Trying hard to decide ...

[canadiangirl77]

hi .. we've never been on a cruise ... and we've picked the date now we just need to pick the cruise .. we are trying to decide between the Norweign Jewel (exotic western caribbean) .. and Star Princess (also western caribbean) .. i've been reading through tons and tons of threads ... can anyone shed some light on which one we should pick?!?!

thanks!

[cherylandtk]

I would suggest that you compare the differences between the two line's overall style and feel. NCL is more casual, with open Freestyle dining. Princess is more traditional in dress and dining, although they do have Personal Choice alternatives. Check them both out on their websites, get the brochures or download them, and see which cruiseline fits your style.

[matt32703]

That's good advice .... simply read up on each line a choose the one that you believe best fits your lifestyle.

 

My opinion is you can't go wrong with ANY cruise line. Don't worry that much about there being some big difference that will ruin your trip if you choose one over the other.

 

Good Luck and have fun!

[jcruise67]

hi .. we've never been on a cruise ... and we've picked the date now we just need to pick the cruise .. we are trying to decide between the Norweign Jewel (exotic western caribbean) .. and Star Princess (also western caribbean) .. i've been reading through tons and tons of threads ... can anyone shed some light on which one we should pick?!?!

thanks!

 

I'm sorry Canadiangirl, I've been on Princess and NCL and to me there's no comparison. Princess has "MUTS" (Movies Under The Stars) on the Sun Deck at night, NCL doesn't. Princess entertainment is far better and the pool deck band ("Deep Blue") is awesome. DW and I are more for the formal dining vs. the Freestyle offered by NCL. Freestyle dining is way too impersonable vs. dining with the same group everynight. I just recently returned off the Golden Princess and out of 13 cruises, it definitely ranked in our top three. First was the RCCL Majesty of the Seas, followed by the Carnival Inspiration. We're heading back to RCCL on Adventure of the Seas in a few months. I think Princess is a far better choice for you, but then again it just my opinion.

 

John

[cruisinbuddy]

We were on the Golden in '05 and on debarkation day a 75 y/o grandmother of a family we met, said to my 42 y/o wife, " We're too young for this crowd". We still had a good time but the crowd is not what you see on the reruns of the Love Boat. I have no opinion on NCL.

[montgomeryfamily]

If we knew a little more of what you were looking for, it would probably help us to give you some more specifics. Both would be nice cruises, but there are definite differences between the cruise lines/ships.

 

As far as the ports, Princess Cays is MUCH better than Great Stirrup Cay. Princess Cays is a beautiful private island and your ship will have it to itself. There are vendors in a separate shopping area, but no hassling like at Great Stirrup Cay. So you can still buy things and get your hair braided if you enjoy that or you can go to the beach and enjoy the free beach lounges and umbrellas. There are water toys you can rent, snorkeling from the beach or boat excursions you can take, and banana boat rides, which are a blast! Also a BBQ on the island or you can go back to the ship and eat.

[celbercrz333]

If it comes down to this, then it might help you to decide. Read up on the locations you are going to. If both ships really are equal to your needs, then which one docks where? We went to Bermuda and Celebrity Zenith fit us perfectly. Except when we were in St. George's, Bermuda, it would have been nice to have the dock right there by the town hall. We weren't really that far away, but you could have seen the regimental marching band perform right from your balcony if you were on the NCL ship (or was it RCCL?) Go to websites and maps that the countries you are going to have online. Read up as much as possible. If you find for instance that one is more centrally located once it docks, then you might find that as a deciding factor on which ship you chose.