend a little more to get a suite. Actually got a suite free on once cruise.

 

We have avoided the newer BIG ships on NCL but thinking we would shoot for one the newer whiz bang megaships on Royal. The deal we have is only for Caribbean cruises, but that is okay. Figuring the ship will be more the "destination" than the ports we have already seen.

 

Are there certain level cabins that get you extra perks or dining options?

Yes, on Royal if you are in a Grand Suite or better, you get these perks:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=enhanced_program_for_suite_guests

[mickev99]

I don't have a whole lot of experience, but I'll comment on what I know.

 

I've sailed Norwegian Jewel and Royal Freedom of the Seas, each only once. I liked the Jewel when I was on it, and we had mini suites, so the rooms and bathrooms were very nice. However once we sailed the Freedom, we will stay with Royal (or maybe one of the new mega ships on NCL, haven't really looked into it). We actually had interior rooms on Royal, which were TINY, but my parents had a junior suite, and it was very nice and spacious (the price difference was an issue since our NCL cruise was in December and the Royal cruise was in June, so we had to downgrade in rooms because June was so much more expensive). That honestly wasn't an issue with us because we were hardly in our rooms, and the kids loved the bunk beds. Now, that being said, we have 3 kids, so we had two adjoining rooms, which made the interior bearable....it wouldn't have been comfortable if it was 2 adults and 2 kids in an interior room.

 

Why I loved Royal SOOOO much more than NCL was the layout. Jewel's "bar area" was one big room and one big bar. No definition, and it was a pretty small space to be the main bar/hang out area. The Promenade on Freedom was huge and laid out so nicely. There were distinct bars, shops, areas, etc. It was very spacious, never felt packed or crowded, and was a great meeting place for our extended family cruise.

 

Now, I'm sure different ships on each line are different, just wanted to give you my 2 cents with my little experience. Either way, someone else is cooking and cleaning, so I wouldn't complain about any cruise, LOL!

[cjdixon4]

I found NCL to have a slightly more "casual" focus than RCI, but that's just my take on it. DH and I like to kick it up a bit in the evening hours when we dine or go to the clubs, and NCL doesn't seem to cater to that much. It's OK though, NCL is fine for those prefer a laid-back sailing...:cool:

[phoenix1181]

We've cruise both lines & enjoyed all our cruises but we definitely prefer Royal for the following reasons:

 

The cabins are better designed & have more storage

Windjammer buffet has a better layout & flows better

Service is better in the MDR & the staff is much more personable (this may change with DD)

Food is better (MDR & buffet)

Entertainment is better

 

NCL cruisers are generally more casual but we're not the fashion police so that's unimportant to us.

[garycarla]

I just checked prices on cruises out of FTL. Suite prices really go up - FAST.

 

May just do a balcony.

[Merion_Mom]

I just checked prices on cruises out of FTL. Suite prices really go up - FAST.

 

May just do a balcony.

 

When are you thinking of cruising?

[garycarla]

When are you thinking of cruising?

 

2nd or 3rd week of November - this year.

[JemzRoo]

Did NCL Breakaway out of NYC once. All others Royal.

 

Personally, I found the staff to be overall less enthusiastic/friendly on NCL than on Royal. No one really ever seemed to care. I never once saw my housekeeper on NCL. Not once. Dining on Royal is, in my opinion, vastly superior - Dinner in one of the dining halls (which were all identical sans the "formal" one with the same menus) would take about 2 hours and the food was sometimes cold. The exterior boardwalk design of the Breakaway was very nice but underutilized. I didn't like how NCL had very little common areas and sectioned off chunks of the deck for paid access (Vibe).

 

I was also stunned by the lack of upkeep that NCL took on Breakaway. I sailed on her with her only being out for a year and whole sections of Spice H2O were chipped away, tons of tiles missing, ripped up carpet in places; versus the Explorer which is 14 years old and looks in way better condition.

 

Overall, I'd consider NCL again only if the price was amazing and it was an itinerary that I couldn't get on Royal.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Did NCL Breakaway out of NYC once. All others Royal.

 

Personally, I found the staff to be overall less enthusiastic/friendly on NCL than on Royal. No one really ever seemed to care. I never once saw my housekeeper on NCL. Not once. Dining on Royal is, in my opinion, vastly superior - Dinner in one of the dining halls (which were all identical sans the "formal" one with the same menus) would take about 2 hours and the food was sometimes cold. The exterior boardwalk design of the Breakaway was very nice but underutilized. I didn't like how NCL had very little common areas and sectioned off chunks of the deck for paid access (Vibe).

 

I was also stunned by the lack of upkeep that NCL took on Breakaway. I sailed on her with her only being out for a year and whole sections of Spice H2O were chipped away, tons of tiles missing, ripped up carpet in places; versus the Explorer which is 14 years old and looks in way better condition.

 

Overall, I'd consider NCL again only if the price was amazing and it was an itinerary that I couldn't get on Royal.

 

That is exactly how I felt when I sailed the Epic in 2013. Service and food was way below Royal's standard. We felt to get a decent meal (not even great) that we had to pay for a specialty restaurant. Never feel that way on Royal. I don't think we had one conversation with a staff member throughout the whole cruise and we only saw our room steward once, right when our rooms opened after we boarded.

[mickev99]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums