NCL v RCCL - our own opinion

[Burgmeister]

First off, a bit of background. This was our first NCL cruise (Epic) having previously sailed on three RCCL ships (Independence, Freedom and Explorer) and so it would provide an interesting comparison. I thought I would offer my own thoughts on what we preferred from each cruise line based only on our own judgements not anyone else’s. I’m sure that some people on here will have different preferences.

 

 

I would like to start up-front by saying that we had a brilliant time and that this posting is by no means a criticism of any cruise line – just observations based on our own experiences and preferences.

 

1. Cabin/Stateroom. We found the staterooms on each to be of a very similar standard. My family didn’t really like the bathroom arrangement on the Epic although my wife did concede that she liked to be able to use the sink whilst others were showering/doing other things! The main draw back for her was that it was difficult to keep the sliding door to the toilet quiet for her many nocturnal visits – thus disturbing others in the cabin. She could be far more discrete with the “normal” doors of RCCL. Really impressed by the storage space on the Epic though - more cupboards than IKEA!

 

 

 

2. Food – main eateries. As a family we thought the buffet restaurant on RCCL (Windjammer) had a better choice of food than at the Garden Café. We also thought the starters and desserts on RCCL in the main dining room were better. The steaks on NCL were much better than RCCL though – I really enjoyed them. The Manhatten Room was nice and my wife and daughter liked the relaxed vibe of Taste. We felt that they both lacked the “Wow” of the RCCL MDR though. I had read prior to our cruise that the service on NCL was slow. This was not our experience at all. If anything it was too quick – you’d hardly put your knife and fork down when the dessert menu appeared.

 

 

3. Food- “snack venues”. OK let’s get this out there - I love O’Sheehans. It was a brilliant place to go for Breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack. Top marks. Mmmmm, Thai chicken wings. The only thing that we missed from RCCL was the little coffee shop on the Royal Parade where you could get a nice little cake to go with your afternoon tea without needing to go to the buffet restaurant. If O’Sheehans had offered little cakes or cookies then we would never have had to leave!

 

 

4. Entertainment. This is definitely a preference thing. As a family we like the organised, set shows of RCCL. Every night something different in the main theatre. It just seemed much more of a “night out” to us. I get that this is not how NCL does their entertainment and that they go for a more informal night out type of vibe. Smaller venues and more choice, which I know will work for many. Having said that – we loved Burn the Floor and really enjoyed the fact that there was a small show by some of the Burn the Floor team in the Manhatten Room when we went down for dinner one night. The Cruise Director was someone called “Monica”. She lacked personality and charm but that is probably due to the fact that her first language is not English. I guess this is part of the deal when you are set up for a clientele with various languages.

 

 

5. Activities. The flumes were a definite hit. My daughter rode them at every opportunity. I thought that the queues would be ridiculous but that was never really the case, a real pleasant surprise. The pools were fine – nothing to choose between the 2 cruise lines. The hot tubs on both cruise lines had the same rules for use and the same lack of enforcing those rules. I was surprised that the quizzes on NCL didn’t have any prizes. I know the prizes on RCCL are crap but they are still prizes (pens, fridge magnets, baseball caps). Given that the Epic cruise was quite port intensive, and we had UBP I didn’t do many of the quizzes so can't really comment on how "good" they were.

 

 

6. Ship common areas. The Epic was well laid out but lacked the “wow” of a central atrium rising through the ship. I’m sure it’s a sensible use of space but didn’t feel “special”.

 

 

7. Bars. A definite edge to NCL here. The bars were very nice and varied. My favourite drinking bar was Shakers. The staff there were excellent and it didn’t seem to matter what cocktail I asked for, they knew it and made it with flair. A really nice ambience in the evening and a great way to end a day.

 

 

As I have written this it appears that I’m being more critical of NCL than RCCL but that is not what I intended when I set out. I really enjoyed my cruise on Epic and I would certainly like to cruise NCL again, particularly if they can offer some decent itineries out of Southampton.

 

These are our own personal thoughts on the differences between the 2. I’m sure many of you have different preferences and requirements.

 

Finally, a note on the cost of the cruise. We booked when the 3rd passenger went for £100 and we all got a drinks package (2xUBP, 1xSoda). The cost was £2220, excluding flights for a “mini suite”. At the time of booking, RCCL couldn’t get anywhere close to that deal so £ for £ NCL won hands down.

 

If anyone has any questions on the Epic that Keith Jenner can’t or hasn’t already answered, I can give it a go.

[Burgmeister]

Forgot when I was discussing the Buffet restaurant. We thought the inclusion of "proper" scoop ice cream was a definite plus on Epic

[KeithJenner]

As I have written this it appears that I’m being more critical of NCL than RCCL but that is not what I intended when I set out. I really enjoyed my cruise on Epic and I would certainly like to cruise NCL again, particularly if they can offer some decent itineries out of Southampton.

 

I don't think it comes across that way at all. A very fair assessment in my opinion.

 

I think we were lucky in our timing. From comments I've heard over the past few months, it does seem that there have been some problems with the service levels, which I didn't notice at all, and also cruises in the previous weeks seem to have been more affected by the big groups onboard than ours was.

 

I went with expecting lower service levels than previously on NCL, but everything was fine.

 

If you are looking at NCL out of Southampton in the future, then the Jade is a nice ship. It's a lot smaller than the Epic and, whilst the dining is done the same way, the entertainment is more traditional. It sounds like that would work better for you. You don't get all the slides though.

[Nola26]

Appreciate your perspective, thank you. I haven't sailed Epic, but hopefully some day. I've only sailed Sky and Getaway with NCL and I've really come to appreciate the line. Escape is coming this summer and we're excited.

 

I'm also a fan of the scoop ice cream at the buffet. ;)

[Burgmeister]

I don't think it comes across that way at all. A very fair assessment in my opinion.

 

I think we were lucky in our timing. From comments I've heard over the past few months, it does seem that there have been some problems with the service levels, which I didn't notice at all, and also cruises in the previous weeks seem to have been more affected by the big groups onboard than ours was.

 

I went with expecting lower service levels than previously on NCL, but everything was fine.

 

If you are looking at NCL out of Southampton in the future, then the Jade is a nice ship. It's a lot smaller than the Epic and, whilst the dining is done the same way, the entertainment is more traditional. It sounds like that would work better for you. You don't get all the slides though.

 

Having looked at next year's itinerary I don't think Jade is sailing from Southampton during the school holidays (I think it goes over to Copenhagen). I think my daughter's favourite thing about the Epic was the flumes so I'm not sure she'd be happy on the Jade anyway!

 

Might give it a miss next year and save up for the following year. Maybe things will have changed by then and more ships may be going out of the UK.

 

Sorry we missed you on this trip. I met up with Welshdoc and his lovely family many times following a chance encounter on the Circumvesuviana on the way to Ercolano, but no-one else.

 

Thanks for all the pre-trip tips, I'm sure they enabled us to get the most out of our, all-to-short, cruise.

 

Edit: Just to agree with you really, the service was excellent. The wait times at the bars were very short and the service in the restaurant was quick. We didn't encounter any issues with large groups at all which was a relief and also didn't have any issues with any rude guests of any nationality.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Burgmeister