Will I be disappointed with Norwegian if I'm a royal Caribbean Cruiser how does a food compare?

[lolomaz26]

Hello can somebody give me some insight I keep on hearing negative reviews about Norwegian , I'm a royal Caribbean fan ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by lolomaz26

[Sydneyberlin]

Totally not from my experience. We’ve been on both and NCL beats RCC easily when it comes to food quality, especially specially in the main dining rooms.

 

But this judgement of course is based on individual tastes and our specific experiences with both cruise lines. 

[ZachIsHere]

I think worse case scenario you will think it is on the same level and more likely you will think it is a pretty big improvement.

 

Hope you enjoy your time. Good for you for trying out new things!

[chillyw]

I've sailed RCCL on symphony once and NCL a bunch and thought NCL was better so it's all subjective!

[wolft927]

17 minutes ago, chillyw said:

I've sailed RCCL on symphony once and NCL a bunch and thought NCL was better so it's all subjective!

So, I have sailed NCL, Carnival, RCCL, and Princess. I keep coming back to NCL (accept last october, went on Symphony because my NCL cruise was canceled due to hurricane) I will say, Carnival ships have a more lively pool deck, RCCL megaships are very impressive with the public spaces as well as shows, but there dining venues and food left something to be desired to me. But one of the main reasons why i go back to NCL over and over is The Haven, and i love the size of NCL ships. Still large but not crazy big. So I will say, go into your cruise knowing you will enjoy it and you will, go into it with thinking you will be disappointed and you will...Just my thoughts  

[SimplyAlbert]

I've sailed both lines and think that NCL has the edge in food, both in quality and selection.  Cabin size, entertainment and service is about the same IMO.  

[lolomaz26]

15 hours ago, Sydneyberlin said:

Totally not from my experience. We’ve been on both and NCL beats RCC easily when it comes to food quality, especially specially in the main dining rooms.

 

But this judgement of course is based on individual tastes and our specific experiences with both cruise lines. 

 

[lolomaz26]

So you're saying in the main dining room on Norwegian where it's free the food is better quality than what you would get on Royal Caribbean which Norwegian ships have you tried and which Royal ones have you tried that's interesting how it's better why is NCL get such a bad rap

[Travelling2Some]

We sail all the mass market lines and think the food on NCL is very good and the entertainment is excellent.  Food is very subjective but I we like the food on NCL (especially the Indian cuisine) just a bit better than on Royal, although Royal's food has always been fine too.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Travelling2Some

[wolft927]

5 minutes ago, lolomaz26 said:

So you're saying in the main dining room on Norwegian where it's free the food is better quality than what you would get on Royal Caribbean which Norwegian ships have you tried and which Royal ones have you tried that's interesting how it's better why is NCL get such a bad rap

I have cruise symphony of the seas and will absolutely say the food on NCL breakaway class and plus ships food was much better 

[lolomaz26]

That is really good to know because we love Royal Caribbean food so I guess I'm going to be pretty impressed but what is with their main dining rooms on NCL recently I heard that the menu stay exactly the same with no daily features anymore that change that's kind of a crazy thing most cruise lines and their main dining rooms they have your Classics that repeat every day and then daily features that change everyday

[Russiamomm]

I agree with the others - you have to try it to compare.  Personally I much prefer NCL.  It’s all I’ve sailed for the past several years, but took a short trip on the Independence of the Seas in November.  I don’t think I’ll ever go back to RCL.  Our major complaint was the cost of drinks and the lack of free food options on RCL.  It was a comped cruise for us. We paid for an upgrade into a suite.  We didn’t buy a drink package - just thought the cost was crazy.  We’re so used to NCL’s FAS.  The drink package would have cost us more than $200 a day for the two of us. On NCL it’s just over $20 pp/pp.  I was quite stunned when I bought a drink on the pool deck the first day and it was almost $18.  Needless to say, we didn’t drink much that trip.  On the food, we are so used to NCL’s Freestyle dining, I didn’t like the set meal times.  Also was really taken aback that quite literally the only free food options were the buffet, the MDR and pizza.  There were lots of food options, but they were all at an additional cost.  Granted, NCL has limited free food options too, but at least you have O’Sheehans and with FAS you get some free specialty meals.  Not so on RCCL.  Finally, I think the entertainment is better on NCL.  We were on Indy for five nights.  We were ready to get off.  I’ve never been on an NCL ship that I was ready to leave.
 

[chillyw]

1 hour ago, lolomaz26 said:

That is really good to know because we love Royal Caribbean food so I guess I'm going to be pretty impressed but what is with their main dining rooms on NCL recently I heard that the menu stay exactly the same with no daily features anymore that change that's kind of a crazy thing most cruise lines and their main dining rooms they have your Classics that repeat every day and then daily features that change everyday

 

That's only on the Prima so far, and the Prima has extra free venues with variety (the indulge food hall).

[complawyer]

while ive never sailed rccl, i have over 20 ncl cruises under my belt. if you want a fair comparison,  it depends on what you wish to compare. there were less than a handful of times on these 20 cruises where i was disappointed with the food.

i maintain, that for itineraries, and prices, ncl gives  you much more  bang  for your buck.

 

ive checked on the rccl cabin prices and i find that in comparison to ncl (ie the cabin size vs. price      ) ncl is still an overall better deal. 

 

finally, if you stay in a haven suite, it's a totally different world, especially if your ship has a total haven complex.

 

as ive stated before, my needs are minimal. i book for the price and itinerary (ncl seems to have some great exotic places, next december. we're sailing from dubai to mumbai) give me my kindle, a cold bottle if heineken, and ice cold can of pepsi (not COKE for god's sake) to sit on my balcony and watch the world go by, and i'm in hog's heaven

[kitkat343]

 

 

I'm sailing on the getaway right as I type, and checked out the most recent reviews today because it is a sea day.  This is the latest one https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=694277, and the previous 8 were just as bad.  I'm not anticipating much improving for the reviews of my sailing since it was listed as a cruise to Barbados and the Dominican Republic, and NCL ran a ship aground 8 months ago in the Dominican Republic and can't sail any large ships to the DR at their home port.  Carnival also owns a port in the DR, but it can only hold 2 large ships so if they already have 2 ships scheduled for the DR you are out of luck.  NCL finally cancelled the DR stop last month (replacing it with a sea day and cancelling our morning in Antigua for environmental reasons) but kept advertising the cruise as going to the DR even though they knew they wouldn't be going there.  People who booked with NCL after they cancelled the stop were never told of the change or given the chance to get refunds.  

 

I found the free food on RC to be stronger than on NCL and before this cruise would just tell people who are particular about their food to price out a cruise with NCL including the dining package versus just eating in the main dining room on the other lines (we were happy with the main dining room on Royal, Cunard, Princess, HAL and surprisingly even Carnival, which uses less expensive ingredients but cooks them well).  Many rooms on NCL come with some specialty dining (on our cruise it was 3 meals for the first and second passenger in a balcony room) plus they have an upgrade of 2 more meals for 70.  On the getaway the Shanghai noodle bar is good (you need to get there 15-30 minutes before it opens to get the first seating, or wait 45 minutes - hour with a buzzer for the second).

Edited January 10, 2023 by kitkat343

[Liljo22]

Honestly, if you took the logos off both companies’ ships and put a newbie cruiser on both lines, they probably couldn’t tell them apart.  

[Sydneyberlin]

11 hours ago, lolomaz26 said:

So you're saying in the main dining room on Norwegian where it's free the food is better quality than what you would get on Royal Caribbean which Norwegian ships have you tried and which Royal ones have you tried that's interesting how it's better why is NCL get such a bad rap

Yes-I’m taking about the main dining rooms. Which ships, trying to remember, were been on Allure, Quantum and Anthem. We also did Celebrity Solstice in between and when we went on the NCL Epic, we realised that their food is more comparable to Celebrity than RCL.

 

Specialty dining was better in NCL than RCL too but Celebrity would have the edge. We love to booze, so for us the Plus package on NCL is really what sways us even over Celebrity: All day French champagne and ultra high end whiskies is something you can’t get in even some of the ultra luxury cruise lines. So together with the better food, that makes Norwegian our new go to.

[phillygwm]

56 minutes ago, Sydneyberlin said:

Specialty dining was better in NCL than RCL too but Celebrity would have the edge. We love to booze, so for us the Plus package on NCL is really what sways us even over Celebrity: All day French champagne and ultra high end whiskies is something you can’t get in even some of the ultra luxury cruise lines. So together with the better food, that makes Norwegian our new go to.

I always upgrade my dining and booze packages on NCL.  Even the upgraded booze will be less than your package on RCCL.  The incremental cost for a few extra specialty dinners isn't exorbitant and, given the quality, I find it worthwhile.  

 

OP won't starve on NCL even in the MDR though I prefer the smaller free venues, Taste and Savor, to the big room.   

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

 

 

I'm sailing on the getaway right as I type, and checked out the most recent reviews today because it is a sea day.  This is the latest one https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=694277, and the previous 8 were just as bad.  I'm not anticipating much improving for the reviews of my sailing since it was listed as a cruise to Barbados and the Dominican Republic, and NCL ran a ship aground 8 months ago in the Dominican Republic and can't sail any large ships to the DR at their home port.  Carnival also owns a port in the DR, but it can only hold 2 large ships so if they already have 2 ships scheduled for the DR you are out of luck.  NCL finally cancelled the DR stop last month (replacing it with a sea day and cancelling our morning in Antigua for environmental reasons) but kept advertising the cruise as going to the DR even though they knew they wouldn't be going there.  People who booked with NCL after they cancelled the stop were never told of the change or given the chance to get refunds.  

 

I found the free food on RC to be stronger than on NCL and before this cruise would just tell people who are particular about their food to price out a cruise with NCL including the dining package versus just eating in the main dining room on the other lines (we were happy with the main dining room on Royal, Cunard, Princess, HAL and surprisingly even Carnival, which uses less expensive ingredients but cooks them well).  Many rooms on NCL come with some specialty dining (on our cruise it was 3 meals for the first and second passenger in a balcony room) plus they have an upgrade of 2 more meals for 70.  On the getaway the Shanghai noodle bar is good (you need to get there 15-30 minutes before it opens to get the first seating, or wait 45 minutes - hour with a buzzer for the second).

I wish I could speak to Royal's food. I hope their buffet is better than NCL. Stay away from the buffet. It's gross, though I know some people on the boards (CC) enjoy it. I'm definitely not one of them. Do try the afternoon tea desserts though as you'll find some yummy food there. Not the scones though: too dry!

 

What a BS review you linked to. This person obviously didn't enjoy the cruise, but also doesn't have their facts straight. The ship can handle about 4,400 - 4,500 guests. The 5,900 number comes from the guests plus crew. The Christmas cruise may have had a few more (no more than a 100) guests than my New Year's cruise.

 

The reviewer is right about Shanghai having a long line. If you don't want to wait, just go to dinner. I do agree that NCL needs to do something about Shanghai's. Expand the lunch hours, offer lunch every day (it's currently only offered on sea days), or take out part of the casino and add seats there (not going to happen due to revenue from casino and limitations on the kitchen size).

 

The entertainment, like BAMboozled is offered several times during the week. On a full cruise (like pre-COVID) you just need to show up early. I do believe the reviewer's cruise did have fewer entertainment options, so I'll give her that.

 

I'm laughing at the reviewer for whining about not going to GSC, then complaining that the boat ride from Nassau to Paradise Island was choppy. Why do you think the ship didn't tender at GSC? Some people are just out there!

 

I'm also glad (not) that she is upset about NCL being responsible and transporting a sick guest off the ship. If you're not scheduled in port, sorry, but you can't just chill in port overnight. People really need to check their entitlement.

 

I suppose NCL isn't for this reviewer. I hope she doesn't cruise NCL again since it's not for her. Trust me, I have plenty of complaints about NCL (mostly their corporation and Frankie boy), but I will support them when common sense is at play.

 

Now, @kitkat343, I truly hope you enjoy your Getaway cruise! The whole DR port fiasco is ridiculous and NCL needs to get their proverbial $h!t together on that one. Stop lying about it and just tell the truth NCL. 

[BirdTravels]

On 1/8/2023 at 11:27 PM, lolomaz26 said:

Hello can somebody give me some insight I keep on hearing negative reviews about Norwegian , I'm a royal Caribbean fan ?

 

We sail equally on RCCL and NCL. Food is very subjective. There are probably an equal number of negative reviews on Royal food, if you really look. Here's my take...

 

Royal focuses a lot on traditional menus with foods that have been around for a while. People are very comfortable with the menus and the food. 

 

NCL focuses on catering to the contemporary cruiser who will sustain their business for the decades to come. So the menu is constantly evolving which causes a lot of people grief. There was a uproar when fish fingers were changed to poached salmon. And when chicken soup was replaced with Pho. And especially when chicken fingers went away in favor of rotisserie chicken. Heck, there are multiple threads right now with the "liver guy" who is appalled that NCL serves Foie Gras with their Filet in specialty dining. On the newest NCL ships, they have a sushi dish as a appetizer served nightly. 

 

There are a lot of meat and potato people who cringe at any contemporary foods. And they will complain about anything contemporary. I was at Sorento's recently and watched someone scream at the server about "why they didn't have a plain sausage pizza, because that's what he wanted" and that "who in the world would ever want BBQ chicken or pineapple on a pizza". 

 

I think NCL food is very good. Royal is probably better,,,, just be cause it is old fashion,,, for old people like me.  

 

And the NCL buffet is far, far superior to the Royal Windjammer buffet. 

Edited January 10, 2023 by BirdTravels

[J0Y0US]

On 1/8/2023 at 10:27 PM, lolomaz26 said:

hearing negative reviews about Norwegian

 

Royal is no better.....

 

The buffet is going to be mediocre, locations around the ship might be okay for certain items, the pizza will be worse on NCL but better for pub food instead.

 

Royal has the benefit of the unlimited dining plan where as NCL will charge based on the number of specialty meals you choose to opt for.

 

Personally on NCL we go Haven for a number of reasons including the food is much better. With Royal we are fine with balconies and can go with specialty dining instead.

 

NCL will be more expensive if you plan on eating specialty dining each night for that subcharge of your overall cruise.

[wolft927]

I was on the Symphony of the seas in October and must say the Buffet was absolutely horrible! It was also very very small as far as the food stations for such a large ship 

[J0Y0US]

41 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

The ship can handle about 4,400 - 4,500 guests.

 

I think the ship can handle just over 5000 with all berths full of guests. I could see it occurring during a Christmas cruise when its way more families on board.

 

Didn't read the cruise but in the end some people on that same cruise likely have the exact opposite view. Doesn't mean one is right or wrong simply had a different expectation and experience occur. Its partly why I like going during the cheap lower attended cruises.

 

Christmas on a cruise ship just sounds awful with how likely full the ship is. Others love it I know though.

[KarimaJ]

I agree with most people here, though I haven’t been on RC in a while. Food is about the same, but NCL has a great selection of Indian food on the buffet. Shows are great on NCL. I do feel that Carnival has the best pizza and desserts though. I just love the crew on NCL so cheerful and happy.

[BirdTravels]

On 1/8/2023 at 11:27 PM, lolomaz26 said:

Hello can somebody give me some insight I keep on hearing negative reviews about Norwegian , I'm a royal Caribbean fan ?

I would add that we were on the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska this year at planned to eat in the Costal Kitchen (suites restaurant) every night. All I can say is that the food and the service in the Quantum's CK was horrible. There were a couple of nights that we walked out the back door of the CK into the Windjammer buffet to try and find some decent food.