Review- Back to Back Cruise Comparison NCL Escape and RCL Harmony of the Seas

[tx121]

Just returned from an excellent 2 weeks onboard NCL's Escape and RCL's Harmony of the Seas! Both ships are the largest for each line so it was great to have a comparison and see what the latest cool features each line has to offer. Originally we had planned to do an all inclusive resort for 2 weeks but we found some good deals for these two sailings instead. I also think 2 weeks at an all inclusive would have been a little too long for my liking, so the cruises worked out perfectly! When booking our flights, we had to do 2 one way tickets as NCL Escape is out of Miami and RCL Harmony of the Seas is out of Ft Lauderdale. It actually worked out cheaper doing 2 one ways rather than a roundtrip from Miami.

On to cruise #1- NCL Escape

Embarkation(Rating: A+) was VERY fast. We were literally on the ship in 15 minutes! It was well organized and no flaws at all here. Very efficient!

Cabin (Rating:C-)

Cabin was probably the smallest interior we have ever been on as far as on a new large ship. The bathroom had great space and flow. The rest of the cabin was on the smaller side and the storage is very limitied. Also the walls were very thin and you can hear doors slamming as people exited their rooms.

Service-(Rating: B-)

It was not very consistent. Our room steward as always was very good. As far as the dining service, we would have great service in one venue and horrible service in another. Not having the same waiter every night makes it less personal and I feel like this is where the inconsistency with service happens. NCL has increased their tips and also added on a 20% gratuity on almost anything you purchase besides merchandise. For example, I think this is a little absurd especially when I am charged 20% on a cupcake I purchased at the bake shop. I don't tip the McDonald's cashier at home, so why should I tip the cashier on the ship when all she is doing is taking a cupcake out of the display case and handing it to me? Most staff were very pleasant, as others may be in vacation mode and just want to finish their contracts. Overall, there is room for improvement in the service department but still good.

Food (Rating: B+)

The food in the specialty restaurants were good.

Teppanyaki I think we had one of the best chefs! Totally entertaining and hilarious. We ordered the Asuka which is a Filet Mignon and Shrimp combo. It was cooked to perfection along with the veggies and fried rice that come along with it.

Le Bistro had amazing starters. We had the Escargot, Mussels and French Onion Soup. For dessert, The Creme Brulee was the best I have ever had! The chocolate Fondue was also very good. The Entrees were just ordinary and not that impressive

Cagneys- It was very good. Steaks were cooked to perfection and the side dishes were actually the high light of the meal. Go figure! Definitely recommend the brussel sprouts, mushrooms, truffled mashed potatoes and creamed spinach

The food in the dining room was average. Not great, not bad. Looks better described on the menu than actual taste. The food always came out hot which is always a plus.

Food at the Garden Cafe was good as well. Nice variety and was always available until late at night.

OSheehans-- Nice for a late night snack and quick meal.

Entertainment (Rating:A)

The Norwegian Escape offers soooo much to do! There's never a dull moment and if you are bored, it is your own fault. We did the water slides, the game shows, the dance parties, the casino, Escape the Big top, trivia, dance classes! Soooo much to do! The cruise director Dan Dan was excellent and very entertaining. His staff did a great job! The production shows were very good and the performances in the supper club were as well!

Ship Design (Rating D)

This is where I think Norwegian has a flaw. The ship is beautiful -yes. However it seems like there is not enough space for the amount of people onboard. Trying to find a chair by the pool deck or in Spice H20 was impossible if you went after 9am! Chair hogs were in full force by 8am. The slides although it is a cool feature, also limit the area for sunbathing chairs. One section in the front of the ship was closed off most of the time because of the wind which meant even less chance to find a space.

The venues are too small as well. Many of the activities took place in the Atrium. This space is wayyyy to small for people to see whats going on. Again if you aren't there early enough, good luck trying to watch the show. On other NCL cruises we have done, the game shows and other events took place in the lounges or the theater where more people could sit and watch comfortably instead of fighting for space.

And here is they biggest flaw -- the casino and smoking areas around the ship. I have never been on a ship that had this much of a problem with smoking. The stench fills much of the ship because the ventilation is really bad and the casino is smack right there in the middle of the ship, open to spread into other areas. People were constantly coughing, especially in the 6,7,8 area. This was a major turn off and deducts a lot of points from the overall experience.

Overall, we still really enjoyed our cruise and had a great time.

Next up..... review of RCL's Harmony of the Seas and the breakdown of final thoughts of these two mega ships!

Edited March 4, 2018 by tx121

[tx121]

Getting off the Norwegian Escape was a breeze. We decided to carry our own bags off the ship and were through customs and out of the terminal in 20 minutes!

We decided to take a Uber ride from Miami cruise port to Ft Lauderdale Port Everglades. It costs around $35. Make sure if you do take an Uber, you let the driver know to avoid the I-95 Express Lane as you will be charge $12.50 for the toll in addition. We had to go back and forth with Uber on this issue, but finally got them to refund us the toll. The driver can take the I-95 local lanes in the same amount of time.

We arrived to Port Everglades at around 10:45am as there was some traffic along the way. It was amazing to see the impressive size of Harmony of the Seas. Anticipation built up as we got closer and closer to the terminal.

Embarkation- (Rating: A-) After handing the porters our luggage, we headed into the terminal to check in. First security and then to the service desk. Even though the procedures were similar, NCL's embarkation procedures were more effective and efficient way to check people in. After all the paperwork was done, we headed onto the ship and entered the Royal Promenade---all we can say was "Wow" which became a reoccurring term used throughout the trip.

Cabin (B+)

We had a inside Virtual Cabin which was a very cool feature. It showed live feeds of what was going outside, just like if you had a balcony cabin view. The room was much larger than on NCL Escape and the room set up was laid out better. The bathroom was also nicely laid out.

Service (Rating: B)

The service on the ship was more consistent than on NCL Escape. Again the room steward was excellent, and our dining room waiter was also very good. We did encounter some staff who seemed disinterested and just did the motions of their job. Overall the staff seemed a little bit more upbeat on the Harmony of the Seas.

Food (Rating: C-)

The food on the Harmony was just ok. Nothing really to write home about. The food did not come out as hot as on NCL and the specialty restaurants were not as good as NCLs. The food in the main dining room was sometimes hit and sometimes a miss. More misses than hits though. Also food is not always available like on NCL. The Windjammer closes at 9pm! That is ridiculous. The only venues open after 9pm are Cafe Promenade (small snacks and sandwiches) and Sorrentos Pizza. The buffet also closes in the afternoon right before dinner. On NCL Escape you can get food any time of day with a lot more options.

Specialty Restaurants were good but not as good as on NCL

Chops-- Appetizers were good, Steaks were cooked a little more then preferred and the desserts were just ok

Jamies Italian-- Not that impressed. I mean a English guy cooking Italian food--hmmmm...I dont think so, lol. The meat and cheese board was good, as was the Lamb Chops entree but everything else seemed dull and lacked flavor

Wonderland-- great theme and overall look. The food was good and service was unusual but entertaining.

Entertainment (Rating: A)

We really enjoyed the shows and entertainment on the Harmony.This ship has so much to offer such as ice shows, diving shows, surfing, game shows, escape room, etc! It was also nice to see the difference in NCL and RCL in entertainment. Both have great entertainment and I think they are the leading pioneers in the cruise industry. I preferred cruise director NCL's Dan Dan over RCL's Mark, I preferred RCL's stage shows over NCL's, Game shows were more entertaining on NCL, entertainment venues and product were better on RCL. Either way, if you travel on either cruise line-- you will be entertained!

Ship Design (A)

Now this is where RCL shines. Harmony of the Seas is a beautiful and well laid out ship. It knows how to disperse the crowds and we never had to fight or look for chairs. Smoking smell was not an issue besides the casino area, as it is contained and the proper ventilation system was in place. There is a smell of smoke by the gym area at times which is strange, but later found out that below this deck is the crew bar. Strange to put in under the gym.

The Harmony of the Seas just felt more spacious and "airy". NCL Escape seemed a little more closed in because of the low ceilings and venues so close together. RCL wins hands down in Ship Design throughout the cruise industry with this ship.

Up next: Breakdown and Final Thoughts

[Merion_Mom]

I am enjoying your comparison, tx121.

 

I'm curious: did you upload your photos when you did the online check-in for Harmony?

[tx121]

Breakdown

 

Embarkation

NCL Escape: A+ Harmony of the Seas: A-

 

Cabin

NCL Escape: C- Harmony of the Seas: B+

 

Service

NCL Escape: B- Harmony of the Seas: B

 

Food

NCL Escape: B+ Harmony of the Seas: C-

 

Entertainment

NCL Escape: A Harmony of the Seas: A

 

Ship Design

NCL Escape: D Harmony of the Seas: A

 

 

Final Thoughts:

These past 2 weeks have been an amazing time and experience! Both NCL and RCL have great products and really know how to wow and entertain their guests. Comparing both ships and my ratings, they are basically in a virtual tie until it comes down to the Ship Design. RCL really knows how to space out the crowds and with the ship's layout, you don't have to feel like you have to fight for space.

Overall, both ships are great and we would not hesitate to go on either again.

I really just wish that NCL could ban smoking in the casino or provide a closed in smoking area so it doesn't effect the rest of the surrounding areas of the ship. And I really wish that RCL can provide better food and extend their dining times.

Again, it's great to try all the different cruise lines out there because each line has something unique to offer. Anyways thanks for reading-- Have a great time on your next cruise! Bon Voyage!

 

[14Terry]

Very nice review!

 

 

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[Clarea]

Thanks for all the effort to put together that excellent comparison review.:)

[DaniDanielle]

Thanks, great comparisons.

 

 

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[jbwaterski]

Thank You!

Really enjoyed you review. We started on NCL in 1982 and did 5 cruises then did 1 Royal went back for 1 more on NCL and now are about to go on our 15th Royal cruise next week.

 

Very interesting to hear the comparison.

 

Thanks again.

[tx121]

I am enjoying your comparison, tx121.

 

I'm curious: did you upload your photos when you did the online check-in for Harmony?

 

Thanks! Yes we did upload our photos when doing the online check in but then "disappeared" as the port check in agent put it. lol. It was no problem as they just had to retake them with the little web cam

[tx121]

Thank You!

Really enjoyed you review. We started on NCL in 1982 and did 5 cruises then did 1 Royal went back for 1 more on NCL and now are about to go on our 15th Royal cruise next week.

 

Very interesting to hear the comparison.

 

Thanks again.

 

You're welcome! =) Which ship are you taking next week?

[mac_tlc]

Thank You for your great comparison. Nice to do them B2B while your thoughts are still fresh

 

mac_tlc

[Keith1010]

Terrific writeup.

 

Very well written.

 

Keith

[MeandHer1968]

Great review. Sailed on Escape a year and a half ago and sailing on Harmony this coming November.

[TonyL128]

Agree to disagree, we have done suites class on both ship; I wanted to try the Escape before our Bliss sailing later this year. We were completely underwhelmed by NCL and we will be canceling our Bliss sailing.

 

We found the following concerns on NCL:

 

1. Service cannot compare to RCL. We have never encountered an unhappy server in any dining venue/Specialty restaurant on RCL. On NCL, we had a “very grumpy” server, “couldn’t care less” attitudes and “finish and get out” service.

 

2. Overall food taste on NCL can be summarized by, “salty and over cooked”.

 

3. All entertainment venues on NCL were crowded, cramp and noisy.

 

4. Smoke everywhere! We refused to walk across Deck 7 and smoke was bad on Deck 6 also where Le Bristro/Teppanyaki/Comedy Club were located.

 

5. Entertainments on NCL were all one or two notches below RCL. It’s like going to see a movie versus going to a Broadway show.

 

6. Suites on NCL are all smaller than RCL with smaller balconies. The only saving grace for NCL is the design of the Haven Suite bathrooms.

 

7. NCL Butlers cannot compare to Royal Genies.

 

We sail for the ships and Royal’s Oasis class ships are head and shoulder better than Norwegian’s best. Norwegian has better water slides, but one cannot live on slides alone.

 

 

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[ourfamilylovescruising]

I am hearing that the NCL Bliss will have a closed in area in the casino for smokers

[Mom2labs]

Nice review. Very Balanced.

[kbklcamp]

Thank you for the excellent comparisons. Very entertaining.

 

 

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