Loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser going first time on NCL?

[astera]

Just curious if there are some Royal Caribbean faithful here who have chosen a NCL cruise for the first time and what your experience was like?

 

What differences instantly stood out in your eyes? What came as a positive/negative surprise, if any? Any pro and cons between the two that stayed in your mind after you had completed your first NCL cruise? Would you cruise with NCL again (or possibly "defect" to them completely 🙂 ) or are you doing a 180 straight back to Royal Caribbean?

 

Personally I've really gotten used to Royal Caribbean (since my first cruise) and to this day I haven't had as much fun or satisfaction with any other cruise I have taken. Granted there haven't been many others, just a single Princess cruise (decent, but not quite the same) and a single Costa cruise (let's just say I never looked into their loyalty program after that...).

 

What will the NCL experience be like? 🙂

[Two Wheels Only]

9 minutes ago, astera said:

What will the NCL experience be like?

 

Some things are consistent with NCL but some things vary greatly depending on ship choice. Imagine someone thinking of trying RCCL and was deciding between ICON OTS and Vision OTS. It would be a big difference. 

 

Another thing to consider is stateroom choice and category. Are you thinking of a Haven suite or an interior stateroom? Perhaps, somewhere in-between?

 

If you could narrow it down to some of the RCCL ships that you like, it would help to compare/contrast with NCL. 

[Crazy planning mom]

I've sailed both lines.  What I like about NCL - O'Sheehan's/ Local, the thermal spa, interesting itineraries, NCL allows you to make advance dining reservations with a dining package which Royal hasnt.

I love Royal Oasis class ships including the entertainment.  Our next cruise is on the Symphony.  We will be going to CoCo Cay which has a dock.  Great Stirrup Cay does not have a dock.  Also, Royal's drink packages work on CoCo Cay whereas Norwegian's doesn't work on Harvest Caye.  Bottom line, they both have pros and cons and variety is of the spice of life.

Edited April 30 by Crazy planning mom

[Liljo22]

7 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

I've sailed both lines.  What I like about NCL - O'Sheehan's/ Local, the thermal spa, interesting itineraries, NCL allows you to make advance dining reservations with a dining package which Royal hasnt.

I love Royal Oasis class ships including the entertainment.  Our next cruise is on the Symphony.  We will be going to CoCo Cay which has a dock.  Great Stirrup Cay does not have a dock.  Also, Royal's drink packages work on CoCo Cay whereas Norwegian's doesn't work on Great Stirrup Cay.  Bottom line, they both have pros and cons and variety is of the spice of life.

The drink package works on GSC.  It doesn’t on Harvest Caye.  

[Liljo22]

These are the two main difference I find between the two:

 

Dining

NCL is all My Time Dining and they have pretty much perfected it.  Royal tries to jam their MTD into the regular dining rooms at least on their Oasis ships.  Can’t remember how it was set up on the Freedom class.  NCL also will pull staff from other restaurants to help during a rush so I rarely have the 2 hour dinners I have had on Royal.  You also get a number of specialty dining credits  depending on cabin and cruise length.

 

Atmosphere

NCL caters to the solo cruiser market and I feel it keeps the ship a different atmosphere.  They usually are there to make friends and have a good time.  There are solo M&Gs and they will usually go to places in groups.  It’s not uncommon for a group to strike up a conversation with non solos or encourage you to join them.  It gives the ship more of a refined party atmosphere trashed than the a drunk fest you might find on Carnival.  On Royal I have felt that most keep to themselves.

[IAcruising]

As a Loyal-to-Royal, you will not be as satisfied with NCL. We are NCL loyal and were not satisfied with the one cruise we took on Royal. It is all about what you expect. Both lines are the same, with different feels, vibes, packages, etc.

 

You prefer what you know.

 

[astera]

50 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Imagine someone thinking of trying RCCL and was deciding between ICON OTS and Vision OTS.

...

Another thing to consider is stateroom choice and category.

...

If you could narrow it down to some of the RCCL ships that you like, it would help to compare/contrast with NCL. 

 

Good point. The biggest RC ship I have been on is the Voyager of the Seas (on multiple occasions in fact) and it was perfect. I have heard great things about the Oasis class though and would gladly try it, though the newer (albeit smaller than Oasis) Quantum class I'm told has an aura of overcrowding which you never quite felt on the Voyager.

 

I recall the Radiance too but I don't like small ships overall.

 

My upcoming cruise on NCL is on the Escape so I hope it's a decent pick, even though I really didn't have a choice because I was targeting a particular cruise date within a very tiny window. Ironically my mom is currently on a NCL cruise on the Dawn for a couple more days, but when she sent me pictures of that vessel it didn't look like my sort of ship...

 

Category-wise I'm in a Balcony cabin on the Escape. I've never done an inside but I have done oceanview before (on RC) and actually liked it. I've also tried mini-suites and a 2-bdr suite on the back of the Radiance once, but at the end of the day I'm not that picky. Oceanview is fine for me but if a balcony cabin is available for just 10% more then it's a no-brainer.

 

16 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

I've sailed both lines.  What I like about NCL - O'Sheehan's/ Local, the thermal spa, interesting itineraries, NCL allows you to make advance dining reservations with a dining package which Royal hasnt.

I love Royal Oasis class ships including the entertainment.  Our next cruise is on the Symphony.

...

Bottom line, they both have pros and cons and variety is of the spice of life.

 

What I enjoyed most about Royal Caribbean...

- the general vibe onboard, fun, casual, exotic, interesting and exciting

- great entertainment, both in the theatres (the one on the Voyager is impressive to say the least) as well as parties on the promenade like the 80's night (or maybe it was 70's/80's/90's) - probably the best cruise party I have ever had the pleasure to witness

- incredible staff from so many different countries that share that positive RC energy

- the main "traditional-looking wooden pub/bar" has a musician performing live each evening with a huge repertoire of songs, also on demand ("great things happen to those who come bearing gifts..." if you know what I mean, liquid form of course 🙂 )

- best steak I have had anywhere in the world, including on land

- on some days at sea they'll set up a huge bbq in the pool area and serve grilled food and special drinks there

- movie nights on the deck, it's how I saw "The Martian"

 

What I'm looking forward to (pre-cruise) on NCL for the first time...

- the Escape looks like a big ship with lots of options. My daughters (teenagers) have done their research and are impressed with the ship so that's a good sign...

- included drinks package, what a bonus! I must admit this is what got me interested in the first place because on RC you unfortunately feel like it's a massive wallet grab (especially since my better half won't consume as much).

Is this 'Free at Sea' deal something that has been regularly offered over the years?

- 2 included dinners in specialty restaurants. Nice surprise as well! Might purchase more which would make it clever marketing...

- O'Sheehan's, 24/7 with some pub grub included without getting billed additionally? Don't recall something like this on RC.

- Comedy club? This will be my first time on a ship with such an establishment.

- Mojito bar - I could tell my elder daughter was hiding a smile when she saw this but no, her card won't work there, at least not on this cruise... 😉

[vswan]

I've cruised on many cruise lines including NCL, Royal, HAL, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, MSC and Costa. This past year I took a RCL on Oasis and an NCL on the Jade. Very different ships and experiences, but enjoyed them both. Things I like better about NCL, they have the dining figured out - had mytime on RCL and it was not good, standing in line at a time that made missing both the early show and not finishing early enough for the late. The drink package is much cheaper on NCL. Entertainment depends on the ship. Both have live music around the ship and some acts are better than others - on both lines. If you're cruising as a single, NCL has a really good program. I would say of the main cruise lines I find NCL and RCL the most similar.

 

I have traveled more with NCL and HAL than the other lines and always feel like I am "home" when I get on the ship. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the differences that other lines offer.

[IAcruising]

5 minutes ago, astera said:

the Escape looks like a big ship with lots of options.

 

The Escape is a great ship. Very similar to a Quantum class like Ovation of the Seas.

 

But different. Obviously.

 

I think your girls will love it.

 

[vswan]

Traveled on the Escape shortly after covid restart. Love that ship. It's hard for me to be fair since we were at reduced capacity so there were no lines for anything and everybody was just so glad to be sailing again it was great. Of course we came home with covid.

 

Yes, O'Sheehans is free. Watch for price drops on the cruise. Since we were on with limited capacity were able to upgrade to a club balcony with an extended balcony on deck 8 for a couple extra dollars close to sailing - just called, didn't bid. Loved it. Probably not as common now with higher occupancy. The great thing about deck 8 was it was right down the hall from the District Brew House. An easy stop from elevator to room for a beer for the balcony. And the nightly entertainment was fun.

 

Yes, drink package is a real plus. Keep in mind that some of that price is baked in to the original cost, but I found that was still less expensive than a lot of the other cruises I was checking out,

[astera]

37 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

These are the two main difference I find between the two:

 

Dining

NCL is all My Time Dining and they have pretty much perfected it.  Royal tries to jam their MTD into the regular dining rooms at least on their Oasis ships.

...

Atmosphere

NCL caters to the solo cruiser market and I feel it keeps the ship a different atmosphere. ...

It gives the ship more of a refined party atmosphere trashed than the a drunk fest you might find on Carnival. On Royal I have felt that most keep to themselves.

 

On Royal we had a certain hour but what was nice is that it was always the same table and staff. A lot of the dishes could also be found in the buffet though, and with kids it's just so much easier when they can SEE the dishes beforehand.

 

I have heard that food in the main dining rooms/buffet is generally better on NCL than on Royal.

 

36 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

As a Loyal-to-Royal, you will not be as satisfied with NCL. We are NCL loyal and were not satisfied with the one cruise we took on Royal. It is all about what you expect. Both lines are the same, with different feels, vibes, packages, etc.

 

You prefer what you know.

 

 

I'm hoping to be very positively surprised, especially since our previous two cruises have both been the only non-Royal cruises we've done... with the very last one on Costa.

My only worry is that it won't have the same vibe, but then the itinerary might have a lot to do with that too and my RC cruises have all been to exotic locations like Vanuatu, New Caledonia or Bali. So my memories might have been skewed by this.

 

Which Royal ship were you on? Was it the ship you didn't like or lots of other things as well?

 

4 minutes ago, vswan said:

Things I like better about NCL, they have the dining figured out - had mytime on RCL and it was not good, standing in line at a time that made missing both the early show and not finishing early enough for the late. The drink package is much cheaper on NCL.

 

I too recall dining on RC to have messed with out show plans, not to mention kids club opening during our meal time so the kids were eager to get taken there asap. We just switched to the buffet restaurant from the next cruise onwards.

Yeah, the drinks packages are through the roof on Royal. Back in the day it wasn't a requirement that everyone in the cabin needs to purchase a package but that's changed...

 

With NCL this 'Free at Sea' offer has really surprised me and is probably why I concentrated so much on finding a NCL cruise this summer. When my mom and her friends booked theirs (which she is currently on somewhere in the Med on the Norwegian Dawn...) I literally couldn't believe she had a drinks (and two meal) package included, along with a few other bonuses too. Well, this was too good to miss out on so here I am with a reservation on the Escape in several weeks. 🙂

[Travelling2Some]

30 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

You prefer what you know.

 

That is a very interesting statement.  I am pondering it and finding it very circumstantial.  Personal conclusion: If sick or injured I would prefer the comfort of what I know.  But I travel to deliberately explore what I do not know.  I find the novelty alone entertaining and it has a ton of educational value.  I'm sure this is a point of VERY wide variation between people though. Many people really dislike foreign travel for exactly this reason and that is legitimate personal preference.  It never makes any sense to spend good money doing something you dislike.

 

To address the question, we have found NCL to be a good fit for us in general but we also like Royal very much.  Loved the Oasis class but we found our last cruise on Allure very loud.  They had moved the pool band to a location where the noise (and it was NOISE!) was blaring over the Central Park balconies, which they should know people book for the serene atmosphere.  I particularly enjoy the artwork on Royal ships. It even extends to the stairwells and is of a much better standard than other lines. 

 

What we like about NCL is of a more practical nature:  FAS is a very good deal, fully refundable deposits are important depending on how unpredictable your life is. There is zero pressure to ever get dressed up, which we enjoy since we like to travel carry-on only.  No complaints about their ships or staff but they have become very flaky with itineraries.  Lots of complaints about missed ports announced right after final payment for spurious reasons.  So be cautious if you are planning a "bucket list" trip. 

[IAcruising]

6 minutes ago, astera said:

Which Royal ship were you on? Was it the ship you didn't like or lots of other things as well?

 

We were on Ovation in Alaska. A very fine ship, but different from NCL. No drink package or specialty dining included. Great shows, but not "Choir of Man" level. We had no complaints but will choose NCL.

 

[IAcruising]

15 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

That is a very interesting statement.

 

It is what it is. I agree with you. You need to explore past what you "know", right?

 

[astera]

21 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

The Escape is a great ship. Very similar to a Quantum class like Ovation of the Seas.

 

But different. Obviously.

 

I think your girls will love it.

 

 

I'm really looking forward to the Escape. I recently saw the Norwegian Viva in port as I'm currently in Las Palmas, and apparently the Escape is bigger (albeit a bit older).

 

Though the traditional 'gross tonnage' method of comparing ships can yield strange results because the Sky Princess was in town that same day and visually it looked a lot bigger than the Viva.

 

17 minutes ago, vswan said:

Traveled on the Escape shortly after covid restart. Love that ship.

...

Yes, O'Sheehans is free. Watch for price drops on the cruise. Since we were on with limited capacity were able to upgrade to a club balcony with an extended balcony on deck 8 for a couple extra dollars close to sailing - just called, didn't bid. Loved it. Probably not as common now with higher occupancy. The great thing about deck 8 was it was right down the hall from the District Brew House. An easy stop from elevator to room for a beer for the balcony. And the nightly entertainment was fun.

...

Yes, drink package is a real plus. Keep in mind that some of that price is baked in to the original cost, but I found that was still less expensive than a lot of the other cruises I was checking out,

 

Covid really turned the world upside down for a prolonged period of time. Nowadays I really look at that balcony cabin in a different way...

 

I'm booked on deck 11 but because we also have the inlaws and three cabins in total I think I'm going to leave those cabins as they are, but when we cruise alone again it would be great to upgrade to a bigger balcony (one where sitting isn't the only position possible). I'm looking forward to checking out the District Brew House and what a bonus it must be to have a cabin located close to it. 🙂

 

2 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

I travel to deliberately explore what I do not know.  I find the novelty alone entertaining and it has a ton of educational value.

...

They had moved the pool band to a location where the noise (and it was NOISE!) was blaring over the Central Park balconies, which they should know people book for the serene atmosphere.

 

There is zero pressure to ever get dressed up, which we enjoy since we like to travel carry-on only.  No complaints about their ships or staff but they have become very flaky with itineraries.  Lots of complaints about missed ports announced right after final payment for spurious reasons.  So be cautious if you are planning a "bucket list" trip. 

 

Good point. One of the side reasons I chose NCL was because our itinerary has some new places that we haven't been to before, whereas a RC cruise I looked at was literally a boring 7-day Barcelona to Barcelona cruise which was never going to get anywhere if it's coming back to the same port in a week's time.

 

As for noise, I don't mind it on the ship itself (as long as it's reasonable and not annoyingly loud, which can happen in the pool area), but I certainly wouldn't want to hear anything from my cabin.

 

No formal nights on NCL? Was never a fan of them on RC though they were nice for photos. 🙂 But when you're then heading to see a film outside from the position of a deckchair you have to go back to your cabin and change anyway,

 

As for itineraries I know that NCL like to do sudden changes, but if they happen to our cruise then hopefully it will be one of the Italian ports that I have visited before and not a new place that I'm really looking forward to like Dubrovnik or Corfu.

[IAcruising]

2 minutes ago, astera said:

No formal nights on NCL?

 

No. Dress Up nights, if you wish. There are photographers available whatever night you choose to take pictures. Dressed up, or not.

 

[gizfish]

I suggest you also post on the Royal board so you can get an idea of what people with similar tastes as you think about NCL.  

[Twolittleboys]

I have mostly cruised on Royal (though not the last couple of years as it has gotten so expensive) and did a transatlantic on NCL last year. Keep in mind that transatlantics are a bit different from most regular cruises (many sea days, different cruisers).

 

Here are a couple of things I noticed (it was on the Getaway):

 

There was more of a party atmosphere on my Norwegian cruise. Not extreme but you could tell almost everyone had a drinks package...

 

The Getaway was the first ship I ever noticed a smoking smell on.

 

Entertainment on Norwegian was pretty good but not as good as on the Oasis class ships for example. In general, they seem to go more for smaller spaces (like bars) than large theater shows (though they had some of those as well).

 

As others have said, dining is a bit different as it is all free-style.

 

One thing that I really like on Royal is the solarium. On most other cruise lines the nicer, adult-only relaxing area comes with an extra cost.

 

Overall, I did enjoy my NCL cruise but probably prefer Royal. Royal seems a bit more upscale and elegant. But the Norwegian cruise was great fun and I am actually booked on another one starting next week!

 

[schmoopie17]

You're looking at the Escape. Did a TA on her a little over a year ago...one of our favorite ships. So much so, that we're booked on her again in September. Having said that, we recently got off the Jade (smaller ship) and we both said the Jade is now our favorite ship. We often change our minds (see below).

 

As for differences from RC, the refundable deposit is a big thing for us as we have been known to change our minds...several times, in fact.

 

Also (and this may not apply to you), NCL offers a 10% discount to Veterans off of the base fare. We have taken advantage of this perk a number of times since it was instituted.