Why NCL?

[NyYankees2k3]

The price, itinerary and we are Platinum so we enjoy the laundry benefits. That said, we are trying out MSC to see how they fare. If we like this line we will sail on her more often. It is hard to beat the YC benefits. Suite/Haven cabins are nice but when you match amenity to amenity YC gives you far more for far less.

 

We have sailed on Princess, RCCL, Carnival and one cruise line that is no longer (way back in the day). My DD and I still sail Carnival for 4-days out of LA area but that is about it.

 

 

Can you let me know how MSC is? I am platinum on NCL, from my last cruise. Haven't used the perks yet. Our next cruise is Princess (2nd time) and cruise after that is RCCL. It's getting harder and harder to get "good deals" on NCL. You used to could get 7 day for $2000 with taxes and alcohol package for balcony. Getting harder to come by.

[danddgrandma]

I'm with you, kathy884. I like the big balcony & not having to dress up. I don't drink either but I do like some of the virgin drinks & NCL uses fresh juices instead of the bottles of flavored sugar water. The ginger mojitos from the Mojito bar on the Escape were amazing!!

 

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[beerman2]

UBP, SDP, 24 hour Restaurant (O'Sheehan's now the Marketplace), Freestyle Dining.

 

NCL has become the front runner now.

[Ask4Jay]

Why NCL? It suits us.

We have cruised Oceania and Azamara in their start-up days. But they are now “above our pay grade”. We always book an aft-facing balcony cabin and mostly transatlantic crossings on the Jewel class ships. We enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, the friendly crew - and the buffet. We don’t “do” the shows. Not our thing, too old. Both of us have our iToys pre-loaded with books and videos. But most of our time in spent on our balcony. Not to forget: NO SCHEDULE.

[poohdreaming]

NCL has the best prices for solo travelers.

 

Same reason - NCL have the best price for solo travelers and loved their studio room/lounge on the Breakaway.

[Vacationdreamer<><]

The ropes course, mini golf, rock climbing wall & waterslides were perfect for my kids AND fully half the cost of DCL for balconies vs DCL inside staterooms.

 

 

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[ukbecky]

Can you let me know how MSC is? I am platinum on NCL, from my last cruise. Haven't used the perks yet. Our next cruise is Princess (2nd time) and cruise after that is RCCL. It's getting harder and harder to get "good deals" on NCL. You used to could get 7 day for $2000 with taxes and alcohol package for balcony. Getting harder to come by.

 

 

We are also trying MSC for the first time this fall. 11 days in a balcony with drinks, for less than $2k all-in.

Plus NCL platinum got us black card( highest tier) on MSC with their status match.

[Mistizoom]

Because my husband wants to wear shorts to supper and does not want to dine with strangers. Plus we've enjoyed the cruises we've taken.

[Doitforlove]

I have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney and Norwegian.

 

Out of all of them my best experience was probably Disney for service, entertainment, adult only areas (it was odd I honestly felt like I rarely was around children) and the unique rotational dining experience. However, I sailed on a $70/night cast member rate and would never pay the going rate. I mean it’s a great experience but not $1000/night great so have never sailed again.

 

I find Royal, Carnival and Norwegian to be fairly similar in terms of mega ship offerings with some different bells and whistles but overall being fairly equal all things considered when it comes to food, service, entertainment and having the ability to avoid children. (I don’t dislike children but when I’m on vacation I do prefer as little interaction as possible).

 

What makes NCL win for me every time is the combination of the free drink package and freestyle dining. Also the thermal spa is amazing!!! I only wish they had bar service.

 

Editing to add the waterfront is also a really great unique feature that the NCL breakaway and breakaway plus ships have that I enjoy immensely.

[newmexicoNita]

I guess we are sorta like Linda the Book lover, we are platinum plus, have sailed all the mass marketed lines and all more than once, so have a pretty good idea of what it is all about. We started sailing NCL when our daughters worked for airlines and we got good discounted rates. That is no longer the case, but we were hooked. While still a TA many of my clients were NCL loyalists, certainly not all. Anyway one thing led to another and we stayed loyal.

 

We have now reached the stage in our lives when cruising isn't something we will do many more times. so the few cruises we have left will probably be NCL>

 

Of course one thing we love about NCL is the entertainment and the dining choices. Plus the crew is usually very friendly and the guests, regardless of their background are normally very down to earth.

 

I think all lines have something special to offer but NCL fits our personality more than some of the others. It is simply a matter of opinion. We have many friends who love HAL, others who lean toward RCI and Celebrity. Still we have a few who like Carnival and some who will spend the money tocruise any line if the itinerary is what they are looking for.

[newmexicoNita]

Just make sure you do not give much credence to people who are only happy when they are whining.

good advise. :cool:;)

[queenschick9b]

Same reason - NCL have the best price for solo travelers and loved their studio room/lounge on the Breakaway.

 

 

 

I like RCCL when I am traveling with others (the Oasis and Allure especially), but when I travel solo. - probably 75% of the time my choice is NCL no contest. In addition to the studios which I hated the first time I went on Epic and now I love thanks to some advice I got on here, their restaurants are a friendlier configuration too - OSheehans, Ocean Blue, Wasabi, and more all have bars were you can eat which I enjoy if I want company while dining.

 

 

 

 

 

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[susan1957]

Just make sure you do NOT book ANY NCL 10-day Caribbean cruise...they've been cancelling those cruises and leaving their customers high and dry! There are 2 threads going on right now on 2 separate 10-day cruise cancellations by NCL.

Why have they been cancelling the 10 day cruises?

[ElaineKeagy]

Just make sure you do NOT book ANY NCL 10-day Caribbean cruise...they've been cancelling those cruises and leaving their customers high and dry! There are 2 threads going on right now on 2 separate 10-day cruise cancellations by NCL.

 

 

 

Beware Holland America also. Current threads going on for cancellations on Amsterdam, Prinsendam and Zuiderdam(sp?)

 

 

 

 

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[tallnthensome]

We (family of four) simply look for the right package from various lines. That would be value, itinerary, and the ship. We sailed the MSC Seaside in April due to the extreme value and new ship with appeal to children. We sailed the Escape a couple years ago because of its appeal for kids and the drink package then had no service charge and made it an excellent value. We are sailing the Bliss in March for the 15 day and the UBP made it the choice for us over Carnival . The drink package charge was less than $500 while Cheers was $1800 on Carnival for 14 days. Both cruise prices were about equal but the Bliss was newer and the. $1200 savings on the drink package made it a clear choice for the Bliss. We love our frozen cocktails. The drink package is nice. For those that say that NCL just puts that price into the cruise more or less, I say that really wasn't the case.

[QueenOfZoom]

We (family of four) simply look for the right package from various lines. That would be value, itinerary, and the ship. We sailed the MSC Seaside in April due to the extreme value and new ship with appeal to children. We sailed the Escape a couple years ago because of its appeal for kids and the drink package then had no service charge and made it an excellent value. We are sailing the Bliss in March for the 15 day and the UBP made it the choice for us over Carnival . The drink package charge was less than $500 while Cheers was $1800 on Carnival for 14 days. Both cruise prices were about equal but the Bliss was newer and the. $1200 savings on the drink package made it a clear choice for the Bliss. We love our frozen cocktails. The drink package is nice. For those that say that NCL just puts that price into the cruise more or less, I say that really wasn't the case.

 

Cheers is more expensive and there's a daily limit on drinks.

[KarimaJ]

Here's my reasons:

They have a great casino program. You can call at any time and ask what you qualify for. So cheap cruises are a big plus for us!

Beverage Perk, pay $200 for gratuities and you can drink all alcoholic and virgin drinks that you want for the 7 day cruise.

HAPPY staff, always friendly and cleaning up constantly. Never see dirty plates and glasses sitting around for long.

They enforce hand sanitizer entering the buffet area.

The larger ships (Getaway, Escape) are good for kids, waterslides, huge rope course, rock wall, sports, teen club, kids pool.

Clean clean ships

Lots of activities like trivia, contests, ice sculpting, balloon animals, etc...

Pretty good fellow cruise mates. You will get your rude person occasionally but not often.

With that said, we are trying Carnival in Feb due to itinerary, I wish NCL went to some of these places.

Enjoy!

[QueenOfZoom]

 

With that said, we are trying Carnival in Feb due to itinerary, I wish NCL went to some of these places.

Enjoy!

 

I really wish NCL had a ship sailing out of Baltimore, that really the only reason we went on Pride in May.

[KarimaJ]

We (family of four) simply look for the right package from various lines. That would be value, itinerary, and the ship. We sailed the MSC Seaside in April due to the extreme value and new ship with appeal to children. We sailed the Escape a couple years ago because of its appeal for kids and the drink package then had no service charge and made it an excellent value. We are sailing the Bliss in March for the 15 day and the UBP made it the choice for us over Carnival . The drink package charge was less than $500 while Cheers was $1800 on Carnival for 14 days. Both cruise prices were about equal but the Bliss was newer and the. $1200 savings on the drink package made it a clear choice for the Bliss. We love our frozen cocktails. The drink package is nice. For those that say that NCL just puts that price into the cruise more or less, I say that really wasn't the case.

 

The Carnival Breeze cruise I just booked was $2230 for 3 people, oceanview room. No drinks included, certainly not cheaper then NCL.

[Cruiser_1977]

My last cruise was NCL. Reasons in order of importance:

 

Cost - Had an Oceanview (picture window) stateroom for a base price (no taxes fees, grats) of $638. OPEN BAR!!!

Itinerary - Cuba

Accessibility to Port - Airfare to FLL came to $180 (including taxes, fees)

 

For my Jan 2019 sailing (Carnival):

Itinerary - I wanted to go to somewhere I hadn't been and love SEA DAYS

Cabin - I wanted a suite and will be sailing solo.

Cost - I got a JR Ste and prepaid gratuities for $1200 = $300/day (to me worth it as food and hotel would cost me more than that on land) I will be adding the drink package for $238.97. Again worth it for me because 8 drinks a day (4 by the pool, 4 with dinner/evening) at about $8 I come in cheaper with the package.

 

Cruise in Jan 2020 (Princess)

Itinerary - places I have not been, SEA DAYS

Cost - again traveling alone, wanted a balcony. No deposit required, sail & sip (drinks/grats included) $1648 ($235/day)

 

I am not "loyal" to any one cruise line. I used the above criteria and booked the line that met my wants/needs. I am also looking at an adults only all inclusive resort for between the 2019 and 2020 cruise. Same thought process:

Itinerary - want to go somewhere new (Dominican Republic seems to be the front runner at this point)

Type - Adults Only & All Inclusive

Cost - currently in the early stages working on this now...

[Maniacal Cruiser]

I really wish NCL had a ship sailing out of Baltimore, that really the only reason we went on Pride in May.

 

 

We sailed the Pride n our only non-NCL cruise. What a HORRIBLE ship. Dirty, rusty, and very outdated. Very limited food choices, especially late night. I was given a voucher for a free return cruise the lat night of our trip, I simply left it in the cabin. Even at free that ship is overpriced. One other thing, the embarkation team in Baltimore is very surly.

[Lupush]

I will be trying Royal for the first time this winter, however I do consider myself a loyal NCL customer and don't expect that to change. There are a number of reasons that I love NCL

 

 

The Haven - truly a game changing cruising experience. I recommend it to everyone I know who asks me about cruising.

 

 

UBP - Love not having to worry about a large liquor bill at the end of a 7 night cruise. That being said, the UBP is not "free" and you pay the service fees and the cost is definitely worked into the price of the sailing. It's a great luxury to have the ability to try as many drinks as you want over the course of your vacation.

 

 

Splash Academy - I have a 5 year old who we literally have to drag out of the Splash Academy Kid's Club every night. The kid's club on NCL gives my wife and I the opportunity to really enjoy our Vacation knowing our Son is in great hands with the NCL staff.

 

 

Crew - NCL staff treats me like family each time I'm on board one of their ships. No matter how long it's been in between cruises we always see crew members that recognize us and go out of their way to make our cruise enjoyable. You really can't put a price tag on this.

[richg35]

The primary reasons are twofold:

1) We enjoy Bermuda

2) NCL sails out of NYC

 

I know that RCCL has Bermuda cruises as well, but they are only 5 day cruises and that doesn't interest us. For the price/value proposition, we don't really think Bermuda is worthwhile as an air/land vacation and so we like cruising there.

 

NCL ships are nice, we enjoy the food and drinks, and our kids really like the kids club and activities. This year they'll be old enough to do the ropes course and are all looking forward to it.

 

We have also sailed Carnival, Princess and Disney. Princess was before kids, and it though it feels less kid/family oriented we would try them again, but they don't sail out of NYC to warm weather destinations in the summer anymore.

 

We did a Carnival cruise out of Port Canaveral, I felt the boat was tacky, food options lackluster, and dining service poor - good kids club though and nice in that regard. They do sail out of NYC but as my friend who has done a couple of Carnival sailings out of NYC said that a lot of people on the NYC sailings don't really know how to "conduct themselves."

 

DCL was probably my favorite cruise - we did one out of NYC in the summer of '12 when they were sailing all summer to the Caribbean. Now they only have NYC sailings in the fall, and we don't pull our kids out of school to take trips. I would do another DCL cruise but combined with one of our WDW trips - but price is also a major factor in why we haven't done another DCL cruise - a flight to MCO and then 10000 for a 5 person verandah is a tough pill to swallow.

[newmexicoNita]

I really wish NCL had a ship sailing out of Baltimore, that really the only reason we went on Pride in May.

Oh how I agree on that and wish they also either sailed out of Charleston or had it as a port. But for now we have to live with what we have I guess.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

We booked our first cruise on NCL based on itinerary: my mom and I were looking to do a European cruise, and the Jade out of Venice had wonderful ports of call. On that ship, we found out we love free style dining: based on what we did that day or what we wanted to see that night, we could eat as early or as late as we wanted, as easy or as formal as we wanted.

We loved not having to buy and wear formal clothes that are not part of our regular wardrobe.

 

But more than that: we loved the staff: the stewards in the hall up and down our corridor said hello to us everyday, and if I was without my mom, they would ask if she was OK. They all knew who we were. I loved that. And the thing that really tipped it off: One night my mom and I were waiting in the main dining room for a table: my mom uses a walker to get around, so they let us sit in some chairs on the same level as the dining area as we waited. A senior staff member (dining manager) walked by, asked why we were waiting, and we told her we were wating for a table that wouldn't require my mother to step up to get to. She said my mom shouldn't have to wait, got us a table that worked right away, and gave us her card and asked us to call her whenever we were ready to leave our state room for dinner so she could have a table easy for my mom to get to ready for us.

 

That trip sold me not just on cruising as a vacation, but on NCL as a brand. And every cruise we have taken since then has been great, so we have to reason to comparison shop and switch. I have taken five more NCL cruises since the first one, and am waiting to take my 6th.

 

I honestly am afraid to try another line for fear it won't work as well for me as NCL does, so as long as NCL has cruises that appeal at rates I can afford, I am theirs.