Loyal NCL fans but considering a Royal Carribean cruise with friends. Seeking advice on differences pros/cons vs NCL.

[Jschloss84]

Hello all,

 

So let me explain my wife and I love NCL and just recently got off the Escape 8/19 sailing we have done 5 Norwegian cruises , 1 Carnival (we weren't fans) and 1 Princess (we enjoyed but it was with my parents so it was a different experience.

 

We have been talking to friends for years about our cruising adventures and finally they want to cruise! Great!!! So they went online and found the cruise they wanted 7 night Southern Caribbean on Freedom of the seas. Unfortunately the time of year we want to go NCL doesn't have a southern Carribean itinerary. Itinerary looks awesome, But we have no experience with RCCL. Ok, we're pretty flexible but we're a little concerned , we love the entertainment, service and food on Norwegian and have never had a "bad" experience compared to our experiences elsewhere.

 

For those of you whom have cruised RCCL how does it compare to NCL? Should we convince friends to do a different itinerary with NCL or be adventurous and try something new?

 

 

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[Still Dreaming]

You will love it! Just don't go in comparing everything. We have done royal but it was before they had open dinning room seating. We enjoyed the people we sat with but 7 nights of small talk???????

[KarimaJ]

We loved RC. The food was really good and we got a table by ourselves every night. The bigger ships have great shows, the ice shows and aerial shows. The pools are also much better then the big NCL ships.

 

 

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[perditax]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53916221

[Linda the Book Lover]

Try something new! Our friends did this itinerary two years ago from San Juan on RCCL and loved it. They are tired of RCCL and are going to try NCL to Alaska next year. Many of us sail different lines and some of us after trying just stick to what we really enjoy which for us is NCL. I think it is hard to compare unless there are things you will or will not like on a cruise as opinions are subjective.

[Son of a son of a ...]

What Linda said: "Try something new." We have been on both lines ... you aren't going to have a bad cruise on either one. Remember, service and experience is more about cabin category ($$) than cruise line.

[MikeBTN]

On board experiences will be more similar than different. My general comparisons:

 

- I prefer NCL's freestyle dining and specialty restaurant options. However specialty restaurants on Royal are good also. They do have a freestyle-type dining option called "My Time Dining".

 

 

- I prefer O'Sheehan's to Royal's "late night" offerings.

 

 

- I think Royal's main dining room food is better than NCL's.

 

 

- Buffet closes earlier on Royal.

 

 

- True night club on NCL ships. On Freedom it is upstairs. Not quite as busy late-night as NCL.

 

 

- Royal's staterooms and balconies will be larger than a similar NCL stateroom.

 

- I much prefer the layouts of Royal's ships. Freedom's pool deck is fantastic.

 

- Royal's theater shows are top notch. NCL is a tad below, IMO.

 

- No "free" perks on Royal.

 

- Royal's loyalty program is top-notch.

 

- Dining room is not open on embarkation day on Royal.

[BermudaBound2014]

I've found that the main stream cruise lines have far more in common than they have different. With that being said, I've sailed royal twice in the last year (Rhapsody and Anthem) and NCL twice in the last year (Epic and Jade) so I'm reasonably familiar with each line.

 

For me (ymmv), we like the food better on NCL. There is just more to choose from and the hours are significantly better suited for those of us that like to stay out late. The specialty dining is great on both. Entertainment varies greatly on each line based on the size of the ship, but on Freedom you'll do just fine with entertainment when compared to NCL's big ships. Royal's ships have a better grasp on consumer desires from a design perspective.

 

There is absolutely nothing that would prevent me from booking either line. Variable like cost, itinerary, and travel desires are what make my decision. Sounds like itininerary is making your decision. In my opinion you've made a good call. I think you'll come back pleased.

 

PS: I'm sure you have already taken this into consideration. Royal is running some great southern itineraries leaving from San Juan, but OMG... the air to San Juan has nearly doubled in the last 5 years. I just flew to Amsterdam for the exact same amount of points as flights to San Juan are running right now. I love the southern route, but I can't stomach the cost to fly to San Juan. I suspect some incredible deals on the San Juan itineraries unless something seriously changes with the airlines.

Edited September 4, 2017 by BermudaBound2014
posting not idiot-proof

[DarthGrady]

Hello all,

 

So let me explain my wife and I love NCL and just recently got off the Escape 8/19 sailing we have done 5 Norwegian cruises , 1 Carnival (we weren't fans) and 1 Princess (we enjoyed but it was with my parents so it was a different experience.

 

We have been talking to friends for years about our cruising adventures and finally they want to cruise! Great!!! So they went online and found the cruise they wanted 7 night Southern Caribbean on Freedom of the seas. Unfortunately the time of year we want to go NCL doesn't have a southern Carribean itinerary. Itinerary looks awesome, But we have no experience with RCCL. Ok, we're pretty flexible but we're a little concerned , we love the entertainment, service and food on Norwegian and have never had a "bad" experience compared to our experiences elsewhere.

 

For those of you whom have cruised RCCL how does it compare to NCL? Should we convince friends to do a different itinerary with NCL or be adventurous and try something new?

 

 

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I've done many RC cruises, three on FOTS. I just did my first NCL cruise on Sky, so I'll offer my take. I thought the two lines were pretty comparable in terms of food, service and overall quality. Freedom is a great ship, a little older at this point, but still very impressive with its Royal Promenade and other features.

 

My advice is to try it, new experiences are usually pretty fun. We're going to continue our foray into NCL next year on Epic for that same reason.

[mamathilde]

We are doing the opposite. We only sailed Royal and Celebrity and are trying NCL in march. We like both of them but are looking for some change. If the price, the itinerary is right, I would pick a Royal cruise again. You will have a great time on Freedom!

 

 

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[kittykitty576]

I've sailed Royal twice, NCL once, and one booked on NCL. I really like both, for different reasons.

 

Royal:

- I prefer the food quality

- Kids club was lacking / frustrating (age 8 - 10)

- Higher quality shows: And, the shows can typically accommodate everyone who wants to go

... - Shows alternate dinner times

- If you go with early or late dining, you can choose to pre-pay tips (or not)

- If you go with My-Time-Dining, you MUST pre-pay tips because you will not have the same waiter every seating

- There are suggested formal evening dinners (If you like this feature)

- I have been on Oasis and Allure

 

NCL:

- The buffet was huge!

- The teen club was really great!

- The newer ship, Escape, had great amenities... we loved the ropes course

- Shows were frustrating... having to have reservations

- LOVED the nightly piano / bar entertainment!!

- Food is good (I prefer Royal... but this wouldn't be a reason I jumped from one cruise line to another)

- I liked that NCL has sinks for handwashing rather than just alcohol-based sanitizers.

- NEVER a pool chair to be found. I refuse to "towel" a chair at 6am. I dislike how they clear the decks at 7pm

- Elevators are a bigger issue on Escape than on the large Royal ships

- I'm not meaning to diss on NCL. I liked it so much that I'm planning another cruise! I'm looking forward to a stay in the Haven.

 

I've had great experiences on each line. I would pick whichever, without reservation on either line :-)

 

Best of luck! :-) :-) :-)

[rbell]

Hello all,

 

So let me explain my wife and I love NCL and just recently got off the Escape 8/19 sailing we have done 5 Norwegian cruises , 1 Carnival (we weren't fans) and 1 Princess (we enjoyed but it was with my parents so it was a different experience.

 

We have been talking to friends for years about our cruising adventures and finally they want to cruise! Great!!! So they went online and found the cruise they wanted 7 night Southern Caribbean on Freedom of the seas. Unfortunately the time of year we want to go NCL doesn't have a southern Carribean itinerary. Itinerary looks awesome, But we have no experience with RCCL. Ok, we're pretty flexible but we're a little concerned , we love the entertainment, service and food on Norwegian and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

have never had a "bad" experience compared to our experiences elsewhere.

 

For those of you whom have cruised RCCL how does it compare to NCL? Should we convince friends to do a different itinerary with NCL or be adventurous and try something new?

 

 

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You may never come back to NCL

[abisutton]

I'm a huge ncl fan, it's my fave. Did my first rccl on the liberty in July. It was fine. No more no less, and I had a great week. HOWEVER, there was no reason I found for the increase in fare, and the entertainment left me desiring a bit more (Motown divas were phenomenal). Also, I get free drinks and something else on ncl, and there are no freebies on rccl. Again I paid more for a slightly lesser experience, but again, I had a blast. My point is you'll have fun. Just know it isn't necessarily better as many rccl fans would say, just more expensive. Final thought, if price and itineraries were equal, I would pick ncl again.

 

 

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[khia213]

I've sailed both lines. We've done multiple cruises on NCL. Went on Anthem of the Seas for the change of pace. The ship was beautiful, but cold. The staff, with only a couple of exceptions, were perfunctory and distant. There were times I felt as though I was trespassing on their ship. And the times when the ship had push sales going on were really obvious. And the crew's distain when you didn't buy was palpable.

 

NCL just feels more gracious.

[abisutton]

I've sailed both lines. We've done multiple cruises on NCL. Went on Anthem of the Seas for the change of pace. The ship was beautiful, but cold. The staff, with only a couple of exceptions, were perfunctory and distant. There were times I felt as though I was trespassing on their ship. And the times when the ship had push sales going on were really obvious. And the crew's distain when you didn't buy was palpable.

 

 

 

NCL just feels more gracious.

 

 

 

This!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^

Something about our last cruise on the ncl jewel, was just amazing. It started with the incredibly nice and friendly captain and worked its way through the staff. I felt "home" on the ship, it was a wonderful experience.

 

 

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[tx121]

I have cruised on both lines and I feel they are both great products.One thing which is hard not to do is to nit pick and compare your experience from a cruise line you are familiar with. Go with an open mind and you will enjoy yourself. It's great there is a variety of cruise lines to choose from because each line offers something different.

Freedom of the Seas is a great ship with lots of entertainment. The design of the ship creates a nice flow and there are hardly any "dead end" areas besides deck 3 midship by the ice rink.

As far as the crew on any cruise line, I think it's hard and unfair to judge a whole company based on one ship. You can have great service on all your NCL cruises and then try one Royal Caribbean ship and have awful service and base the whole company on that one cruise. Like any business, It really stems down from the upper management on that ship and how they treat their staff and if they do anything to correct inappropriate/ rude behavior from the crew.

Off topic, most mainstream cruise lines have implemented automatic gratuities. I feel that having the automatic gratuities doesn't motivate the crew to go out there and try to impress you since they already know they will be getting their money no matter what. I miss the "old days" when the crew was doing their jobs to serve and to make sure you are satisfied. It seems now, they are just salesman trying to upsell any way they can.

Anyway, sorry for going off topic--- enjoy your cruise and be thankful you are fortunate to go on one! Happy Sailing!

[TinyPinkBug]

We are frequent Disney and Royal cruisers, mother in law is a die hard Princess cruiser. We just booked our first NCL cruise this week, sail in November. So obviously we can't compare for you. But we have been considering NCL for years but have been concerned about the things we hear about NCL, so we are sort of the opposite you. We like Royal, I haven't been on Freedom but I have heard great things. I agree with someone else that Royal's late night food offerings are limited, but at the same time, one of the reasons we haven't sailed NCL is because we have heard over and over that the food on NCL was not good and looking at the menu NCL does seem to serve cheaper food items in their MDR than Royal.

[davy jones]

The three mainstream (NCL, RCI, and CCL) are more similar than different. But one must be aware that there are differences and they may be significant to you. I sail all three lines. We are aware of the differences. We can adjust to the differences and still have a good time on all.

 

You know that NCL is freestyle. RCI has both assigned seating and an option called My Time Dining. With MTD, you can make reservations or just show up when you want to. We make reservations in advance and it works well for us. Entertainment varies from ship to ship on both lines. Overall, I would rate them equal.

 

NCL cruises have a more relaxed vibe than RCI. There are formal nights and some people will judge you by your MDR attire or loyalty program status. This is true on other lines, but seems to be a bit more prevalent on RCI. Don't let them spoil your good time.

[Peachypooh]

I have sailed on Liberty of the Seas and on the Jewell class NCL ships. Both had their good points and I would not hesitate to book either again. I will say that the staff on the NCL ships try really hard to make it feel like a "home away from home" and I did not get that feeling on RCL. That said I really liked the promenade on Liberty with it's shops and places to eat. It just seemed more expansive and fun.

[KarimaJ]

We are frequent Disney and Royal cruisers, mother in law is a die hard Princess cruiser. We just booked our first NCL cruise this week, sail in November. So obviously we can't compare for you. But we have been considering NCL for years but have been concerned about the things we hear about NCL, so we are sort of the opposite you. We like Royal, I haven't been on Freedom but I have heard great things. I agree with someone else that Royal's late night food offerings are limited, but at the same time, one of the reasons we haven't sailed NCL is because we have heard over and over that the food on NCL was not good and looking at the menu NCL does seem to serve cheaper food items in their MDR than Royal.

 

 

 

Here's my take on the food. I have cruised NCL, RC and Disney. I like the NCL buffet the best, a lot of variety including Indian food. I would give RC and Disney an edge on the main dining rooms. Dessert on NCL isn't great and was better on the other 2. However I must say the pools on RC are better then the NCL mega ships. NCL has small pools for so many people on board. Anyway I wouldn't discount trying NCL based on food we always enjoy it. And we don't do the specialty restaurants.

 

 

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[johnrich]

We started out as Royal fans. Still are but started trying NCL because of the price and now all the perks. We would definitely sail RCCL again if we found an itinerary we liked that was in our price range. For our cruise next week, we had looked at both NCL and RCCL. Compared two cruises with either the same or very similar ports in a balcony cabin. For NCL we would get the free WiFi and Drink Package (yes I know I have to pay the 18% grat on the free drink pkg). After adding the cost of two drink packages and an equivalent WiFi package, RCCL was over $600 more. Since we feel the food and service are very similar, we couldn’t justify paying the $600 extra. If NCL prices increase or RCCL prices decrease we would probably sail Royal again. But right now for the money we love NCL. Love the ships, food, and entertainment on both. But staff on NCL seems more personable.

 

 

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[EMBFlyer]

As you can tell by my signature line, I've sailed Royal a lot. I've been on the mega ships (Allure and Harmony). I've been on the Freedom twice. I'd have to say it's one of my favorites. Great crew, beautiful ship. Royal is a good line and you'll have fun. We're actually extremely excited to try NCL for the first time. It could be that we're excited about being in The Haven or it could just be that we're ready for something new. Royal is starting to get a bit monotonous. Plus, they're starting to get a bit expensive. I like what's included in the NCL fare with the Free At Sea promos. After this cruise, we may think about switching some of our RCI cruises to NCL. The Bliss looks amazing!

[mugtech]

We started out as Royal fans. Still are but started trying NCL because of the price and now all the perks. We would definitely sail RCCL again if we found an itinerary we liked that was in our price range. For our cruise next week, we had looked at both NCL and RCCL. Compared two cruises with either the same or very similar ports in a balcony cabin. For NCL we would get the free WiFi and Drink Package (yes I know I have to pay the 18% grat on the free drink pkg). After adding the cost of two drink packages and an equivalent WiFi package, RCCL was over $600 more. Since we feel the food and service are very similar, we couldn’t justify paying the $600 extra. If NCL prices increase or RCCL prices decrease we would probably sail Royal again. But right now for the money we love NCL. Love the ships, food, and entertainment on both. But staff on NCL seems more personable.

 

 

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We are on RCCL Anthem OTS right now, paid about $600 more for 9 days NE/Canada than the Gem 10 days to same. Plus no perks, but it has been very enjoyable with the additional bells and whistles making it a different kind of fun. Did the bumper cars 3 times so far, the food and the music appear to be a notch up from NCL, and we are Platinum Plus on NCL. The multimedia shows on Anthem are fantastic, one was like a funky Electric Kool-aid Acid Test. However, no one is as good as Leo was for our 5 cruises on the Gem. We hope to cruise on another Quantum class ship, but we would have taken the Jewel next April from Japan to Seattle if we had known about it. We booked Mariner of the Seas for 41 days from Singapore to Dubai to Barcelona to Miami, but now RCCL cancelled the Barcelona to Miami 13 days so we are reconsidering coming back to the USA on the NCL Jewel. RCCL is giving us a 50% discount on each of the first two legs, so we will be able to cruise 28 days for a total of $2,900 including port fees and taxes, about $50/day/person. Hard to beat.

[linnealee]

We have been going on other lines the past few years since NCL only has the mega ships out of Miami and Royal has smaller ones that are easier to board and get off. NCL def. does offer more meal times than Royal, but I like the Royal decor better, it is more subdued. But I really prefer NCL disembarkation process the best. It is more leisurely and subdued compared to all the other lines.

[Still Dreaming]

All the NCL ships that have gone through the dry dock have been redecorated in a more modern classic feeling. The wild colors are gone