Have you sailed NCL Spirit and Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas?

[3redheads]

I also posted this on the Royal board.

 

I'm currently booked on Vision for Sept 2018 Mediterranean, but I've been to a few of the ports before..

 

NCL Spirit has some new ports and it's cheaper. The reviews for the two ships are very similar.

 

Has anyone sailed both and how do they compare? We've never sailed NCL. I know it's about the ports, but we also want a good experience onboard.

 

Thanks!

[Eleteace]

I haven't cruised on the vision so I can't comment on that but I'm 100% in love with the spirit!

 

She's a little older but don't let that put you off, she's got so much space which the newer ships have and she's got a gorgeous atrium. Photos here: http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/10/15/ncls-norwegian-spirit-my-favourite-cruise-ship/

 

As far as experience onboard goes I love the spirit, but it doesn't have the gimmicks of the newer ships (no water slides etc, but a proper sized pool!)

 

Anyway I could go on forever. 1 vote for spirit. Haha.

 

 

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[cabana_man]

I have been on been on both ships, multiple times on Spirit. Most recently the med iten this past Oct. The last time I was on vision of the seas was when it was sailing out of L A for the Mexican Rivera, so that has to have been more than 5-6 years ago.

Both ships are older and smaller than the newer ships in each company's fleet.

Both offer specialty dining options with Spirit having the edge, however the main dining room on the Vision is nicer and if you are used to or prefer having a designated dining time - then the nod goes to Vision.

 

We booked a balcony on the Vision and I remember it to be a decent size- larger than the balcony on the Spirit (both the cabin and the balcony). Having said that I would not make that my deciding factor on which ship I chose.

The Spirit has some unique features that make it a favorite among Ncl cruisers- the decor, the crew, the placement of the theater (at the rear of the ship), the viewing area for the bridge. However the ship is starting to show its age and I cannot really make a comparison to the Vision since it has been several years since I was on her.

 

I will tell you that the the med iteniarary from NCL is intense, and you will look forward to your sea days so that you can slow down. I guess you could say that the ship is secondary to the ports.

So for me I would pick Spirit because it offers a better iten. than RCL

[3redheads]

Thanks for the responses! Loved the photos. Guess I just have to figure out which itinerary is best.

[Cassicruiser]

We were on the Spirit 3 weeks ago, and have also sailed on Rhapsody of the seas (sister ship to Vision). Both are older but beautifully kept. Hard to say which is better. We have sailed on slightly newer ships with more amenities, but saying that you really don't need more amenities in the Med as it's so port intensive. We were up at 6.30 every day, came back from exhausting fun filled port days, had dinner, watched the show and went to bed.

There are pros and cons to both, and as a cruiseline we prefer Royal to Norwegian, but one thing we loved about the Spirit that the Vision doesn't have is the multi level aft outside deck where we spent most of our time. Beautiful.

Honestly, as most people will agree, for the Med, you need to pick the best itinerary for you, the ship is really secondary.

[3redheads]

We ended up booking HAL Oosterdam around the same time frame. Love the itinerary! Thanks for the advice. Ports over ship.