Norwegian??

[OceanBreeze11]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

[Treven]

Well, ... My first cruise was with NCL, and never again!

Edited July 9, 2015 by Treven

[LHT28]

What are you looking for in a cruise??

Quiet ship, party ship??

 

I would try a short cruise with them & then you know if it is worth trying again

[biker@sea]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I see you are from Mass.

 

NCL Dawn sails from Boston's Black Falcon cruise port .

 

Dawn is one of NCLs older ships that is due to go into dry-dock in 2016.

 

Dawn is Not a real good example of NCL at this time .:(

Edited July 9, 2015 by biker@sea

[perditax]

Getaway!

[Keith1010]

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

Like many of the cruise lines the answer will vary and different factors come into play such as which ship.

 

I would narrow this down to ship and itinerary and then read reviews about the ship on cruise critic and also visit the NCL Cruise Line Board to read comments from other passengers.

 

Keith

[ontheweb]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

 

We've been on NCL for two cruises. (Also, Princess 3, Royal and Carnival 2 each, and HAL 1.)

 

Here is our NCL experience, with the caveat that all cruises are different, and can even vary on the same ship and itinerary from week to week.

 

Our first was on the Crown to Bermuda. Since the ship was not set up for freestyle and was soon sold, the cruise was probably not a good representation of the present NCL experience. On the positive side, I can say the entertainment was superb. On the negative side, there was very little paying attention to the small details. Also, I was looking forward to freestyle dining, but was disappointed. Your table for two was pushed up against other tables for two who were at different stages of their meal. It was very odd. The fact that the ship was not really set up for freestyle probably contributed to this

 

Our second NCL cruise was in the Western Mediterranean on the Epic, a similar ship to yours. Again the entertainment was top notch. However, it was the unfriendliest ship we were ever on. The first night, we were asked if we wanted a table for two, or to eat with others. Liking to meet people, we chose the latter. And then we waited and waited and waited, until we finally said we would eat alone as it was obvious NCL passengers (at least on that sailing) did not want to eat with others. The only time we had tablemates was at the cirque de' soliel dinner theater. And they apologized for you having tablemates! We were on our I believe second or possibly third night, while the couple next to us was on their last night. (You could board either in Barcelona, Rome, or Marseilles.) The woman in the couple was extremely talkative. My DW theorized that she had not been able to speak to anyone else but her husband at dinner the entire cruise.

 

They also made me very angry by cancelling an excursion from Marseilles to Arles because they were just short of the 25 person minimum. And they had charged our credit card months prior when we booked the excursion. (Princess OTOH, last summer did not cancel an excursion we were on to Canterbury and then the airport at Heathrow despite having only 14. And they do not charge in advance, putting the charge on your shipboard account.)

 

Also, almost no one showed up for the meet and greet including the person who set it up.

 

Again, your experience may vary. There does seem to be a consensus that NCL has great entertainment. Also, I do remember reading the NCL boards before our Epic cruise, and there were a lot of posts to the effect of why would I want to eat with other people.

[edin_cruiser]

Recently tried Norwegian after previously being RCI loyals (Not that Royal Caribbean did anything wrong, but we wanted to do eastern europe and Norwegian Jade is a bigger ship than spendour of the seas)

 

 

 

Would absolutely sail Norwegian again, noticed very little difference between Norwegian and Royal.

[Bonnie J.]

We do not like NCL at all, hate freestyle dining. Have had to wait 40 minutes for a table, are given a beeper, asked to share a table and given a table for two-more than once.

We hadn't cruised NCL for quite a while so decided to try it again last year. Well, we still don't like it. We want to know we'll eat at 8:15, not have to wait and have the same wait staff who knows my husband wants milk every night.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Bonnie J.

[NMLady]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

 

We love NCL and have taken many NCL cruises. But that said it depends on your preferences. Do you prefer the same time dining every night. If so, Norwegian's Free Style Dining is not for you.

 

Do you enjoy dressing up, you can definitely do so on NCL but don't expect others to do be doing the same. Some will dress up but most will be dressed more casually?

 

Do you want the same waiter every night? NCL is not for you.

 

But if none of those things are important to you, then definitely give NCL a try.

 

You did not say which ship you are thinking of. There is a huge difference between the newer megaships and the older ones. That will also affect your experience. We prefer the Jewel class ships and we stay away from the larger ones. But that is a personal preference.

[gwsster]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

 

NCL has many ships of different categories, small, to mega ships. I sail NCL because I do not want to be tied to a dining schedule nor to formal nights. I am on vacation and prefer the business casual for the dining rooms, even though some come dressed very casual and some in formal wear. This is the point of free style cruising. I have been on Disney, NCL and Princess. I love the beds on NCL, comfortable for me. The entertainment is good, more variety on their bigger ships. I generally prefer the smaller to midsize Jewel ships. We did the Epic, great entertainment but didn't care for the Atrium near the Casino with the smoke. We loved the Jade ship and will be sailing soon on the Gem. I wouldn't suggest the shorter cruises to base an opinion on any cruise line as they often attract a party atmosphere. I see a variety of ages on NCL and that is nice. We have been offered the opportunity to dine with others and alone on NCL. We choose to dine by ourselves but it often ends up we get talking and laughing with the tables around us!

There is always good and bad about any cruise line. We have found some good price values and tend to book for the itinerary and use the ship as a floating hotel. We have had inside rooms to Suites...I like the SUITES. If I can only afford an inside to get where I want to go then whoo hoo, the bottom of the boat goes the same place as the front, back and top of the ship.

Asking someones opinion is iffy at best, you almost have to try a line and form your own opinion as nobody sails or has vacation preferences like you do. I am not cruise brand loyal, I sail for itinerary and price and amenities.

[zqvol]

IF HAL is your favorite you are not going to like NCL, instead of NCL look at the more upscale lines such as Azamara.

[Aquahound]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

 

I've also cruised 3 of those 4 lines and if HAL is your favorite, I do not recommend NCL. In fact, of the 5 lines I've sailed, NCL has been the distant last in terms of my favorites. I recommend Celebrity for you.

[travelnap]

HI I have cruised on Holland, Princess, Royal and Carnival. Holland being the favorite !! Thinking of trying Norwegian. What are thoughts and opinions?

Looking to do eastern Caribbean . My husband and I are in our 40's . Thanks

 

As others have stated a lot depends on what your dining preferences are. If you like fixed seating then you may not care for NCL's freestyle dining. If you prefer the As you Wish dining then NCL would be a good fit for you. There are differences between all cruise lines, but those you have sailed on I find to be more similar than different. I have sailed on HAL, Princess, Carnival, RCI, Celebrity, and NCL, and there is not much difference in my opinion. The food may be slightly better on one than the other, and the entertainment the same way but overall I have not found that much of a difference.

 

I am platinum on NCL as I like the freestyle dining and don't care for the fixed seating. My second favorite would probably be HAL, but I just use the anytime dining when I sail with them. HAL has a better library, but NCL has better entertainment than HAL. Food varies between ships but I have not had bad food on any cruise line I have sailed with. Yes, some were slightly better, but overall not any that I wouldn't sail with because of the dining. NCL does have more specialty restaurants if you like those, than most of the other lines, but you do pay extra for those.

 

I think I would give them a try and if you don't care for them then you will know that for future reference. I prefer the smaller ships and don't care for the megaships, but that is just my preference. Some people love the bigger ships as there is so much to do on them. Good Luck.

[relic2]

I see, as with all lines, there are a few who dismiss NCL based on one bad experience. I, personally, really like the Free Style of NCL, because it gives me many options and I don't have to rush shore activities to get back for a specific time meal. That said, I have NEVER had to wait more than a few minutes for a table, and we have had tables for, from 2 to 12.

I agree with other posters about the superior entertainment on NCL. We have cruised 10 times on other lines and are currently booked on our 12 th NCL cruise. Also have cruised the mega ships and the small river cruises. We like all, but probably prefer the Jewel class.

My motto is, " A bad day at sea beats a good day at work." [emoji3]. Try it!

[zqvol]

I see, as with all lines, there are a few who dismiss NCL based on one bad experience. I, personally, really like the Free Style of NCL, because it gives me many options and I don't have to rush shore activities to get back for a specific time meal. That said, I have NEVER had to wait more than a few minutes for a table, and we have had tables for, from 2 to 12.

I agree with other posters about the superior entertainment on NCL. We have cruised 10 times on other lines and are currently booked on our 12 th NCL cruise. Also have cruised the mega ships and the small river cruises. We like all, but probably prefer the Jewel class.

My motto is, " A bad day at sea beats a good day at work." [emoji3]. Try it!

 

 

I mentioned that OP would not like NCL, because their favorite line is HAL. Of the mass market lines NCL is my favorite, but for someone who loves HAL, NCL is going to be a let down, in spite of all its great features.

[marco]

Having been on both, I agree with an above poster who said, "If HAL is your favorite, you will NOT like NCL."

[navybankerteacher]

Having been on both, I agree with an above poster who said, "If HAL is your favorite, you will NOT like NCL."

 

Very good point --- HAL and NCL have the least in common of any two mass market lines. The more you prefer HAL over other lines, the less you will like NCL.

[Aquahound]

I see, as with all lines, there are a few who dismiss NCL based on one bad experience. I, personally, really like the Free Style of NCL, because it gives me many options and I don't have to rush shore activities to get back for a specific time meal. That said, I have NEVER had to wait more than a few minutes for a table, and we have had tables for, from 2 to 12.

I agree with other posters about the superior entertainment on NCL. We have cruised 10 times on other lines and are currently booked on our 12 th NCL cruise. Also have cruised the mega ships and the small river cruises. We like all, but probably prefer the Jewel class.

My motto is, " A bad day at sea beats a good day at work." [emoji3]. Try it!

 

My recommendation to the op is based on the little info they gave us, most importantly the part where they said HAL is their favorite. If they said Carnival was their favorite, I'd certainly recommend giving NCL a try.

 

Oh, and my recommendation is based on 4 bad experiences on NCL, not one. You can't say I didn't give them a fair try.

[cb at sea]

I would NEVER do a "short" cruise to "see how it goes"....a short cruise will definitely be a loud, party cruise...they all are.

Stick to a 7 nighter, at least. Try it!

[travelnap]

I would disagree with the comments made that if you like HAL you will not like NCL. I enjoy sailing on both lines, and they are my two favorite lines. Are they different, yes they are, but then all lines have some differences from other lines. If you check the HAL boards you will see some posters that do not care for NCL at all, and other posters who will state that if they are not sailing on HAL, they want to sail on NCL, as they enjoy cruising with them as well.

 

We all have different things that are important to us in a cruise, so someone who really likes a fixed dining experience is not going to like NCL. To the original poster, only you know what you enjoy on a cruise and what is important to you. I think you will find that service on both HAL and NCL are quite similar, as they both have the friendliest crews at sea in my opinion. I would give them a chance and find out for yourself if the line is one that you would like to try again.

[SuiteTraveler]

Well, ... My first cruise was with NCL, and never again!

 

The NCL Star is a very, very old ship and not comparable to NCL's newer ships. I'm assuming you want to go on Jewel class, Epic, Getaway or Breakaway. These ships are really great. Especially the newest ships - Epic, Getaway and Breakaway. They are most similar to staying at a new Las Vegas resort hotel. Understand, there are still MDR's but they are open seating - no table assignments not assigned dining times. To my husband and I we like going to the specialty restaurants which have a nominal up charge. We consider this part of the expense of cruising on NCL. The entertainment on these ships is phenomenal. Best of all are the suites - Penthouse and above which are tied to The Haven. One experience in The Haven and you will be spoiled for all the other mainstream lines. It is AMAZING!

[Cruzaholic41]

Based on what little you said, I don't think NCL is right for you. Typically, the things that make people love HAL make people hate NCL.

 

Let me tell you the 2 most overrated aspects of NCL on Cruise Critic - Freestyle and their suites. Freestyle loosely translates to "Here's your pager. Your table will be ready in a half hour." Meanwhile, you worry about missing the show or something else on the schedule because you thought you could eat anytime you wanted. And as for the suites, if that's even what you're interested in, don't fall for this so-called "amazing" experience. NCL is a mainstream, mass market cruise line. I've stayed in a Haven suite and I liked it no more or no less than any other top end suite on any other line (except Carnival, which sucked).

 

If you're looking to try another line, I would steer you more toward Celebrity or Azamara.

[CruisinHarvey]

We've cruised HAL and NCL. Lots of differences. Last HAL Cruise has in March on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Last NCL Cruise was in June on the Gem. Prior to that was January on the Getaway. I'll show newer ships for comparison. As an example, but not all inclusive.

Activities - entertainment

HAL -

1. string quartets
   
2. cooking classes.
   
3. piano player
   
4. BB-King blues band - actually more soul and rock
   
5. dancing with the stars
   
6. traditional cruise ship main shows
   
7. digital classes
   

NCL -

1. live bands
   
2. howl at the moon dueling piano's
   
3. levity comedy or second city comedy
   
4. broadway musicals
   
5. cirque or magic dinner shows
   
6. water slides
   

Food

Hal -

1. MDR
   
2. Pinnacle grill(steaks) - also used for Le Cirque
   
3. Tamarind Asian
   
4. dive -in( burgers and dogs) - limited hours
   
5. Buffet
   
6. Canaletto
   

NCL

1. MDR - newest ships have 3
   
2. Cagney's steak house
   
3. Teppenyaki Japanese steakhouse
   
4. Le Bistro - french
   
5. O'Sheehan's pub( 24 hrs)
   
6. Moderno(Brazilian steakhouse)
   
7. Shanghi's( some with other names) Asian
   
8. Seafood(couple of different names)
   
9. Buffet
   
10. Sushi bar
    
11. La Cucina
    

The freestyle part is more than just no set times, although if you want to reserve a time you can. So it can be similar to fixed dining, if you like. Dress code is significantly different. Only in Le Bistro and the MDR are long pants required, and those can be jeans. On Formal nights, the theme is "dress up or not".

 

 

Bottom line. HAL much more traditional cruising. NCL is much more casual fun. It's really based on what you like. We tend the like NCL more. Less to pack, more dining options and more upbeat actitives, if we feel like it.

 

Good luck finding your next cruise. Hope this helped.

[SuiteTraveler]

Based on what little you said, I don't think NCL is right for you. Typically, the things that make people love HAL make people hate NCL.

 

Let me tell you the 2 most overrated aspects of NCL on Cruise Critic - Freestyle and their suites. Freestyle loosely translates to "Here's your pager. Your table will be ready in a half hour." Meanwhile, you worry about missing the show or something else on the schedule because you thought you could eat anytime you wanted. And as for the suites, if that's even what you're interested in, don't fall for this so-called "amazing" experience. NCL is a mainstream, mass market cruise line. I've stayed in a Haven suite and I liked it no more or no less than any other top end suite on any other line (except Carnival, which sucked).

 

If you're looking to try another line, I would steer you more toward Celebrity or Azamara.

 

Boy, it has been a loooooooooooooong time since you were on NCL. Nowadays you can book your dining reservations online prior to the cruise and your major shows as well so you never have to get a pager or worry about missing a show. On our last cruise(Getaway) we never once had to wait for our table to be ready and we never had to worry about missing a show. The service was good to excellent in all venues.

 

My experience on NCL with suites is that they do suites better than any other mass market line. Even on Jewel class ships, they offer a lot more perks than other lines and with the newest ships, there are even more perks than before making it an experience similar to being on a private yacht with the added ability to visit a cruise ship anytime as opposed to being on a huge cruise ship.