RCL vs. NCL (Epic)

[syracr]

OK.

I am posting this in both forums since I know I will get opinions bias toward the line that "owns" the thread. but here goes.....

 

I am an devoted RCL cruise (Diamond member).

 

I have always been a bit intrigued by the Norwegian EPIC, and have just booked a cruise with them. For those of you that have experience with both, what are your thoughts (good and bad)

 

how do they compare:

Ships?

Crew?

Activities?

Food?

Intangibles?

 

I am curious to see what y'all think...

 

thanks in advance for your replies

[Cruzaholic41]

I've been on the Epic and I will never sail that ship again. First, the ship and crew can't compare to RCI. There's good reason NCL only built one of those ships. It's a failed, unpopular design. The cabin design with the shower in the bedroom instead of the bathroom is stupid. There's no privacy and if you take a warm shower, you better pray your AC is working properly.

 

NCL food in general is awful. No other cruise line pushes passengers to the specialty restaurants to the extent NCL does. Even room service costs $7.95 24/7.

 

About the only thing that is comparable to RCI is the activities and entertainment.

 

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. I hope your experience is better.

[champagne123]

I've been on the Epic and I will never sail that ship again. First, the ship and crew can't compare to RCI. There's good reason NCL only built one of those ships. It's a failed, unpopular design. The cabin design with the shower in the bedroom instead of the bathroom is stupid. There's no privacy and if you take a warm shower, you better pray your AC is working properly.

 

NCL food in general is awful. No other cruise line pushes passengers to the specialty restaurants to the extent NCL does. Even room service costs $7.95 24/7.

 

About the only thing that is comparable to RCI is the activities and entertainment.

 

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. I hope your experience is better.

 

Hahahaha....when the Epic first came out, I sent away for the brochure..it looked amazing and the initial prices were not bad. After seeing the bathroom situation, I quickly changed my mind.:D:D:D

 

 

Oh....PS.....WE LOVED NCL'S BREAKAWAY THOUGH.

Edited March 9, 2016 by champagne123
MMMMMM

[bfree32]

WOW.....we are also RCCL Diamond members. We really enjoy the NCL product. We have been on Epic twice and more recently Getaway. Lots of fun. We have booked NCL Haven Suites recently and really love them.

 

Our opinion: NCL Haven experience >> RCCL >> NCL regular cabin.

 

Aside from a family suite on some older RCCL ships, we have not been in a suite on RCCL. So it can be said that we are comparing apples to oranges. But some of the extras that RC is offering seem to be a direct answer to the experience on NCL. Private lounge, Coastal Kitchen, private deck areas.

 

IF you are booking a regular cabin, we would say that daytime is better on RCCL and nighttime better on NCL. Regular rooms on RCCL are usually a little better. We prefer dining room on RCCL. Prefer Buffets on NCL. Definitely like the specialty restaurants on NCL.

 

Hope that balances previous negative NCL review. We love them both!!

[champagne123]

WOW.....we are also RCCL Diamond members. We really enjoy the NCL product. We have been on Epic twice and more recently Getaway. Lots of fun. We have booked NCL Haven Suites recently and really love them.

 

Our opinion: NCL Haven experience >> RCCL >> NCL regular cabin.

 

Aside from a family suite on some older RCCL ships, we have not been in a suite on RCCL. So it can be said that we are comparing apples to oranges. But some of the extras that RC is offering seem to be a direct answer to the experience on NCL. Private lounge, Coastal Kitchen, private deck areas.

 

IF you are booking a regular cabin, we would say that daytime is better on RCCL and nighttime better on NCL. Regular rooms on RCCL are usually a little better. We prefer dining room on RCCL. Prefer Buffets on NCL. Definitely like the specialty restaurants on NCL.

 

Hope that balances previous negative NCL review. We love them both!!

 

I didn't think my review was negative. I stated that I loved NCL's Breakaway (sister ship of the Getaway)

I just didn't want a "voyeur" bathroom. :eek: I am sure most people would be fine with it...I am just not one of them.

 

HAPPY CRUISING :):):)

[Denversail]

I'm also a diamond with Royal. Have been seriously considering Escape. Getting more and more tempted lately. I've never sailed with NCL. She might be our next adult cruise after Liberty this month.

 

With NCL's drink packages I've gotten the impression it might not be the best idea if traveling with children. Everyone seems to have such different experiences. I guess you'll never know for yourself until you have a taste.

[elaine5]

been on multiple RCCL and also on Epic (in Europe). Since you are familiar with RCCL, here's my view of Epic:

 

pros-MDR food better than RCCL, good pm entertainment--different than typical cruise ship sing/dance--on our ship we had fake Beatles (on in atrium--should have been in a theater), fake singers (Adele, Tom Jones, Tina Turner), Spanish dancers, blue man group, another that we didn't have time to attend, and the Cirque show--food was fine and show was great. We paid extra for better seats--no need, IMHO, as it is a small place. Fun, big water slide thing (I went on it at 50 yrs old). fun bowling alley for my teens. Fun pub with free food-teens liked it.

cons--weird bathroom, no privacy, pool area feels very crowded and closed in. Epic did not utilize the back outdoor movie screen very well.

Epic felt a bit more like a floating hotel than a cruise ship. Epic is a good ship, which I liked and would choose over older RCCL ships, if you don't mind the bathrooms--fine for a couple--but issue for traveling with teens, grandmother, friends cruising together.

Edited March 9, 2016 by elaine5

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I've been on the Epic and I will never sail that ship again. First, the ship and crew can't compare to RCI. There's good reason NCL only built one of those ships. It's a failed, unpopular design. The cabin design with the shower in the bedroom instead of the bathroom is stupid. There's no privacy and if you take a warm shower, you better pray your AC is working properly.

 

NCL food in general is awful. No other cruise line pushes passengers to the specialty restaurants to the extent NCL does. Even room service costs $7.95 24/7.

 

About the only thing that is comparable to RCI is the activities and entertainment.

 

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. I hope your experience is better.

 

Agree with almost everything here. Ship layout was just bad, and crew was not nearly as friendly as RCI. The bathroom situation was terrible, especially with 2 parents and a teenager in a balcony cabin. Although I didn't think the food was terrible, it was not as good as RCI. I also noticed the major push towards the specialty restaurants.

 

 

Our opinion: NCL Haven experience >> RCCL >> NCL regular cabin.

 

Can't speak towards the NCL suite experience, but a regular RCI cabin is definitely above a regular NCL cabin in terms of the whole cruise experience. The only way I would sail on NCL again would be if I stayed in the Haven.

Edited March 9, 2016 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[coaster]

No wrap around promenade deck on Epic. Major design flaw. Deal breaker as far as I am concerned.

 

Sent from my X10 using Tapatalk

[papcx]

Hi there.

 

I've sailed Anthem, Allure and Epic (plus Jade)

 

Excuse the writing style (it's late and I should get to bed)

 

Epic's a nice ship but there's not enough public spaces in lounges and bars. I cruised with my DW and our mums so finding 4 seats in a bar was impossible. Largest lounge (Bliss) the bar didn't open till 5PM.

 

Food, not a massive food snob (not a dig at anyone) but I think Royal was (very) slightly better. However Cagney's, the steakhouse was excellent. The cirque Dreams and dinner show is one of the best thing I've seen on a cruise ship. BOOK IT NOW!!!!

 

Entertainment. I've seen better acts on Royal, Spectra's Caberet on Anthem and Ocean Aria on Allure but overall Epic was better because EVER act was a very high standard. Burn the floor is fantastic, Priscilla again fantastic and the Epic Beatles rocked it every time. All the other acts were great too.

 

Ship layout. Epic imo is poor. We were in the Med in Feb so the pool deck was really out of use so all other areas were really busy (as I said above re: bars) "The largest Casino at sea" is a waste of space. Table after table and machine after machine not been used. And to get anywhere usually meant you had to walk through it. Both Anthem and Allure spread the passengers better. And of course, the sink in the cabin issue!

 

Service, equal. You'll always get one or two who aren't quite right (a bad day, or maybe bad news from home) but 3 square meals, entertainment and transport to the next amazing port is all that matters to me.

 

For me Royal has it. We still had a fantastic Epic cruise, but we alway do; because your on a cruise, would you prefer to be working?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jeremiah1212]

Despite Epic being the ugliest thing no the seas, people have a love or hate relationship with her. I've only sailed NCL once on Escape and the layout leaves a lot to be desired. There are several 'WTH' moments as you walk around and wonder who thought that was a good idea. Epic's pool and sundeck is more open than Escape pool 'pit' but its still crowded and cluttered. I would take pretty much any RCL ship over an NCL ship.

[rance]

I've been on 2 ncl cruises and imo there is no comparison to royal...we love pools and the pools on breakaway and epic are horrible. Way over crowded and not enough of them...they have a grotto type shower instead of a pool aft ship...

[matj2000]

Every cruise line is different, all have pro's & con's.

 

One persons worst cruise is another's favorite.

 

It's all in that persons experience.

 

For me, it's all in the overall value.

 

If money was not an issue, I sure as H#@) would not be doing mass market cruise lines.

 

We have done NCL 2 times and enjoyed them both.

 

They have a lot of cool stuff the others didn't.

 

In fact I booked the Epic for this Thanksgiving.

 

I could never imagine being "devoted" to a cruise line..

[jstarling]

We did the Eastbound Transatlantic on Epic last spring and had a wonderful smooth ride. The entertainment was superb. Particularly impressed by reservations for the shows. No holding seats!

The bathroom setup was strange.

Biggest downside was the lack of outside promenade for walking. As someone else said, more like a big floating hotel.

This fall we are doing the westbound Transatlantic on Brillance and looking forward to our first RCI experience.

[Newbcruiser1]

I have been on 10 cruises - the majority with RCI, including the radiance class, voyager class, freedom class, quantum class, and oasis class! The outliers have been 2 Celebrity cruises (both on the Millennium class) and on the NCL Epic about a year ago. So how did I find the Epic (my only NCL experience) in comparison to RCI?

 

I was pleasantly surprised!!! I really enjoyed it!

 

Food: I really liked it! I didn't have anything that I disliked, and I LOVED the smoked salmon tartare on the every night menu - I still crave it on an-almost daily basis! I found the meat to be better quality, the menus more varied, etc! I also really enjoyed freestyle dining! It seemed so much better-run than my experiences with Anytime dining on RCI - less wait times, and no "need" for reservations! It was truly a "show up when you want" system. I also liked having the option of 2 different restaurants with the same menu but a different ambiance. And I liked having the option to eat in O'Sheehans free of charge too! I ate there a couple times for breakfast, and for a late night snack or two! Oh and I also loved the teppanyaki and the Brazilian restaurants!

 

Ship: Took some getting used to with the layout being different than all of the typical RCI ships, but it worked and I liked it! Lots of different venues to hang out in, etc! The caveat - the pool deck seemed to have less space somehow... I think because the waterslide took up so much space. but...

 

The waterslides... Loved them! Particularly the big tube one!!!! I felt like a kid again, and rode it over and over again! Such a blast!

 

Other areas I enjoyed? loved the outdoor buffet/grill area with the outdoor seating near the pool band/dancing/whatever else! I absolutely loved grabbing a bite to eat and dining outside while watching all of the action! That area was a bit of a bottleneck when there was stuff going on, but it was worth it!

 

Crew - No problems! Seemed to be at par with RCI (in some cases, a little better!).

 

Entertainment - I'm in the 30-ish range and not a party-animal, and I found the entertainment to be SO much more age appropriate than on RCI!!! No 60's or 70's nights that I recall, no ABBA show, etc! Loved Blue Man Group, loved the comedy club, loved Howl at the Moon, etc! I also really enjoyed the outdoor parties at night! Spice H2O is a wonderful area with the huge TV screen, etc! I have to say I don't usually love the RCI parties at night, but I really enjoyed those on the Epic!

 

The Room: I stayed in a regular interior room. As others commented - the washroom layout isn't ideal, but as I was sailing solo, the glass doors weren't a problem at all! Would I have been comfortable if I was sailing with anyone else? Nope! Something about brushing your teeth in the middle of the room seems really odd too! I also found the room to be very dark... Both in terms of the lighting and the decor. I actually had trouble doing my makeup all week because of the poor lighting. Oh and my fridge - it smelled... Terrible! Like an old can of mushroom soup every time I opened it! I asked to have it fixed/replaced several times but nothing (worthwhile) was ever done about it. Not the end of the world, just an inconvenience.

 

And lastly - I was sailing as a solo and LOVED the studio lounge! I didn't stay in a studio but they allow any solos in during the evening get-together. I met so many people in there and we all had a blast! It was like I was cruising with a group of close friends.

 

So overall - loved it and would sail the Epic (or any of the newer NCL ships) again in a heartbeat!

[monctonguy]

Following this thread as I have been tempted to book a NCL cruise, due to high RCI prices and no drinks included which ends up costing about double the cost of a NCL cruise with drinks included.

[champagne123]

Following this thread as I have been tempted to book a NCL cruise, due to high RCI prices and no drinks included which ends up costing about double the cost of a NCL cruise with drinks included.

 

I just checked the prices for NCL'S Breakaway (which we LOVED) ..out of NYC and WOW....not bad at all..PLUS FREE drink package????? Can't beat it. :):):)

[Aquahound]

Following this thread as I have been tempted to book a NCL cruise, due to high RCI prices and no drinks included which ends up costing about double the cost of a NCL cruise with drinks included.

 

I'm not saying don't book Breakaway....I've never sailed that class, so have no opinion on it. What I will say, though, is one way or another, NCL gets their money. You might be surprised to learn that in the end, the cost is similar.

 

I sailed NCL on a deal like that, but with the way they still charge 18% gratuities on their "free" drinks, on board charges, and the cost of specialty restaurants that I didn't plan to book until experiencing awful service in their chaotic MDR, the total on board spending cost was much higher than my typical RCI cruises. All lines nickel and dime, but no one does it like NCL.

 

I know these are mostly based on options. I'm just saying...don't be surprised in the end if you spent more than planned.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Aquahound

[VetteLT193]

We haven't been on the Epic Fail but have been on the Dawn.

 

Besides the annoying washy washy people trying to spray you down with sanitizer the main thing that killed it for us was the service. We had a couple meals with good service but the vast majority sucked. IMO all the freestyle cruises have inconsistent service because the tip is not directly related to their pay.

[champagne123]

I'm not saying don't book Breakaway....I've never sailed that class, so have no opinion on it. What I will say, though, is one way or another, NCL gets their money. You might be surprised to learn that in the end, the cost is similar.

 

I sailed NCL on a deal like that, but with the way they still charge 18% gratuities on their "free" drinks, on board charges, and the cost of specialty restaurants that I didn't plan to book until experiencing awful service in their chaotic MDR, the total on board spending cost was much higher than my typical RCI cruises. All lines nickel and dime, but no one does it like NCL.

 

I know these are mostly based on options. I'm just saying...don't be surprised in the end if you spent more than planned.

 

I am not defending NCL. I have only been on the Breakaway and their system is different. There are 4 inclusive dining venues..just like the Anthem. I can't speak for the drink package, as we did not have it on that cruise, but RCCL adds 18 percent gratuity also..so I am confused as to what the difference is. I give you my word, we were never nickel and dimed for anything and it was the most inexpensive cruise we have been on. (7 day to Bermuda). RCCL'S to Bermuda is 5 and MANY dollars more ...and of course no "extra's". Just like you, I cannot speak for any other NCL ship, but I would cruise again on the Breakaway in a minute. JMO :):):)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm not saying don't book Breakaway....I've never sailed that class, so have no opinion on it. What I will say, though, is one way or another, NCL gets their money. You might be surprised to learn that in the end, the cost is similar.

 

I sailed NCL on a deal like that, but with the way they still charge 18% gratuities on their "free" drinks, on board charges, and the cost of specialty restaurants that I didn't plan to book until experiencing awful service in their chaotic MDR, the total on board spending cost was much higher than my typical RCI cruises. All lines nickel and dime, but no one does it like NCL.

 

I know these are mostly based on options. I'm just saying...don't be surprised in the end if you spent more than planned.

Agreed.

[Aquahound]

...but RCCL adds 18 percent gratuity also..so I am confused as to what the difference is.

 

I'm talking about the free package that is offered as a booking bonus. On NCL, they still charge you 18% gratuity on the free package....so it's not really free. Are you saying RCI does the same thing? I really don't know, but it would be the first I heard it.

 

As for the rest, those were my experiences on Dawn and Sky. Like I said, I haven't sailed Breakaway Class.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Aquahound

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm talking about the free package that is offered as a booking bonus. On NCL, they still charge you 18% gratuity on the free package....so it's not really free. Are you saying RCI does the same thing? I really don't know, but it would be the first I heard it.

 

As for the rest, those were my experiences on Dawn and Sky. Like I said, I haven't sailed Breakaway Class.

 

Royal's 18% gratuity is included when you purchase a drink package. To be clear, NCL charges that in addition?

[Aquahound]

Royal's 18% gratuity is included when you purchase a drink package. To be clear, NCL charges that in addition?

 

Yes, they do.

 

That's why when you choose the free package at booking, they still hit you with the 18%.

 

In the fine print of their Free at Sea campaign, it says "If you select one of those free choices, a promotional service charge will be added to your final amount due."

Edited March 10, 2016 by Aquahound

[champagne123]

Royal's 18% gratuity is included when you purchase a drink package. To be clear, NCL charges that in addition?

 

It is not included. I just purchased it this morning. It was $49 per day. When I went to go check out, it said "an additional 18% will be added on the check-out page".

 

As far as NCL, it does not offer free gratuities, it just offers the free beverage package.