Will Norwegian disappoint after RCCL?

[Ladydee]

I realize this is a loaded question, but I am apprehensive and need to get opinions from somewhere!  I have cruised 3 times on Royal's Voyager Class, and twice on the Radiance class.  I really love how they do things - the cabins, the decor, the spaciousness of their public areas, the dining room, etc.  How will I feel on Norwegian?  To be honest, we tried a Carnival once, and my entire party was so underwhelmed that we'll likely never go back.  Please help if you can with some honest feedback.

[Two Wheels Only]

Which NCL ship are you considering?

 

Will you be sailing in an interior stateroom, in a Haven Suite, or somewhere in-between?

 

Voyager Class is nearly right in the middle of NCL's fleet in terms of size. Nearly half of the fleet is larger while a little more than half of the fleet is smaller. 

 

Which Carnival ship did you try? Was it a newer/larger one or an older/smaller one?

 

With such a wide variety of ships and accommodations, NCL can't be simply described in a way that covers everything. 

[Twolittleboys]

It is hard to say as it depends on so many things - like the difference between ships, the itinerary etc. But I will give it a go and give some honest feedback. I have been on a number of Royal cruises (various ships) and only one NCL cruise - a transatlantic on the Getaway so my answers are somewhat specific to my personal experience.

 

Entertainment - NCL's entertainment was pretty good though probably not as good as on Oasis class Royal ships. But if the largest you have been was Voyager class it should be somewhat similar.

Food - Personally, I liked Royal's a bit better but the difference wasn't huge (and on my only Royal cruise after the pandemic I had specialty dining)

Freestyle Dining - I much prefer set dining with the same waiters/table mates (I knew this ahead of time) but if you go for My Time Dining on Royal the difference should be smaller and it is convenient to go for dinner whenever

Cabins - I am not too particular about cabins so go for the cheapest option. Seemed fairly similar. The service by room attendant was worse on my NCL cruise but I think that was due to them cutting back to once a day service and has Royal has done the same it is probably similar

Drinks - I thought both beverage package and drinks were better on NCL

Activities - That will depend on which ship you choose. The bigger Royal ships have more activities (flowrider etc.) but NCL isn't bad

 

Overall I think the lines are somewhat similar.

What I did miss about Royal: I think their design (art in staircases etc.) is better, the Getaway seemed a bit bare (but not bad and just a matter of personal taste). NCL seemed to have more upcharge stuff overall than Royal. I especially miss the solarium. The Getaway (this is ship specific I think) had great outdoor areas but indoor was quite cramped (much worse than I remember for Royal). 

 

Passengers seemed fairly similar to Royal passengers. The atmosphere was more fun-loving than on some Royal cruises (this depends heavily on itinerary etc.) and passengers were very open/friendly.

 

All in all, I think you can have a great time if you go into the cruise with an open mind. As said above, choice of ship/time of year/length of cruise/itinerary will have a big impact on the cruise

[hallux]

5 hours ago, Twolittleboys said:

All in all, I think you can have a great time if you go into the cruise with an open mind.

This is probably the most important point.  People asking these kinds of questions need to consider that others are more likely to come on these boards and complain so just because they read a couple 'down' threads here they think they'll hate sailing NCL.

 

Are NCL and Royal different?  In some ways. But they're probably more similar than different.

[mjkacmom]

I haven’t sailed on RCL but from what I’ve read, their mtd stinks compared to NCL, and I really appreciate not having to make reservations in the MDR’s and not having a set time.

[Liljo22]

If you were trying to compare NCL to the Oasis class ships, I would say you will be disappointed.  In general, the mass market cruise lines are more similar than they are different.  They all have similar venues just with different names, similar on board activities and pull their crew from similar parts of the world.  

[pghflyer]

This is a very personal preference question so no great way to respond.  In general (so many ships of varying sizes, so hard to do otherwise).........I like NCL ship designs better because they are more focused on the sea (I detest the giant interior shopping mall on bigger sized RCL ships). Also seems like RCL is a little bit more of the "amusement park" ship theme versus NCL more "middle class luxury" (ex. I don't love having half of the top deck used for climbing walls and wave pools and slides of monstrocity....but we aren't taking kids on cruises that we want to be kept busy). Food and beverages similar.  NCL a little more casual vibe overall.  Staff great on both. Entertainment similar. 

[shoptom]

Most definitely.

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, Ladydee said:

I realize this is a loaded question, but I am apprehensive and need to get opinions from somewhere!  I have cruised 3 times on Royal's Voyager Class, and twice on the Radiance class.  I really love how they do things - the cabins, the decor, the spaciousness of their public areas, the dining room, etc.  How will I feel on Norwegian?  To be honest, we tried a Carnival once, and my entire party was so underwhelmed that we'll likely never go back.  Please help if you can with some honest feedback.

So,,, we're Diamond RCCL and Diamond NCL cruisers, sailing multiple times on each cruise line each year. Both are both mid-market cruise lines. 

 

NCL has been the innovator leading the cruise industry to meet the desired of the contemporary cruiser. That turns some old-time cruisers off. We have been cruising for decades and really enjoy the innovation. We hate traditional dining and old time cruise ship entertainment. Royal continues to play catch up. The Icon will be Royal's first venture into modern cursing.

 

For example, there was an uproar on cruise critic when NCL removed deep fried fish fingers from the lunch menu and replaced it with poached salmon. Or more recently when mac&cheese was removed from the dinner menu. 

 

As you said, opinions are not worth that much. And you really don't get anything by trying to do a side-by-side comparison. 

 

Here's my opinion that isn't worth that much...

 

Sailing both cruise lines multiple times a year, I greatly prefer NCL. For years, NCL has embraced Freestyle Cruising. That is the overall cruise experience. Not a party ship. Not a stuffy ship (yup, we're Platinum cruisers on Cunard and go there if we want stuff).

 

NCL has no set time dining, you eat when you are hungry or when it fits your schedule (Royal My Time Dining on steroids),,, all MDRs are open seating and you get a table for your group, not shared. I am on vacation and appreciate that there are no [attempts] at Formal Night,,, shorts are welcome in all restaurants for all meals with the exception of two restaurants (Le Bistro French specialty dining and one other (varies by ship)). A 24/7 restaurant is great for us, since we are usually up late (more than a slice of pizza from Sorentos). There is an included beverage package, some specialty dining, a credit on shore excursions, a few free internet minutes. Yup, you'll get a lot of commentary on what the "free" items costs, but they are included and we use all of it. 

 

On Royal, the diamond vouchers are great for free drinks. With the vouchers, the diamond lounges become useless waste of space on ship. We like the ice shows on Royal. But Royal still tries to cling on to old fashion, old school cruising, which shows a lack of understanding of what the contemporary cruiser wants. We've only cruised once with the new menus and the jury is still out on that. 

 

What ship are you considering?

[graphicguy]

Loaded question is right.

 

Royal is probably the cruise line I’ve sailed the most AFTER NCL.  I’m Diamond on Royal.  Have sailed their ‘mid-tier’ and their largest (at the time) Allure.

 

NCL I’ve sailed their largest (Breakaway +) and their mid tier (Gem).  

 

-ENTERTAINMENT…NCL does this extremely well.  While Royal is good also, their shows tend to be less polished than NCL’s.  Plus, NCL has what I consider the best bands at sea…those that play in Cavern Club and Syd Norman’s.  There is always something going on in the Atrium on NCL, too….music, games, etc.

 

SHIPs….I like Royal’s ships.  I think there little touches are good.  Their decor are fresh and interesting.  The Central Park area on Oasis class is quite nice.  NCL’s ships are quite nice, too.  I truly like their Breakaway (and plus) Waterfront areas and probably spend more time there than anywhere else on an NCL cruise.  You can dine, drink or just read a book on a couch in those areas while hearing and watching the ship sail through the water.  I do not like the “smoke” smell in the OCEAN 678 areas coming from the casinos on Breakaway class.  Breakaway Plus alleviates this by enclosing a small area in the casino for smokers.  Royal Ships always feel like a Mall to me.  They tend to focus on pointing everything to the interior….where there are shops, bars and restaurants.

 

FOOD-NCL does “free style” better than any other cruise line, period.  I LOVE the concept of eating wherever, whenever I feel like.  Short of a couple of dishes I’ll never order again (Lobster Thermidor in LeBistro), I find the food from the Garden Cafe to Ocean Blue to be fresh and well prepared.  Royal overall is good.  But, they can not get MTD to be anywhere near what NCL’s FreeStyle is.  Royal has been trying to do it right, but still can’t seem to nail it.  Even when I’ve had reservations at the MDRs, there’s always been a significant wait.  Specialty Dining on Royal is prompt, however.  Perhaps not fair given this was the only time I’ve ever seen this on any cruise line, but my last Royal Cruise was on the Ovation of the Seas.  The Windjammer Buffet was SOLD OUT twice.  How that is possible I don’t know.  But, my guess is people got so tired of waiting to be seated at the MDRs they all went to the buffet.  When we couldn’t get into the buffet, we went to Sorrentos for pizza.  Sure enough, the line to get a slice of pizza was 30 minutes long.  That was a faux pas of grand order and really inexcusable on any cruise.

 

SERVICE-whenever I interfaced with crew on either, it was good.  Folks were polite and helpful when they could be.  Had a little bit of a run in with a crew member doing something as simple as trying to get my soda cup to work with their soda machines.  I’m easy going.  She probably was overwhelmed because of the lines to get sodas in Sorrentos was long, also. NCL’s crew has always bent over backwards to make my cruise a pleasurable experience.  Overall, so does Royal’s. 

 

NCL’s FAS drinks package is WAY cheaper than Royal’s ($50-$80 if purchased in advance).  NCL’s Free At Sea package is at least ½ that price.  And, there are other “gimmes” that go along with Free At Sea (like some internet minutes, some cheap Specialty Dining offers, a $50/per excursion credit).  If you are Diamond Status and above, you get 4 free drinks/day on Royal.  So, that mitigates getting the drink package, unless you’re a heavy drinker.  I know of people that can consume a dozen drinks per day.  Not judging, but that would put me in bed early every night.

 

If you like NCL, you’ll likely enjoy Royal.  Differences?  Yeah.  But, saying one is head and shoulders above the other? Can’t make that claim.  It can and will be ship dependent, too.  Which ship(s) are you looking to sail on?

 

As said, they’re both probably more similar than different. I’ll sail either again.

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

BTW….Carnival is sort of their “own thing”.  They seem to cater to, and attract, a separate demographic.  That’s not a good or a bad thing…..just different. 

 

So, it’s no surprise that if you prefer Royal, you will not fit in on Carnival.

[chillyw]

I've done one sailing on Symphony and will never go back to RCCL.

[DavidOrawan]

I would like to try one of the bigger RCCL ships but they are very expensive for the same cruise. For Seaview balcony with beverage and dining. I do see the special pricing on balcony are interior balconies. 

[ColeThornton]

17 minutes ago, chillyw said:

I've done one sailing on Symphony and will never go back to RCCL.

 

 

because.........?

[complawyer]

well, in comparison, if youve driven a mercedes all your life and had to buy a lincoln instead, i imagine you'd be disappointed.  we've been on over 20ncl cruises since 2010 and never been disappointed, some were better than others, but they were all enjoyable. it depends on what you really want from a cruise. i can be happy eating my meals in the buffet, the mdrs, or the specialty restaurants. 1st night out i make a beeline to cagneys. in the past, however, we always made it a point for moderno and teppanyaki.

 

ive checked the cabin sizes for rccl and ncl, and for similar prices and categories, it seems to me that the ncl cabins are larger.  ive also checked itineraries, and the choice of departure ports, days of a cruise, price, ncl wins hands down. 

 

while rccl vessels may be more opulent , i wouldnt even consider booking with them if ihad the choice/

 

if by chance you book a haven suite, you may never want to book a different type cabin on any line again.

 

personally (as ive stated before many times) i dont need the bells and whistles, im happy to sit on my balcony with an icecold beer, listening to the sea, although the butler/concierge doesnt hurt

 

you will not be at all disappointed by sailing with ncl

[chillyw]

1 minute ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

because.........?

 

Pros to me:  The Central Park area was cool and the sports bar was great - they did sports right.  Hiro was pretty awesome.

 

Downsides:  Very kid focused and I sailed during a school time (not kid season), specialty dining wasn't as good as NCL in my opinion, didn't think the shows outside of Hiro were great (ex: the ice skating show kept having people fall down during the choreographed parts), the bars and drink package weren't as good, Casino table games have worse rules than NCL (only 1x odds on craps, for example).  Not much that made me go "heck yeah, I want to go back".

 

Personal preference obviously.  I'm hitting the Prima next, then Virgin for the first time.

[bkrickles1]

I've sailed both. Rccl more than NCL actually.

I've had a great time on all of my sailings and found that both lines were very similar, quality wise.

They both have unique features that will appeal to different people.

In 6 days I'm sailing on Joy for my 4th NCL cruise in a row and I'd say the primary reason is value.

I like the FAS perks and have used them all over these last 4 sailings, including the air perk in 2020, which ended up being a good experience for us. I definitely feel that I've gotten more for my $$ with NCL over these last few cruises.

I've preferred the entertainment on NCL too, but totally enjoyed it on rccl.

I think the Waterfront and the Observation Lounge are tremendous spaces which also gets me leaning towards NCL. One of the other threads got me thinking about dining options and I will say that I liked the grab and go options on rccl and wish NCL had similar offerings. I think the Local is tremendous, but it's another sit down venue that takes significant time. 

With all that being said, I think they're very equal and both can provide epic experiences.

 

[schmoopie17]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong (oh wait, this is CC...no worries)...

 

Okay, the few times we looked at booking with Royal there were non-refundable (and high) deposits required. We like NCL's policy of $250 refundable deposits (up until final payment, of course) because we're old and tend to change our minds a lot. I can't tell you the number of times we've booked on NCL and cancelled for one reason or another...with no penalty.

[SplashOfWater]

4 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong (oh wait, this is CC...no worries)...

 

Okay, the few times we looked at booking with Royal there were non-refundable (and high) deposits required. We like NCL's policy of $250 refundable deposits (up until final payment, of course) because we're old and tend to change our minds a lot. I can't tell you the number of times we've booked on NCL and cancelled for one reason or another...with no penalty.

We also find the NCL non-Haven deposits to be very reasonable compared to Royal. You generally have to pay a premium for a refundable deposit with Royal. And I think their deposit for suites is now non-refundable(?) with no option for a refundable deposit. This includes their junior suites.

[pghflyer]

Yup, love the NCL cancellation policy, very customer friendly.

[Liljo22]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong (oh wait, this is CC...no worries)...

 

Okay, the few times we looked at booking with Royal there were non-refundable (and high) deposits required. We like NCL's policy of $250 refundable deposits (up until final payment, of course) because we're old and tend to change our minds a lot. I can't tell you the number of times we've booked on NCL and cancelled for one reason or another...with no penalty.

You can choose to do refundable deposits with Royal but it increases the price of the cruise.  

[schmoopie17]

10 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

You can choose to do refundable deposits with Royal but it increases the price of the cruise.  

Another reason not to do Royal.

[bstreep]

I guess we will get to see.  In 2 weeks we are going north to Alaska on NCL, and back on RC.  Trying to book similar for both trips.

 

We have a crappy blog (we are sailors, and took our sailboat down to Panama a few months ago). Here's where we are so far on this:  www.janandbill.com

[scooter6139]

3 hours ago, pghflyer said:

Yup, love the NCL cancellation policy, very customer friendly.

 

I don't cancel anymore, I just move the reservation out for another year or so.  Easy peasy.

[luv2kroooz]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

But Royal still tries to cling on to old fashion, old school cruising, which shows a lack of understanding of what the contemporary cruiser wants.

Lack of understanding? Not sure RCL shareholders would agree with that. Their stock price a year ago was $33. It's approaching $100 today, while NCLH is approaching $25. RCL is consistent and deliberate with their offerings. You know what you are getting when you book with them.  NCLH is constantly redefining itself, changing pricing, offerings, itineraries, menus, etc. I often say I have no idea what I am booking when I book an NCL cruise.

 

Whatever RCL is doing has obviously resonated with their target market and is manifesting itself in generous financial gains for their shareholders.