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We Gave NCL a Shot....

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coldflame

coldflame

Posted
Posted
r...different strokes for different folks...

 

 

Well put. Not only rude, but very off putting. I'm not invested on either cruise line and find these comments as "pathetic balconies" kind of uncalled for an unnecessary. Yes, they are small, but for many people -- including my own family, as I have already stated -- not a deal breaker. A deal breaker would be unsafe, rusty, dirty or blocked view, and other things much more important than the size. Would a large balcony be nice? you bet. Not denying that. But I would hardly disqualify and bad-mouth a cruise ship based on the size of their balconies.

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Charles4515

Charles4515

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Posted
Well put. Not only rude, but very off putting. I'm not invested on either cruise line and find these comments as "pathetic balconies" kind of uncalled for an unnecessary. Yes, they are small, but for many people -- including my own family, as I have already stated -- not a deal breaker. A deal breaker would be unsafe, rusty, dirty or blocked view, and other things much more important than the size. Would a large balcony be nice? you bet. Not denying that. But I would hardly disqualify and bad-mouth a cruise ship based on the size of their balconies.

 

I don't care about the 15 people. I care about what I experienced myself. I have done 51 cruises and I am not loyal to any one cruise line. NCL Breakaway and NCL Dawn were my least favorite cruises. Less favorite than cruises I took on Carnival. It was not the balcony that was a deal killer. It was the food and service. I am skeptical about the 15 people unlesss they were in Haven. I do think if you pay for Haven and pay for a specialty restaurant every evening you will get a much better experience on NCL.

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big al

big al

Posted
Posted
Well put. Not only rude, but very off putting. I'm not invested on either cruise line and find these comments as "pathetic balconies" kind of uncalled for an unnecessary. Yes, they are small, but for many people -- including my own family, as I have already stated -- not a deal breaker. A deal breaker would be unsafe, rusty, dirty or blocked view, and other things much more important than the size. Would a large balcony be nice? you bet. Not denying that. But I would hardly disqualify and bad-mouth a cruise ship based on the size of their balconies.

 

Well said..as I said, they are "pathetic" balconies..BUT, I cruise only in balcony cabins, and I thought also the Regal Princess's balconies were small..but it didn't prevent me from having a great time on her...

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big al

big al

Posted
Posted
I don't care about the 15 people. I care about what I experienced myself. I have done 51 cruises and I am not loyal to any one cruise line. NCL Breakaway and NCL Dawn were my least favorite cruises. Less favorite than cruises I took on Carnival. It was not the balcony that was a deal killer. It was the food and service. I am skeptical about the 15 people unlesss they were in Haven. I do think if you pay for Haven and pay for a specialty restaurant every evening you will get a much better experience on NCL.

 

I am telling the truth (again) ..I have been on 5 NCL cruises- Sun, Star,Pearl & Sky twice..all 5 had great shows & specialty dining was outstanding, MDR fair only..service fine..loved the Waterfront on the Getaway..RCI should have something simliar..now Carnival is putting outside dining on their new Vista ship...my friends loved the Illusionarium show & Legally Blonde AND said the "Burn The Floor" latin dancing show as "spectacular"...I went on the Oasis last Oct for a 5 night Halloween cruise with 7 others and we had a great time..yes, ALL 8 of us had a great time & loved both food & entertainment ( and normally I find RCI MDR food pretty mediocre, but this time, it was very good)...so, if 8 of us loved it, why can't 15 people love it???

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LuvBNatC

LuvBNatC

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We're intrigued by them too but we keep hearing that they have really small balconies. I might have to find out myself. We were in Bermuda on Summit along with the Breakaway. Many Breakaway passengers were complaining about the long walks through cabin corridors. All I could think was they must not have sailed Oasis and Allure. I mean, how bad could it be?

 

Standard balconies on Getaway (and, I assume, Breakaway) would more accurately be described as wide ledges. They're barely wide enough to fit an upright chair. Sitting out there with my knees almost touching the Plexiglas, it reminded me of a coach seat on a plane. Hardly conducive to stretching out and relaxing.

 

As for the walk, long ships are long and there's nothing to be done about that except perhaps installing horizontal escalators like they have in some airports? :D

 

I cut my cruising teeth on the 1,035-ft. SS Norway, whose corridors seemed endless. Loved walking every inch of them. :)

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roe2ship

roe2ship

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Posted
You are wrong..not only that..I went to my Podiatrist yesterday and he just got off the Getaway and he has done both Oasis & Allure..he also told me his wife & 2 kids had a better time on the Getaway than the 2 RCI ships- and he is Diamond, as am I...and don't be so rude..I've done 31 cruises, 14 on RCI, and love RCI..but I don't lie ( never about cruises), and don't exaggerate..I agree the balconies are smaller, but you don't eat the balconies, and as a friend no doubt will come on here and tell you, he didn't mind too much when he was on the sister ship, the Breakaway..BTW, I thought the bathrooms & shower on the Getaway were much nicer than the Oasis...my friend was on the sister ship Breakaway and told me today that he "can't believe anyone would not like these ships..I can't.."....and my friend said the MDR was pretty mediocre, but they were offered the specialty dining package and took it & loved it, as did most of the people I booked..to the other wise guys, I don't "stir" things up...I don't post nearly as much as I used to..too many bullies & too many rude people on these boards..If you didn't like the Getaway & NCL, don't cruise them again..BTW, my friend who will no doubt come on this went on the Adventure Of The Seas last Feb '14 , and said THAT was the worst cruise on RCI they had been on- mediocre to terrible food & terrible shows, and told me the Breakaway was 10x better...different strokes for different folks...
Please re-read my comment - OP = Original poster. That statement was referring to the original poster, not you.:)
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nbsjcruiser Great Review Rare

nbsjcruiser

Posted
Posted
After sailing aboard Getaway for the last 7 days I can say with confidence...NEVER again.

I will remain Loyal to Royal!!

Feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding differences between the two lines.

 

I've always found NCL very comparable to RCI in all aspects but I'd be interested to hear what it was on the Getaway that turned you off.

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tinkertoy9000

tinkertoy9000

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Posted
I cruised NCL 13 times, loved the Norway in the 1980's sailed her 7 times, but they went downhill after they did away with standard dinning, food and service was just bad. It is the only line I have cruised with that I would never cruise again.

 

 

 

I agree with what you have said. I began cruising with NCL and did about 6 with them before trying another line. I had bad experiences in NCL Gem and after that never went back.

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Ctrinh225

Ctrinh225

Posted
Posted

The OP also posted on the NCL forum with no real explanations. My first cruise was on Liberty of the Seas and I loved it. Thought it couldn't get better! After 4 times with RCCL, we decided on NCL Getaway in Feb. I also loved it. Yes, there are differences in the positives and the negatives.

My future cruises will be twice on the new NCL Escape and then Harmony of the Seas (which might blow my mind!).

We prepay our gratuities and always bring extra to tip. On both lines, the service was EXCEPTIONAL. I would love to try new lines like Celebrity.

I do play in the casinos....I believed NCL far exceeds in giving comp cruises more than RCCL. Playing 4 times on Royal gave me only a percentage but only played once on NCL....they gave me a free OV and a free balcony on the new Escape.

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deliver42

deliver42

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Posted

I'm not going to comment further in NCL's new ships because I've only sailed NCL once, but I agree with the poster that even though the Norway had long hallways, the ship made up for it, and I never minded the walk. If she was still sailing, then I would be on NCL again, in spite of her age. The Norway was that different.

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Virtopia

Virtopia

Posted
Posted

Those balcony pics made me cringe! I normally cruise solo and if I got that for all the extra money I'm paying, I'd be so upset. Thanks for the pictures, that's a real eye opener!

 

I had a balcony on the Allure and I was able to sleep out there and my feet didn't touch the glass ... I'm 5'4". It was the best experience ever!

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paulabr

paulabr

Posted
Posted

that's small.

we had jump ship rom RCL, only because NCL has aSouth America cruise that sails back to SFO our home, only have to fly one way, and 20 days, so tired of flying every place RCL goes.

Hope I didn't make a mistake:o

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roquejo

roquejo

Posted
Posted (edited)

Actually they are both generally equal give and take, with RCCL having better brand image so they can command a higher price.

 

In many cases, experiences vary from ship to ship. My last cruise with NCL was with Norwegian Sun last year and that ship is constantly getting high reviews here.

 

Not much in the hardware as the ship is really old, but the crew and service is really amazing.

 

There are also case where the hardware is really amazing, like my recent experience with Quantum in Asia last June, but the service is the worst among all the cruises I've took, mainly because most of the crew then are newly hired for the Chinese market so they are still adjusting and are at a lost most of the time.

Edited by roquejo
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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

Posted
Posted (edited)
I have heard good things about the Getaway?

 

What specifically did you not like?

 

The freestyle dining?

 

The ship layout, traffic flow, crowding?

 

The entertainment?

 

The rooms?

 

like you, I have heard mostly good things about the Getaway. It get high marks so I have to wonder what the OP experienced that was so negative. I noticed they have only sailed RCI.

 

BTW, to those who mention the small balconies on NCL, you are right; they are really small, but the do serve their purpose.

Edited by newmexicoNita
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Cruzaholic41

Cruzaholic41

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Posted
I'm not invested on either cruise line and find these comments as "pathetic balconies" kind of uncalled for an unnecessary.

 

You're offended by me referring to those tiny little ledge balconies as "pathetic?" Really? Just when I thought the Cruise Critic skin couldn't get any thinner. :rolleyes:

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