RCCL vs NCL

[nycruiser1975]

I am a first time crusier and was suppose to cruise this past summer,but I lost 2 family memeber 1 week apart, so no cruise:( . Anyway, next summer I am planning one with DH, and DS is going to grandpa's in GA. Trying to save on the extra air fare, don't want to send DS by himself to GA, so thinking about leaving out of FL, I want to see St. Thomas, I love the fact that NCL will allow me to dine in the main dinning room to have lobster and all and do not have to eat at certain times. I know on carnival you have scheduled dinning times, is it the same on RCCL. HELP!!! Is it cheaper to get air fare yourself or with package?

[newmexicoNita]

First of all let me point a couple of things out to you: there are not many ships sailing the Caribbean in the summer as most of them leave for Alaska and Europe so unless DS is in school you may want to re-think your dates. You will have many more options if you sail before mid April or after mid Sept. That being said: RCI is like Carnival, you will be given a time to eat. It is called tradtional dining. We cruise all lines but when we have a choice we always choose NCL. There are 2 reasons for this: 1-Freestyle dining is the best for us; we can eat whenever we want: I hate knowing I have 2 choices: 6pm (way to early most of the time) or 8:15 which makes it 10pm before we finish. We also like all the choices in dining. 2-the crew on NCL ships are about as friendly as any we have encoutered plus the life style is very laid back. NMNita

[nycruiser1975]

Thank you, one question, why aren't there many cruise ship sailing to the caribbean during the summer? Should I worry about hurricanes being that I plan to sail in July?:confused:

[MarciaL]

Yes, you do have to worry about bad storms in the Caribbean in the summer, also most people want to go to the Caribbean in the winter when it is cold in much of the U.S. and Canada. So they move many of the ships to other areas in the summer. Alaska, Europe, etc.....

 

Just my opinion, I have sailed Royal Caribbean and NCL. And for us, we much prefer Royal Caribbean. I have found that the staff is much nicer and of course we do not mind eating at a certain time. If a shore excursion does get back late, you can always go to the Windjammer and eat at anytime, and selections are very nice in the evening. We did this several times last year in Hawaii... We eat early at home, so we try to follow the same schedule on board. Good luck which ever line you choose.

[nycruiser1975]

THank you all for your help, your kindness is appreciated very much. Has anyone sailed during hurricane season and had problems, I cannot go until the summer, should I not go on the cruise?:confused:

[Retired not Expired]

I too have sailed both and much prefer NCL but only because of the Freestyle dining. Otherwise, I see very little difference between the two.

 

As far as the Caribbean in the summer, just be advised, weather is very unpredictable and your cruise may be changed at the last minute if a storm should happen to brew. Just don't book for a specific island as last year many changes had to be made either due to the weather during the cruise or the damage to the ports after the storms had passed. You should be flexible as plans may have to be changed at the last minute.

[GMoney]

Just keep in mind that while RCI is predominately based on traditional dining, they do offer flexible / casual dining in the Windjammer buffet area from 630 - 9pm nightly. You get many of the same things they serve in the main dining room, but not lobster.

[newmexicoNita]

Thank you, one question, why aren't there many cruise ship sailing to the caribbean during the summer? Should I worry about hurricanes being that I plan to sail in July?:confused:

Official hurricane season is June 1st to the last day of November; that being said, it is rare to have an actually hurricane much before mid or late August or after mid October. This isn't to say it can't happen, I cetainly wouldn't worry about it if I were you. We have cruised July, two or 3 times in Aug and many times in November. Never have we had to worry.

 

As for the ships not sailing the Caribbean in the summer, it is a matter or where the money is and it is in the Europian and Alaskan markets, followed by Bermuda.

 

It is true you can always go to the Windjammer for a meal if you get back late, but that still isn't the same as having 8 or 10 restaurants to choose from. As for hurricanes, the ships do know pretty well how to stear around them. As Retired mentioned, don't book tours for a particular island or plan a cruise based on one island because there are times when the itininerary has to be changed, but don't let this stop you from cruising either. NMNita

[Yellowjacket1]

Nita is right, there are rarely hurricanes before early August in the Carribean. However, it can happen (just this week Tropical Storm Beryl went up the eastern seaboard). Cruising, like any vacation, requires you to be flexible in your plans. I've cruised the Carribean 8 times (7 in the summer and once in the Fall) and only once was our itinerary changed as a result of hurricanes. You plan for the worst and expect the best. You mentioned that this summer that your family had experienced two deaths. First, my condolences as I know the loss of loved ones is a painful experience. Second, are you aware there is travel insurance which you can purchase in case of an unexpected loss (as well as sickness, unexpected difficulties in flights, etc.)? It's something we always purchase before a cruise.

 

Cruising in the Carribean in the summer, can also have other potentially undesirable issues. One obvious issue is heat. How well do you handle 95 - 100 degree heat? Whereas the ship is air-conditioned, if you get off in any of the ports and explore it will be HOT. People with asthma and other health concerns have trouble with the heat. I live in GA and we are accustomed to the heat (and humidity), however, it does seem to be a problem to some of our visitors from up North.

 

Relative to what you'd like to do, first I can say that St. Thomas is a WONDERFUL place to visit in the Carribean. Other personal favorites include Key West, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I've not been as impressed with the Bahamas or Jamaica.

 

Just as my preferences in ports may be different than another persons, my preferences in what a cruise ship offers is different than what others want as well. In fact, Nita and I have been trading our thoughts on another thread on this very subject. I have cruised Carnival, RCL and NCL and will give you a quick personal perspective on all of the three. I expect others, will be able to provide you with their perspectives. Hopefully, with this info, and any questions you may have, you can choose the right cruise for you.

 

Carnival (The Fun Ship if you believe the ads): Of the 3 cruise lines, Carnival ships seem to have the most activities from belly-flop contests, sexiest legs (men), to ping-pong to art auctions. It seems as if there is always something going on on-board. They also seem to announce every single event over the loud speaker. So, if you were planning to sleep late, it may require sleeping around constant announcements in the morning (starting about 7 am when the ship pulls into port). To me, Carnival also seems to be the cruise line most attracted to families, so there will be lots of children about. Whereas I don't have anything against children (have a couple myself), not everyone controls their children the same as we do. So, they may be having elevator races, running down the halls at night, etc. Don't misunderstand me, we really enjoyed our Carnival cruises. Our family had wonderful times and we have great memories. However, we are now empty-nesters and there are fewer children on the other cruise lines. Of the 3 cruise lines, I found the food on Carnival to be mediocre. They do offer traditional dining, which as Nita indicated means you select to eat dinner at one of two times each night and eat dinner during that same time each night (for breakfast there are buffets you can go to and for lunch you're either in port or lazing by the pool where they also have buffets). It also means you'll have the same waiters serving you all week and you get to know them and they you. Many times they'll have your favorite beverage waiting on you when you arrive at your table. Traditional dining also means that you should not be as casual in your dress for dinner. Most lines request no shorts, no flip-flops, T shirts, etc. On one night, there is a formal night where you'll see men in tuxes/suits and women in cocktail dresses. This is usually the night the cruise line offers lobster on its menu (usually, lobster is offered one night during the cruise for most of the cruise lines) and the night when there are plenty of photographers to take your picture all dressed up.

 

RCL: This is our favorite cruise line. There is still lots to do on board, but it seems more targeted to the adults and not to families/kids. The announcements aren't as pervasive and the service (to us) seemed the best. The shows and entertainment also seemed to be a step above Carnival and significantly above NCL. Again, RCL also offers traditional dining but the food seemed better quality and better selections than what we found on Carnival or NCL.

 

NCL: We completed our first NCL cruise in early June of this year. Like RCL, the announcements weren't as pervasive as on Carnival and they seemed to be targeted to more adults as there weren't many kids on board (however, this could be because it was a European vacation without the beaches that the kids seem to enjoy). We found the shows/entertainment and the service on-board NCL to be of poorer quality than what we had experienced on either Carnival or RCL. The biggest difference with NCL and the other cruise lines is their "free style" dining. Basically, this means at dinner you can "select" from a number of restaurants and can go at any time. However, the flexibility is limited in that many of the specialty restaurants (where you pay an additional fee to eat) may fill up during prime dinner times (6 pm to 9 pm) unless you've made reservations ahead of time (like when you first board). The choices on the menu were more limited than what we found on RCL or Carnival, and people were much more casually dressed than what we experienced on either Carnival or RCL. Thus, dinner didn't seem as "special" as we found on the other two lines.

 

I trust Nita will disagree with me on some of the above as well as other posters. But what you are looking for is information and opinions and hopefully the above is a good starting point. Please feel free to ask any questions here on on the other boards, and I'm sure you will begin to get a feel for what cruise line most appeals to your expectations.

 

Steve

[newmexicoNita]

Nita is right, there are rarely hurricanes before early August in the Carribean. However, it can happen (just this week Tropical Storm Beryl went up the eastern seaboard). Cruising, like any vacation, requires you to be flexible in your plans. I've cruised the Carribean 8 times (7 in the summer and once in the Fall) and only once was our itinerary changed as a result of hurricanes. You plan for the worst and expect the best. You mentioned that this summer that your family had experienced two deaths. First, my condolences as I know the loss of loved ones is a painful experience. Second, are you aware there is travel insurance which you can purchase in case of an unexpected loss (as well as sickness, unexpected difficulties in flights, etc.)? It's something we always purchase before a cruise.

 

Cruising in the Carribean in the summer, can also have other potentially undesirable issues. One obvious issue is heat. How well do you handle 95 - 100 degree heat? Whereas the ship is air-conditioned, if you get off in any of the ports and explore it will be HOT. People with asthma and other health concerns have trouble with the heat. I live in GA and we are accustomed to the heat (and humidity), however, it does seem to be a problem to some of our visitors from up North.

 

Relative to what you'd like to do, first I can say that St. Thomas is a WONDERFUL place to visit in the Carribean. Other personal favorites include Key West, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. I've not been as impressed with the Bahamas or Jamaica.

 

Just as my preferences in ports may be different than another persons, my preferences in what a cruise ship offers is different than what others want as well. In fact, Nita and I have been trading our thoughts on another thread on this very subject. I have cruised Carnival, RCL and NCL and will give you a quick personal perspective on all of the three. I expect others, will be able to provide you with their perspectives. Hopefully, with this info, and any questions you may have, you can choose the right cruise for you.

 

Carnival (The Fun Ship if you believe the ads): Of the 3 cruise lines, Carnival ships seem to have the most activities from belly-flop contests, sexiest legs (men), to ping-pong to art auctions. It seems as if there is always something going on on-board. They also seem to announce every single event over the loud speaker. So, if you were planning to sleep late, it may require sleeping around constant announcements in the morning (starting about 7 am when the ship pulls into port). To me, Carnival also seems to be the cruise line most attracted to families, so there will be lots of children about. Whereas I don't have anything against children (have a couple myself), not everyone controls their children the same as we do. So, they may be having elevator races, running down the halls at night, etc. Don't misunderstand me, we really enjoyed our Carnival cruises. Our family had wonderful times and we have great memories. However, we are now empty-nesters and there are fewer children on the other cruise lines. Of the 3 cruise lines, I found the food on Carnival to be mediocre. They do offer traditional dining, which as Nita indicated means you select to eat dinner at one of two times each night and eat dinner during that same time each night (for breakfast there are buffets you can go to and for lunch you're either in port or lazing by the pool where they also have buffets). It also means you'll have the same waiters serving you all week and you get to know them and they you. Many times they'll have your favorite beverage waiting on you when you arrive at your table. Traditional dining also means that you should not be as casual in your dress for dinner. Most lines request no shorts, no flip-flops, T shirts, etc. On one night, there is a formal night where you'll see men in tuxes/suits and women in cocktail dresses. This is usually the night the cruise line offers lobster on its menu (usually, lobster is offered one night during the cruise for most of the cruise lines) and the night when there are plenty of photographers to take your picture all dressed up.

 

RCL: This is our favorite cruise line. There is still lots to do on board, but it seems more targeted to the adults and not to families/kids. The announcements aren't as pervasive and the service (to us) seemed the best. The shows and entertainment also seemed to be a step above Carnival and significantly above NCL. Again, RCL also offers traditional dining but the food seemed better quality and better selections than what we found on Carnival or NCL.

 

NCL: We completed our first NCL cruise in early June of this year. Like RCL, the announcements weren't as pervasive as on Carnival and they seemed to be targeted to more adults as there weren't many kids on board (however, this could be because it was a European vacation without the beaches that the kids seem to enjoy). We found the shows/entertainment and the service on-board NCL to be of poorer quality than what we had experienced on either Carnival or RCL. The biggest difference with NCL and the other cruise lines is their "free style" dining. Basically, this means at dinner you can "select" from a number of restaurants and can go at any time. However, the flexibility is limited in that many of the specialty restaurants (where you pay an additional fee to eat) may fill up during prime dinner times (6 pm to 9 pm) unless you've made reservations ahead of time (like when you first board). The choices on the menu were more limited than what we found on RCL or Carnival, and people were much more casually dressed than what we experienced on either Carnival or RCL. Thus, dinner didn't seem as "special" as we found on the other two lines.

 

I trust Nita will disagree with me on some of the above as well as other posters. But what you are looking for is information and opinions and hopefully the above is a good starting point. Please feel free to ask any questions here on on the other boards, and I'm sure you will begin to get a feel for what cruise line most appeals to your expectations.

 

Steve

Steve, of course I will disagree with you; if I didn't I would have to hang my head in shame: lOL; I can't imagine why you had such bad service and entertainment on the Jewel. I do beleive you, I am just dumb founded!!! AS for the meals not seeming as special, I do agree with that, unless you do eat in the specialty restaurants. Freestyle service, as much as we love it, isn't quite as good as traditional dining. On the other hand, as I have said on other threads, our last Celebrity cruise our waiter gave us a sermon every night on how hard he worked for us, of course 2 or the 5 nights he forgot to give my husband a menu. I would rather have NCL service anyday. Other than our disagreement on the service I think we pretty much agree. I will always rank RCI and NCL in the same catagory. I really see very little difference. And now you can disagree with me!!! LOL again

 

Nita

[Yellowjacket1]

LOL, No, I won't keep trying to "top" you. I can only communicate to NYCriuser my experiences. However, there are numerous people on these boards. Some keep to the Carnival board, some to the RCL board, etc. We all have our experiences to share and our opinions of the other cruise lines. It just so happens that my experiences and opinions of NCL are less impressive than my experiences/opinions of Carnival or RCL.

 

I do have to state that I didn't find either the service or the food (either quality or selection) any better in the RCL "specialty" restaurants we visited. My clam chowder was uneatable and my steak in Cagneys was more gristle than meat. I've had better steaks at Golden Corral. The wait staff in these restaurants didn't do any better job at keeping my iced tea glass filled than the wait staff in the other restaurants. There were few smiles and even less interaction. It was pretty much take our order and bring us the food and oh yeah, sign for the extra charge. Now, I will say that our room steward, Glorius, was as good and as nice as we've had on any of our cruises. However, it seemed he was the exception instead of the rule. My overall impression was that there were a high number of "new" employees on board with no/little cruise experience. It seemed our cruise was more of a training ground for the staff. Again, just my humble opinion.

 

Steve

[newmexicoNita]

LOL, No, I won't keep trying to "top" you. I can only communicate to NYCriuser my experiences. However, there are numerous people on these boards. Some keep to the Carnival board, some to the RCL board, etc. We all have our experiences to share and our opinions of the other cruise lines. It just so happens that my experiences and opinions of NCL are less impressive than my experiences/opinions of Carnival or RCL.

 

I do have to state that I didn't find either the service or the food (either quality or selection) any better in the RCL "specialty" restaurants we visited. My clam chowder was uneatable and my steak in Cagneys was more gristle than meat. I've had better steaks at Golden Corral. The wait staff in these restaurants didn't do any better job at keeping my iced tea glass filled than the wait staff in the other restaurants. There were few smiles and even less interaction. It was pretty much take our order and bring us the food and oh yeah, sign for the extra charge. Now, I will say that our room steward, Glorius, was as good and as nice as we've had on any of our cruises. However, it seemed he was the exception instead of the rule. My overall impression was that there were a high number of "new" employees on board with no/little cruise experience. It seemed our cruise was more of a training ground for the staff. Again, just my humble opinion.

 

Steve

I know you aren't trying to one up on me, I was just giving you a rough time. that is what makes these boards worth reading and keeps us all coming back. If we all agreed, there one be only one kind of cruise line and there would be no reason to give opinions. This holds true with dining, hotel chains, resorts, airlines or whatever. Each company attracts a certain type of person. NMnita

[hotspur]

...people were much more casually dressed than what we experienced on either Carnival or RCL. Thus, dinner didn't seem as "special" as we found on the other two lines.

This is one of the great strengths of NCL. They don't ask you to wear attire that is unwarranted by the situation.

 

What you wear doesn't make something "special" in our opinion. The food, service, and ambiance on NCL was in every way comparable to Celebrity, and HAL. The difference is the latter two made us wear costumes that were out of line with the experience delivered by the cruise line.

 

The fact that NCL specialty restaurants may require reservations in no way takes away from the incredible freedom of being able to walk up to a main dining room and eat when you want, where you want, with whom you want, and all without having to wear unnecessary "dress-up" clothes in order to please someone else.

[Retired not Expired]

One other thing I like about NCL over RCCL is in Shore Excursions. With RCCL, you must pay when you book them, sometimes weeks or months before the cruise. They have your money working for them. With NCL, you don't pay until you get on board and take the excursion letting the money work for you until services are rendered. And if you cancel 24 hours in advance, no money changes hands so you don't have to wait however long for a refund. Much better policy for the consumer.

[ce2000]

If you are interested in cruising from Florida to St. Thomas, you might consider the Caribbean Princess of the Princess Cruise Line. They have a seven day cruise that leaves Ft. Lauderdale and goes to St. Thomas, St. Maartin, and Princess Cays Bahamas. This ship stays in the Caribbean, it doesn't go to Alaska, Europe or anywhere else in the summer. I will be on the August 5, 2006 sailing of this ship, that is just two weeks from today. This will by my fifth cruise, but my first cruise with Princess so I really can't recommend them from a personal experience. I am sure that I will have a great time, I always have on all the other cruises I have experienced. I personally have to agree with Yellowjacket1, I would rather cruise with Royal Caribbean than with NCL for the reason he stated. I found the food, entertainment and service to be better with Royal Caribbean. I also have issues with NCL Freestyle, it just didn't work for us. Don't discount Nita's opinions, I believe that she calls them as she sees them, you can't ask for anything more. I believe that you will be like me, after one cruise you will be hooked. Go. Enjoy. It is the best vacation buy that I have found.

[BILLP1]

The good news is free style on NCL was great foR to be able to eat when ever you felt like it.

 

The bad news. The food was terrible on NCL.

[nycruiser1975]

I have seen mixed reviews when it came to the food on NCL. I guess I will have to go on my first cruise see how I like it and go from there. Maybe next cruise will go with family and then take son so we can hang out at night;)

[newmexicoNita]

If you are interested in cruising from Florida to St. Thomas, you might consider the Caribbean Princess of the Princess Cruise Line. They have a seven day cruise that leaves Ft. Lauderdale and goes to St. Thomas, St. Maartin, and Princess Cays Bahamas. This ship stays in the Caribbean, it doesn't go to Alaska, Europe or anywhere else in the summer. I will be on the August 5, 2006 sailing of this ship, that is just two weeks from today. This will by my fifth cruise, but my first cruise with Princess so I really can't recommend them from a personal experience. I am sure that I will have a great time, I always have on all the other cruises I have experienced. I personally have to agree with Yellowjacket1, I would rather cruise with Royal Caribbean than with NCL for the reason he stated. I found the food, entertainment and service to be better with Royal Caribbean. I also have issues with NCL Freestyle, it just didn't work for us. Don't discount Nita's opinions, I believe that she calls them as she sees them, you can't ask for anything more. I believe that you will be like me, after one cruise you will be hooked. Go. Enjoy. It is the best vacation buy that I have found.

that is another good possibility. I have clients sailing her 4 weeks from today. They are big Princess fans. NMNita

[newmexicoNita]

The good news is free style on NCL was great foR to be able to eat when ever you felt like it.

 

The bad news. The food was terrible on NCL.

Don't you think a better way to phrase that is "in my opinion" we all know food is subjective> I for one am not crazy over the food or service on RCI, but that doesn't mean it's terrible: it means I think it is. Many people swear by Celebrity for everything: we do like the line, but in our opinion it isn't quite what others think it is.

 

NMNita

[Retired not Expired]

I have seen mixed reviews when it came to the food on NCL. I guess I will have to go on my first cruise see how I like it and go from there. Maybe next cruise will go with family and then take son so we can hang out at night;)

 

Food is subjective. What one person may like, another may hate. What's nice about ANY cruise is you can try new things. If you don't like it, ask for something else. I've never been on any cruise where I couldn't find something I liked.

 

Really, I don't think you will go wrong with either line. Some people love Freestyle and hate Traditional, and others love Traditional and hate Freestyle. Try one line and then another. I bet you'll be like Nina and me, you may prefer one style over the other but you will love it all. It's great there are so many choices to pick from.

[smoothdancer]

Well, we have sailed RCCL, Carnival and most recently NCL... We liked them all and found not much differences between them all with the exception of the dining times on NCL.. It is all about what you like, really. Our NCL cruise was great, but for us we did miss the more traditional dining.

 

I am probably the only person on the boards that would place Princess below the aforementioned lines.... We only sailed them once, it is just could of been one of thoes things!! Conversly, our one Celebrity cruise remains our favorite.

 

To the original poster, on our website we have picture type of reviews of all of these lines, and it might give you a good idea of the different ships... Ya know as they say "a picture is worth a thousand words!"

 

http://WWW.JustEatin.com

[hotspur]

The bad news. The food was terrible on NCL.

Just YOUR opinion. Many here feel quite differently.

[Writeratsea]

Well, we have sailed RCCL, Carnival and most recently NCL... We liked them all and found not much differences between them all with the exception of the dining times on NCL.. It is all about what you like, really. Our NCL cruise was great, but for us we did miss the more traditional dining.

 

I am probably the only person on the boards that would place Princess below the aforementioned lines.... We only sailed them once, it is just could of been one of thoes things!! Conversly, our one Celebrity cruise remains our favorite.

 

To the original poster, on our website we have picture type of reviews of all of these lines, and it might give you a good idea of the different ships... Ya know as they say "a picture is worth a thousand words!"

 

WWW.JustEatin.com

I just checked out your website and I must complement you for a great job. I read both the RCCL Explorer of the Seas and the Enchantment of the Seas; as well as the NCL Crown. I think you have given a real feel to all of the ships mentioned and would be helpful to anyone trying to compare lines. As NMita and others have stressed, each cruise line has their own strengths and weaknesses, each emphasize traditional or free styling cruising. I especailly liked how you choose your destination first (Bermuda) and then considered which of the 3 cruise lines that fitted into your expectations. The Crown is similar in size and age as the Majesty and we love Majesty. I think BILLP1 who wrote how bad the food is on NCL, should have read your review. I also cannot understand why some people complain about the food. I felt it was fine, especially considering the number of people being fed. I used to work as a chef while attending college and I feel I can comment with a great deal of experience.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[Writeratsea]

The good news is free style on NCL was great foR to be able to eat when ever you felt like it.

 

The bad news. The food was terrible on NCL.

We are going back on the Majesty for the third year in a row in Sept. I love food and I definitely wouldn't go again if the food was so bad. I think the buffet is ok, but the dinning rooms and the specialty restaurants are fine. As good as the chains such as Chilli's, Appleby's or Outback. If you expect food better than that at the price level NCL, RCL and the other comparable lines offer, then you need to pay much more for the level such as Silver Seas or Cunard.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[jander]

Former NCL loyalist with 18 cruises on NCL. Have sailed RCCL 3 times in the last 8 months and will stay with RCCL. Better entertainment, better food, and better and friendlier staff.