Will NCL be disappointing after Royal?

[LuCruise]

Looking at vacation for next summer. I've been on Grandeur, Voyager (with DH) and Allure (with DH and kids ...both under 12). I love Royal. I think it's really classy from decor , and with great variety of shows, activities , service, and shows. Also live how it's a family friendly ship. To us, it's more about the ship than the ports.

 

Next summer will most likely be a land trip but a cruise is in our future again. I love Royal but do keep an eye open at other lines. Next summer, last week in August has a great deal on Norwegian Escape.

 

After Royal(and especially after Allure), will we be disappointed with NCL? I'm posting on Royal board on purpose since I'd like perspective from fellow Royal cruisers.

 

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[Cruising Golfer]

Everyone has their own ideas of what they want from a cruise line... Here's mine... We have been on five major cruise lines and have enjoyed each one. I don't think we have ever been disappointed with a cruise (beats work).

If you go into the vacation with a good thought and open mind you will have a good time. I enjoy NCL, the food is very good, the show and well done and the people could not be any nicer... Give it a go and find out what you think, no other person will look at it the way you do... Enjoy!!! :cool:

[Big_G]

Only you can figure that out. Take the cruise and let us know. ;)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Okay... I'd usually try to avoid a direct comparison question like this simply because I don't want to be the one to change your mind. But, here it goes...

 

As you know, people have all different expectations, something that bothers me might not bother you. With that said, I won't be returning to NCL. I sailed the Epic and was disappointed. There was no major problems, but ship design and friendly service are my two top priorities - NCL did not shine in either of those categories. Now I have heard that their new ships like Escape have improved the design problems, but just from pictures/etc of their newer ships, I like Royal's ships better. I can't tell you whether service has improved, and I don't plan on finding out anytime soon.

Edited August 30, 2016 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[MikeBTN]

Not at all. My wife and I sailed Allure, then Freedom with the kids, then Escape with the kids. We enjoyed all three. There are more similarities than differences between the two lines. Escape is a beautiful ship. We enjoyed it so much with the kids that just the two of us are heading out for NYE this year on Escape.

 

1 - Decor is a bit more modern. There is a 3-story atrium, but its nothing like the Promenade.

 

2 - The Waterfront is a great spot to relax. I was surprised as to how under-utilized it was.

 

3 - Pool deck is small and odd. Definitely the worst part of the ship. There are plenty of loungers and places to grab sun, just don't expect to be RIGHT next to the pool.

 

4 - If you have kids, the splash zone is awesome. Smaller than Freedom, but just as much fun for ours, if not better.

 

5 - Price compared to Allure is great, plus (for us) free drinks (you pay the 18% gratuity) & free daily service charge.

 

6 - Balconies are slightly smaller than Allure. Room sizes fairly similar.

 

7 - Service was on par with Royal.

 

8 - More food options. MDR is actually open for lunch on embarkation day, which is a nice change of pace. O'Sheehan's is open 24/7 and has some decent food options, including wings! MDR, to me, was on par with Royal. Specialty restaurants are also on par with Royal's specialty restaurants. Just more to choose from.

 

9 - The biggest difference is NCL is a bit more casual. They have a "formal" night, they just call it a "dress up, or don't" night. Most choose to dress slightly nicer. You'll see a lot of khaki's and polos that night, about 20% have jackets, you'll still see some tuxes and formal gowns. Also with the exception of no swimwear (and Le Bistro), there isn't much of a dress code. It doesn't bother me, because I prefer to be a little more relaxed when on vacation.

 

 

I say venture out and try something different. I think you'll be happy with the Escape. We certainly were. We also have Carnival Vista and RCCL Anthem OTS scheduled for 2017.

Edited August 30, 2016 by MikeBTN

[SJS]

Truthfully I like Carnival better than NCL! But I'm not a fan of anytime dining. I like getting to know others at traditional dining and having the same waiters. I also did not like the food choices. Never got shrimp cocktail or crab cakes 😡

[Shelli]

I've been on numerous cruises on both lines, both in the distant past and the recent past. You'll find many more similarities than differences between them. We went on Norwegian Escape 6 months ago and *loved* it-- one of our favorite cruises ever! My only disappointment on that cruise was that lobster is no longer served in the MDR. But service everywhere was excellent-- at least as good, if not better, than any of my Royal Caribbean cruises!

[mailmama]

Having been on several cruise lines, here is my 2cents worth!! We were on the Escape and were not impressed. Not bad, just not great. They wanted to nickel and dime you into everything! The "free" beverage package has an 18% daily service charge of about $100 for the week. There is an upsell to the specialty dining. Otherwise the service in the main dining rooms is poor to nonexistent. The food was wonderful most times however. The Escape has a fun rope course and water slides so that is a big plus. The service from the crew are comparable on both lines. Royal does a much better job for entertainment/shows. The Escape ship just lacks to me any WOW factor in decor or design. Like I said, just my opinion but I prefer most of the other cruise lines over NCL.

[north29]

Cruise, but depending on your expectations you might fine a difference.

If price or itinerary are good for you go for it.

[champagne123]

Just my two cents. ALL cruise lines try to nickel and dime you. It is YOUR choice whether or not to spend you money. There is absolutely no reason to spend a dime if you choose not to. I would GLADLY pay the $100 gratuities if I received a free drink package. I have not been on the Escape, but have been on the Breakaway and we had a FABULOUS time. You do NOT have to go to the specialty dining rooms. There are 4/5 FREE dining rooms that are wonderful. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Waterfront...as I have stated soooo many times. Shows were great...loved the jazz club..I could go on and on, but we all had such a great time. :):):)

[hansolosmom]

As has been pointed out only you can know for sure.

 

We've done different cruise lines and for us the biggest thing is to try and NOT compare while on the ship. Our first foray into a different line we started doing the 'oh on Disney it would be like X' after doing it a few times, we told ourselves, this is not Disney it's Royal. After that we just started relaxing and enjoying the experience.

 

My sister, mom & I did NCL Breakaway this past March and we had a really good time. Yes it's different than RC, but that's the key to remember it's different not necessarily better or worse.

[clo6216]

I primarily cruise on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, though I’ve also enjoyed going on several other lines. Friends of mine were going on an NCL cruise with a great South America itinerary this past March. I resisted going because my last experience on NCL was on a 3-day “booze” cruise and I did not like it. Fortunately, I decided to go (when the single supplement was dropped and the price for a balcony became irresistible.) I did, however, lower my expectations. We all bought 6-day specialty dinner packages because we did not think the MDR food would be good. We were so wrong! I am so glad I went. The 15-day cruise was fantastic. It was aboard the Norwegian Sun, which isn’t even one of their newer ships. The crew, entertainment, food, bar service – everything – was excellent. I don’t think you will be disappointed. I certainly wasn’t. Go for it!

[Donna_In_India]

As mentioned, the cruise lines are more similar than different. Each line has its own pros/cons. It also depends on who you travel with and what you like to do. We don't like to get cozy with our dining team so NCL works well for us in that regard. On RCI we mostly eat in the Windjammer and thought the food on the Oasis was some of the worst we've had on a cruise but it was good/very good on the Serenade.

 

We travel with our daughter so the pool on the Oasis was great as was the rock climbing wall. On NCL she loves the slides, the rock climbing wall, and the ropes course. The shows (for her) are better on RCI. Have always had good service on NCL, it was unforgettable on Oasis, but amazing on Serenade. Rooms in the same category are very similar.

 

The waterfront on NCL is wonderful! Hated the Promenade on the Oasis and the feeling of being away from the water. Being close to the water - including the glass elevators - on Serenade is great.

 

We can find something great about every cruise line - and every ship we've been on. We are not loyal to any one line and it may surprise you to really enjoy something that you didn't expect to... While on the cruise we try to refrain from making comparisons and enjoy the cruise for what it is.

[mets07]

Just my two cents. ALL cruise lines try to nickel and dime you. It is YOUR choice whether or not to spend you money. There is absolutely no reason to spend a dime if you choose not to. I would GLADLY pay the $100 gratuities if I received a free drink package. I have not been on the Escape, but have been on the Breakaway and we had a FABULOUS time. You do NOT have to go to the specialty dining rooms. There are 4/5 FREE dining rooms that are wonderful. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Waterfront...as I have stated soooo many times. Shows were great...loved the jazz club..I could go on and on, but we all had such a great time. :):):)

 

I second this. Have mostly done RCCL, but loved the Breakaway and the Waterfront!

[emdia43]

Have you read the reviews from people who have sailed Escape recently?

They are very mixed.....

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=691

[Yorkvillain]

I was definitely not disappointed in the Escape. In fact I want to go back soon.

[Ashland]

You just might love it.....I wanted so much to love PCL (my example) after many years of cruising exclusively with RCI since PCL cruises out of my home port of San Pedro...I went with such an open mind...but the entire cruise something just felt "off" nothing I could put my finger on...but I guess it lacked the familiarity that RCI has for me.

[AdoraBelle]

Have you read the reviews from people who have sailed Escape recently?

They are very mixed.....

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=691

 

 

To be fair, the reviews of basically every ship on CC are mixed. I can't think of a cruise I've researched in the last year that didn't have some stomach-clenching one-star reviews on the very first page.

[Happy_Traveler_2008]

I have only sailed on 1 RCL cruise but multiple Norwegian cruises. There is much more entertainment variety on RCL. Food in MDR and buffet are also better on RCL. NCL has good speciality restaurants and cheaper fares overall. I enjoyed being on the Breakaway but am looking forward to my cruise on Allure. It is good to try different cruise lines as long as they offer good value.

[LuCruise]

Thanks for all the replies. I realise that each person has different opinions, but it's good to hear.

 

As mentioned, the cruise lines are more similar than different. Each line has its own pros/cons. It also depends on who you travel with and what you like to do. We don't like to get cozy with our dining team so NCL works well for us in that regard. On RCI we mostly eat in the Windjammer and thought the food on the Oasis was some of the worst we've had on a cruise but it was good/very good on the Serenade.

 

We travel with our daughter so the pool on the Oasis was great as was the rock climbing wall. On NCL she loves the slides, the rock climbing wall, and the ropes course. The shows (for her) are better on RCI. Have always had good service on NCL, it was unforgettable on Oasis, but amazing on Serenade. Rooms in the same category are very similar.

 

The waterfront on NCL is wonderful! Hated the Promenade on the Oasis and the feeling of being away from the water. Being close to the water - including the glass elevators - on Serenade is great.

 

We can find something great about every cruise line - and every ship we've been on. We are not loyal to any one line and it may surprise you to really enjoy something that you didn't expect to... While on the cruise we try to refrain from making comparisons and enjoy the cruise for what it is.

 

On our last cruise we did MTD and so just ate at our own table, which worked for us. We actually quite liked the MDR, but we're pretty easy going as long as there are food options for our diets (e.g. DS is picky, I don't eat beef or chicken).

 

The water area looks really neat on NCL, which is a big attraction for our kids. Royal is adding them, but Harmony prices are getting crazy so not sure that'll be in our budget (although Liberty is quite reasonable for the time of year we're looking). And the rope courses look pretty neat. Our kids lived at the rock wall so they definitely loved that (plus flowrider and zipline)

 

 

Having been on several cruise lines, here is my 2cents worth!! We were on the Escape and were not impressed. Not bad, just not great. They wanted to nickel and dime you into everything! The "free" beverage package has an 18% daily service charge of about $100 for the week. There is an upsell to the specialty dining. Otherwise the service in the main dining rooms is poor to nonexistent. The food was wonderful most times however. The Escape has a fun rope course and water slides so that is a big plus. The service from the crew are comparable on both lines. Royal does a much better job for entertainment/shows. The Escape ship just lacks to me any WOW factor in decor or design. Like I said, just my opinion but I prefer most of the other cruise lines over NCL.

 

Funny thing is...a lot of people make the same comment about Royal with nickle and dime-ing. We never felt that and just participated in what interested us (e.g. no speciality restaurants, but we did do character breakfast, soda package for dh, etc).

 

Your comment about the entertainment is what I wonder being most disappointed about. Royal's entertainment, especially on Allure is fantastic, so I do wonder about feeling nothing can match up...and we are big show people. But of course, it's not the only thing we go for.

 

If we do ever end up booking NCL (Escape or other), once we book, I would definitely go in with a positive attitude. It's just that when you're spending that kind of money and we only travel once every 1.5-2 years, we don't want to make a decision that is wrong for us.

[CapeCodCruiser]

We have loved both of our NCL cruises.

 

It is all very subjective anyway - try it - that's really the only way to know.

[packercruising]

Haven't read the other responses, but we like them both. If you like laid back and Freestyle, you should like NCL.

[LuCruise]

Haven't read the other responses, but we like them both. If you like laid back and Freestyle, you should like NCL.

 

Actually ironically, I'm more of a schedule person so I don't mind vacations where you need to book things.

[Dawniepoo]

I've been on 3 NCL cruises and disliked all but one of them. Not because of the ship design, but because of the service. The one I enjoyed was a long time ago on the Norway. That was at least a century ago :D

[denatravels]

I was happy with the service on NCL, but found it less personal because they don't get to know you like on Royal Caribbean (even with MTD).

I think the one thing that is NOT subjective is the the pool area on NCL is woefully insufficient!!

 

 

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