Regular NCL NYC Cruiser Making the switch to RCCL

[SilentHill]

Hello all of the RCCL crowd!

 

As a brief background statement, I feel NCL is trying to break away from their budget persona and I figure if I'm going to pay more on NCL I might as well just go to a better rated cruise line for similar cash, so here we are at RCCL.

 

I have some questions about some cruise related stuff I'm used to or miss from NCL, hopefully you guys and girls can help! All questions are in relation specifically about RCCL cruises out of NJ.

 

1. Does RCCL usually have last minute deals? NCL has mostly done away with lowering the prices on the leftover cabins a week or two from sailing, It's not really that important to me, but I think it will be good to know.

 

2. NCL recently banned the bringing on-board of Soda, does RCCL allow this? What about water bottles? Also what soft drink company do they cater to on board Coke or Pepsi? We would normally bring a 12 pack of Coke-Zero onboard NCL because Coke wasn't available on-board. We would have our steward empty the mini-fridge for us, can they do that on RCCL as well?

 

3. Does RCCL mytime dining mean you can show up to a MDR or specialty restaurant when you want? If not when do you decide when you want to eat? Are tables for 2 available anywhere?

 

4. With the NCL Breakaway class ships, the whole idea of "freestyle" kind of went out the window. NCL requires reservations for their shows, which generally runs the same 3 acts throughout the cruise on different nights with little variety, how does this compare to RCCL? Are there new acts every night? first come first serve or reservation?

 

5. How does the food compare in general between NCL and RCCL? We have found the food on NCL to be acceptable, just wondering if it's similar between the two or better.

 

6. Any secret charges? NCL likes to nickel and dime, while my wife and I don't usually drink or partake in photos, we might if the amenities were a little less expensive, on NCL they charge for pretty much everything from arcade games to a good steak dinner, how does this compare with RCCL?

 

I might have more questions later, if any other past NCL cruisers here have any suggestions or points to bring up when comparing the two I'm all ears. I like to be as prepared as possible before I go on a cruise so I can relax and know what to do when I get there.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited October 15, 2016 by SilentHill

[JAMESCC]

All I can say is we did our first NCL cruise on Breakaway a few weeks ago after doing 3 RCI cruises and I'm glad to be coming back to RCI. Ship design, and layout there is no comparison, RCI wins hands down. Breakaway is gorgeous but too broken up, it causes major bottle necks, and has very bad passenger flow. I know RCI does ship layout, and passenger flow better than anyone. Also RCI does elevators right, Breakaway's elevator situation was really, really bad.

On your list I can only answer one question, RCI has Coke products, and that is great to me, I like Coke products much better than Pepsi.

[Shelli]

You'll find many more similarities between the two lines than you will differences... at least, major differences. I tend to book cruises by price, and this time around we got a fabulous deal on our upcoming cruise, so we booked RCI. Last Feb. we got a great deal on Norwegian Escape, so we booked NCL (and LOVED that ship, btw!).

 

Yes, My Time Dining is pretty much the same as Freestyle. Some folks suggest you make reservations (you can even do that online when you near the date of your cruise), but last time (summer of 2015) we cruised RCI, we just showed up when hungry, and it was no problem.

 

Included food is fair to middling these days on all cruise lines, it seems. But we don't mind it-- there's always something that's good. Yes, they encourage you to upgrade dining to premium restaurants onboard-- sound familiar? :) But we don't usually.

[138east]

So you're basically talking about sailing Anthem out of Cape Liberty?

 

RCL has a no soda policy that is not enforced at most departure ports. No one has reported any issues bringing on soda at Cape Liberty.

 

What time of year do you like to sail and for how many days? From May to October Anthem has been alternating a 5 night Bermuda cruise with a 9 night Bermuda/Caribbean or New England cruise. The rest of the year it does primarily 7 day Nassau, Port Canaveral, & Coco Cay or 12 day Southern Caribbean cruises.

 

What kind of cabin do you usually book? Last minute booking prices can start to drop after final payment, but they don't seem to go much lower because folks snap up the deals. Anthem sails full over Christmas/New Years and from Presidents Day to Easter because of all the staggered Spring breaks.

[mjkacmom]

I think you will find more similarities than differences with all of the mainstream cruise lines. All charge for photos, alcohol, arcade, specialty restaurants (I think RCCL's ships steakhouse costs more than Cagneys used to), specialty coffee. I've only sailed DCL and NCL, but would love to try the anthem someday, since it's 10 miles away. I expect the same extra charges.

[39august]

Yes, RCI has late sales for unsold cabins on selected cruises and selected dates. It is called "Going, Going, Gone Sale" and is posted for general public every Tues. I believe. On Anthem and Oasis class ships you can reserve shows on line before boarding. But there is always a standby line that opens up about 10 minutes before show times for all without reservations. A good steak dinner does require a specialty restaurant for charge. Arcades, bingo, and casino require a charge. However none of the shows, the climbing wall, the flow-rider, ping pong, miniature golf, ice skating, bumper cars,sports court, slides or kids club have charges. And there are several complimentary food choices on Anthem and Oasis class ships.

[nealstuber]

If you're taking about Anthem or Oasis class vessels, there are more similarities to NCL with respect to show and restaurant reservations than the rest of the fleet.

 

 

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[nealstuber]

If you're taking about Anthem or Oasis class vessels, there are more similarities to NCL with respect to show and restaurant reservations than the rest of the fleet. You have more freedom, but with it comes responsibility for along reservations, understanding what conflicts there are with shows and dining or doing the walk up thing and dealing with the possibility of a wake up time.

 

So if you're looking to leave NCL to avoid those type of things, and you're sailing from NY, Celebrity or even Carnival might be a better bet for you.

 

 

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[cyndepet]

We recently did 2 Breakaway cruises and just came back from Anthem. I think the basic cruise stuff is very similar between the 2 (food, shows etc.). Anthem has some really cool stuff and shows, but now that we've done them once, I don't feel the need to do them again. I'd like to try an Oasis class ship next, but we have NCL Escape booked for next August.

 

I think NCL continues to be a better value for us. We normally book the least expensive Haven cabin and get all the promos included. On RCCL, for a superior balcony cabin, by the time we paid for some specialty dining and the drink package, we were pretty close in price to what we paid for Haven cabins on NCL.

 

But if you're happy with NCL's product, I think you'll be happy with Anthem!

[DaisyL]

As others have said, we find more similarities than differences. Most of our cruises are with NCL and although we love them, we have enjoyed our RCCL cruises more. I think RCCL is more organized than NCL and the staff friendlier.

 

We have cruised both Breakaway and Anthem and like the RCCL experience and ship more. The BA was much more crowded than Anthem, everywhere; pool deck, buffet, bars, show venus, lines for dining room, etc. Having said that, we love the Gem (and sister ships) so we wouldn't hesitate to cruise again on that class.

 

Over the last few years, we have found that the price of NCL cruises have increased where they are now comparable to RCCL. We do not book suites but usually balcony cabins.

 

We recently booked the Thanksgiving cruise on Anthem, at a fantastic rate! Last minute deal for us. Really looking forward to it.

 

We prefer the meal quality on RCCL to NCL at all venues, complimentary and pay, but that is subjective.

 

'Nickel and dime' and extra charges are comparable between the 2 lines.

 

I think others have addressed your other concerns already.

 

We have cruised on Explorer, Liberty, and Anthem out of NJ and loved it!

[SilentHill]

Thanks everyone for the great info!

 

So you're basically talking about sailing Anthem out of Cape Liberty?

 

RCL has a no soda policy that is not enforced at most departure ports. No one has reported any issues bringing on soda at Cape Liberty.

 

What time of year do you like to sail and for how many days? From May to October Anthem has been alternating a 5 night Bermuda cruise with a 9 night Bermuda/Caribbean or New England cruise. The rest of the year it does primarily 7 day Nassau, Port Canaveral, & Coco Cay or 12 day Southern Caribbean cruises.

 

What kind of cabin do you usually book? Last minute booking prices can start to drop after final payment, but they don't seem to go much lower because folks snap up the deals. Anthem sails full over Christmas/New Years and from Presidents Day to Easter because of all the staggered Spring breaks.

 

If Anthem is what is going our of Liberty then yes, I live in NY, so taking cruises from NY / NJ cuts my costs immensely, no hotel, and my TA runs shuttles to the piers from convenient pickup points.

 

We usually book in October, and because of Hurricanes, we usually like to book last minute, although we are looking at November and early spring as options.

 

On NCL we are fond of AFT Balconies, but any Balcony would do really.

[SilentHill]

We recently did 2 Breakaway cruises and just came back from Anthem. I think the basic cruise stuff is very similar between the 2 (food, shows etc.). Anthem has some really cool stuff and shows, but now that we've done them once, I don't feel the need to do them again. I'd like to try an Oasis class ship next, but we have NCL Escape booked for next August.

 

I think NCL continues to be a better value for us. We normally book the least expensive Haven cabin and get all the promos included. On RCCL, for a superior balcony cabin, by the time we paid for some specialty dining and the drink package, we were pretty close in price to what we paid for Haven cabins on NCL.

 

But if you're happy with NCL's product, I think you'll be happy with Anthem!

 

Ah yea, we don't drink but if we did those NCL promos would be amazing.

 

Since you were recently on both ships, when I talk about the shows, for example, on the Breakaway there is Rock of Ages & Burn the Floor, and those are really the only two shows all week long.

 

When we were on the Gem / Jewel, there was a different act every night in the theater and we really enjoyed the diversity, because on the Breakaway, most nights we were left to hunt down stuff to do, instead of our nightly show routine we had on the smaller ships. Does RCCL (or should I call it RCI?) have diversity? Can we see a different show every night or have they gone the same directions as NCL with the two headliner type shows?

[SilentHill]

As others have said, we find more similarities than differences. Most of our cruises are with NCL and although we love them, we have enjoyed our RCCL cruises more. I think RCCL is more organized than NCL and the staff friendlier.

 

We have cruised both Breakaway and Anthem and like the RCCL experience and ship more. The BA was much more crowded than Anthem, everywhere; pool deck, buffet, bars, show venus, lines for dining room, etc. Having said that, we love the Gem (and sister ships) so we wouldn't hesitate to cruise again on that class.

 

Over the last few years, we have found that the price of NCL cruises have increased where they are now comparable to RCCL. We do not book suites but usually balcony cabins.

 

We recently booked the Thanksgiving cruise on Anthem, at a fantastic rate! Last minute deal for us. Really looking forward to it.

 

We prefer the meal quality on RCCL to NCL at all venues, complimentary and pay, but that is subjective.

 

'Nickel and dime' and extra charges are comparable between the 2 lines.

 

I think others have addressed your other concerns already.

 

We have cruised on Explorer, Liberty, and Anthem out of NJ and loved it!

 

This is kinda the direction I was going, we also love the NCL gem class ships, and also usually book balconies, and we noticed the price similarities as well, which is why we are jumping ship so to day, lol. The NCL "NO SODA / WATER" thing really sent me over the edge, we like to bring bottled water to the beach, and I really don't like Pepsi, so bringing my own Coke Zero was a highlight!

[F27TW]

I think another thing you will love (if u do balcony cabins) is the size difference.

 

Some friends of ours who are loyal NCL cruisers showed us pics of the balconies they've had on the Gem, Breakaway and Escape ... and they're TINY!

NCL balconies look like a little flowerbox compared to the larger ones on the RCCL ships!

[138east]

Thanks everyone for the great info!

 

 

 

If Anthem is what is going our of Liberty then yes, I live in NY, so taking cruises from NY / NJ cuts my costs immensely, no hotel, and my TA runs shuttles to the piers from convenient pickup points.

 

We usually book in October, and because of Hurricanes, we usually like to book last minute, although we are looking at November and early spring as options.

 

On NCL we are fond of AFT Balconies, but any Balcony would do really.

 

You need to do your research on the Anthem. The North Star, IFly, and puzzle room require reservations. They are currently offering We Will Rock You, the Gift, and Spectra's Cabaret, as well as other Entertainment. There are also bumper cars, rock climbing, roller skating, and a flow rider among other activities.

 

Anthem has obstructed balconies on deck 6, so it's possible you could get one of these with a balcony guarantee. There are several current threads discussing the DO balconies with lots of pictures.

[meadowlander]

Thanks everyone for the great info!

 

 

 

If Anthem is what is going our of Liberty then yes, I live in NY, so taking cruises from NY / NJ cuts my costs immensely, no hotel, and my TA runs shuttles to the piers from convenient pickup points.

 

We usually book in October, and because of Hurricanes, we usually like to book last minute, although we are looking at November and early spring as options.

 

On NCL we are fond of AFT Balconies, but any Balcony would do really.

 

As others have posted, Royal has a "going going gone sale" usually every Tuesday. Google that term and seek the PDF link to view the current sale.

This Tuesday's sale has 4 Anthem sailings over November and December.The 12 day sailing on 11/27 has significant savings on inside and ocean view and just a slight reduction on the balcony cabins.

[Swath]

Going, Going, Gone Sale

Open on Mondays for Crown & Anchor Members

Tuesday for General Public

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

[cyndepet]

Ah yea, we don't drink but if we did those NCL promos would be amazing.

 

Since you were recently on both ships, when I talk about the shows, for example, on the Breakaway there is Rock of Ages & Burn the Floor, and those are really the only two shows all week long.

 

When we were on the Gem / Jewel, there was a different act every night in the theater and we really enjoyed the diversity, because on the Breakaway, most nights we were left to hunt down stuff to do, instead of our nightly show routine we had on the smaller ships. Does RCCL (or should I call it RCI?) have diversity? Can we see a different show every night or have they gone the same directions as NCL with the two headliner type shows?

 

I'd say the entertainment would be similar on Breakaway and Anthem. You have the production shows on Anthem - We Will Rock You and The Gift in the theater, then Spectra's Cabaret in 270. You want to book these 3 ahead of time, and then get to the venues at least 30 minutes before showtime to get a decent seat. They do open up the shows to people without reservations at least 10 minutes before showtime, but there aren't normally good seats left.

 

They have other headliner shows throughout the week, magicians, comedians, music groups etc. that vary between sailings. This is also similar to Breakaway. But Anthem doesn't have a dedicated comedy club like Breakaway. I believe on our sailing they had 2 different comedians.

 

On another note, we had Dynamic Dining Choice and had to make reservations well in advance. Since this is going away at the end of November, I don't know how the My Time dining will be as far as needing to reserve ahead of time. In my opinion, this is where we actually gave points to Carnival. We never had to reserve in advance to dine on any of our sailings! (I know, you didn't ask about Carnival lol).

[DaisyL]

We don't bring soda or water on board but Anthem does have the Freestyle Coke machines which is used in conjunction with special chip imbedded cups and the beverage packages. My husband is happy to get his caffeine-free diet cokes with special added flavors. It's an option albeit more expensive than bringing your own.

 

In the past I walk on board with a couple of bottles of water in my back pack and just fill the empty bottles up with tap water from the room and keep them chilled in the fridge. Now we get the drink packages (changed to Deluxe) and get bottled water throughout the day at a bar, and always have bottled water on hand to take off the ship when needed. I still bring a few bottles of water for the car ride and waiting, but can recycle the bottles.

 

As others said, the standard cabins and balconies on the Anthem are bigger than NCL ships. We have stayed in aft facing balconies with NCL (love them) but not with RCI so I can't compare those.

 

We only have had traditional dining with RCCL (or DD Classic) because we travel with family but find the experience enjoyable. Freestyle has worked well for us with NCL (always small groups) except our one cruise on BA where we had to wait. We also had My Time on Carnival once, with another couple, and that worked very well without waits.

 

This is kinda the direction I was going, we also love the NCL gem class ships, and also usually book balconies, and we noticed the price similarities as well, which is why we are jumping ship so to day, lol. The NCL "NO SODA / WATER" thing really sent me over the edge, we like to bring bottled water to the beach, and I really don't like Pepsi, so bringing my own Coke Zero was a highlight!