1st Time NCL Cruiser vs RCCL Getaway 5/1 - 5-8

[SheehanDJ]

Embarkation:

 

This was our only real concern as we have "status" with RCCL so get to wait in shorter lines. Wouldn't have mattered on this trip as boarding was a nightmare due to someone(s) attempting to hide on the ship and not disembark. Custom's made them disembark everyone from the ship including the crew, stowaways were finally found hiding in cabin.

 

NCL handled it as best as a situation like this could be handled. We were early so took the least amount of damage, muster drill got delayed an hour and the instant it was over the ship pulled out so sail away was a bit different. All worked out in the end though and once the crowds had a chance to disperse a bit it turned into a normal sailing.

 

Embarkation Day:

 

The amount of different places to eat on Embarkation day simply destroys RCCL. Royal really needs to steal this from NCL and at least open up the MDR for lunch the first day.

 

Food:

 

Food is subjective, and as far as the free places to eat I'd say it was standard cruise fare throughout the buffet's and dinning rooms. One exception would be O'Sheehans on rib night. The ribs were very tasty.

 

We had two paid meals on this trip. Moderno's was outstanding. People bring around skewers of different meats, what's not to love?

 

The Illusionarium was a major disappointment. The food was MDR quality and the show was something that would be offered free on RCCL.

 

NCL vs RCCL tie

 

The Ship:

 

The pool deck is a mess. Why is this ship so skinny?

 

H2O is outstanding, from folks on the boat I hear the ship that has the grotto in H2O is even better.

 

The water front is another real nice feature, needs more furniture though, there is plenty of room for it, chairs, couches and tables all the way down would have helped a lot at prime time pre and post dinner.

 

O'Sheehans overlooking deck 6 stage. We spent a lot of time here (as did most folks) as this was an entertainment hub. A wider ship would have fixed all the problems this created with traffic congestion. So would more seating. On embarkation day this is a nice open area, around 6pm a whole bunch of folding chairs are set up and it stays that way throughout the cruise, then they are put away on the last day.

 

NCL vs RCCL, have to give it to RCCL just for design reasons. Will see if this changes once we try different NCL ships.

 

Entertainment:

 

This one is easy. NCL. Royal has better production quality and a live band for the shows. Seeing Burn the Floor with a live band (not just a drummer) would have been awesome. NCL gets the entertainment nod just for the amount of options every night. We really enjoyed deciding what we wanted to do any given evening as opposed to seeing what there was to do. If that makes any sense.

 

Service:

 

This one is easy. RCCL. If you want a drink, you better go to the bar and get one because the few servers they do have roaming around already have 15-20 cards on their trays and are killing themselves trying to keep up. The Sunset bar and the Mojito bar would be the only two exceptions I found. The service problem isn't the servers, they are working their butt's off, NCL needs to hire more.

 

Casino:

 

Another easy one. RCCL. If you want to play black jack with a stand vegas shoe you need to go to the high roller area. The $5-$100 tables use a constant shuffle shoe. Pure and simply this is BS, gambling is a part of cruising we enjoy, as far as we are concerned NCL doesn't offer gambling.

 

Over All:

 

We know some in's and out's now when it comes to NCL. We wouldn't cruise on the Getaway or her sister again due to the ship layout, but we would try the cruise line again as they have a lot of features we enjoy. However, if offered 2 identical cruises between NCL and RCCL we would choose RCCL because of the lack of roaming servers.

 

All the above being said, we had a great cruise and really enjoyed the ship. I know it may read that we were being bitchy and whiny, but this is a review of sorts. If you are reading this and considering the Getaway, go! Get to O'Sheehans early and bring a drink, don't miss out on H2O for sun worshipping, and Manuel and Alex at the Sunset Bar outside are the two best bartenders you will find.

 

One last thing, I know he reads cruise critic because he told me so, if you are reading this, thanks again for those two beers while we were waiting for the wive's to finish shopping in Cozumel.

[retire2cruise55]

Thank you for your review. As an RCCL cruiser who is going on NCL-Getaway for the 1st time, this was very informative.

[JB_MN]

Thanks, we've gotten tired of RCCL (mostly on Oasis/Allure) and are trying Getaway next winter.

[Clarea]

Appreciate the comparison, thanks.

[retire2cruise55]

Thanks, we've gotten tired of RCCL (mostly on Oasis/Allure) and are trying Getaway next winter.

 

Us too! That's exactly why were are trying the Getaway.