Which NCL ship is your favorite?

[dolfandude]

OK so it's only between the Jewel and the Pride of Aloha.....And the winner is the Jewel!! She was beautiful right before Christmas last year.

[slotaddict]

Since I first sailed the Dawn, she was tied as my favorite ship with Celebritys Century. BUT the Pearl is fabulous, loved every minute on the ship.

Doing the Spirit in May, so we'll see who remains at the top.:D

Coka you have got to try the Pearl.

[dolfandude]

You have to be kidding!

 

NCL is at the VERY bottom of our favorite cruise lines.

 

One cruise was enought to convince us to NEVER go back.

 

We avoid NCL like the flu.

 

We have so far cruised 18 times with 8 different cruise lines. NCL was the ONLY BAD ONE.

This is the same person who doesn't pack until the night before because it upsets his cat!:eek: (read his posts);) I think it's the cat that actually posted this! Maybe he was gone too long 'cause he had too much fun on NCL!

[scopewest]

We've only been on the Leeward and the Windward (yep, I have a T-shirt with that name on it!), so it's been years since we've been on NCL, but it's mainly by chance, not choice, due to ship itineraries and our vacation time.

 

We're planning an NCL cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary next year, and I'm looking forward to finally trying freestyle cruising!

[avalanche2]

The Pride of America and the Pride of Hawaii..WHy? AMERICAN CREW

[2nd Cruiser]

I've sailed the Wind, the Sea and the Sky (all of these are no longer in the fleet)

 

I will be sailing on the Majesty in 5 12 weeks....

 

My favorite was the Wind.

 

But I love them all!!!

 

I too liked the Wind when we sailed on her Apr 2001 thru the Panama Canal. Since it was my first cruise, I had nothing to compare her to but will be making a comparison next mos when I sail on Celeberity's "Infinity" around the "Horn", a 14 day SA cruise.:D

[gemsm]

You have to be kidding!

 

NCL is at the VERY bottom of our favorite cruise lines.

 

One cruise was enought to convince us to NEVER go back.

 

We avoid NCL like the flu.

 

We have so far cruised 18 times with 8 different cruise lines. NCL was the ONLY BAD ONE.

 

Then why are you bothering to post over here on the NCL board and answering a question that you really could care less about?

[gemsm]

You have to be kidding!

 

NCL is at the VERY bottom of our favorite cruise lines.

 

One cruise was enought to convince us to NEVER go back.

 

We avoid NCL like the flu.

 

We have so far cruised 18 times with 8 different cruise lines. NCL was the ONLY BAD ONE.

 

Then why are you bothering to post over here on the NCL board and answering a question that you really could care less about?

[Stillfloatin']

now it's the NCL spirit, i loved the NCL star...but the spirit is a little smaller and i like that. (pictures from the trip are being posted as i write)

planning on repeating last week, next year.

 

Really enjoyed looking at your photos. We're considering the Spirit out of NOLA for 2009. Planning on a balcony cabin. From your photos, I couldn't see where the fridge is located. Also, is the safe inside the closet? Thanks for any help.

[neicie]

My favourite is the Dawn but that is because it was my first! You always remember your first fondly;)

[richardyc]

will Spirit feel small if one has been on the Star and Pearl? I still can't make up my mind if I want to do a 6days cruise on spirit, or 7days on the Dawn or Gem....My wife and I both loved the blue lagoon on the Star, hated the blue lagoon on the pearl, it was too formal. But we loved the buffet stations on the pearl. decision......

[coffeebean]

NCL Star was my second cruise after cruising one time on the Carnival Mardi Gras over 30 years ago. The Star was DH's first ever cruise and Star introduced us to Freestyle cruising. Star will always be a sentimental NCL favorite of mine. We have since sailed on Dawn twice, Spirit twice and Pearl. Pearl knocked our socks off and she is a definate favorite. We are ready, willing and able to be WOW'd by her sister ship, Gem, this March 29th sailing. Can't wait!

[GOOLER1]

I have sailed the Southward, Sea (2 times) Crown ( 2 times ), Dawn, Norway and I am booked on the Spirit for July 26 out of NY. The Southward (no longer in service)holds a special place because I was on my honeymoon. I loved the Norway because it was the first cruise with my 2 kids. I loved the Sea because we went with 52 extended family members, The Crown because we celebrated ur 25 wedding anniversary. I am sure the Spirit will be just as special for some reason. In a nutshell-every ship has something different to offer- I love them ALL!!

[krystall]

So far the NCL Star.

We have done 6 cruises on NCL so far

(just got off the Gem) but the Star

totally blew us away. We're going

back on the Star next year.

Loved the ship, loved the entire crew.

Can't wait.

[oklaviking]

I will have to say the Norway is my favorite ship I have sailed with NCL so far. I liked them all, but the Norway sail was perfect. My family could not have asked for a better trip. We will try the Spirit in a couple of weeks. We are all looking forward to that family time.

[mrsraggy]

Hi,

 

I have been on 13 cruises, and this will be my first NCL cruise. (Star, April 8, Mexican Riviera) I am so excited. It is going to be a fabulous week. I can't wait to experience the freestyle dining. I have had some really quirky table mates on prior cruises, and it can make for a long week! (Of course, they may have said the same thing about me:D:D)

 

Karin

[mbisson]

Right now---the Dawn is my fav because it's my next one.

[npj57]

what was bad about it?

[MouseCruzr]

I am dating myself by saying the SS Norway (formerly the SS.France)was the Best! This was the Grandame of Ships (before the refitting). This was our first ship and we sailed a few afterwards but this for us anyway, set the standard. We did go on the Norway at least three times maybe four. One we were able to hangout with the Great Dizzy Gillespie for his 65th birthday on the jazz Cruise.

The last I saw of the Norway it was sitting in the mud, run aground in India or Bangladesh being scapped. What a sad ending to one of the Classics.

[NoPiratesPlease]

I cannot honestly answer this question, because it changes.

 

Ultimately, as a plant, as a facility, every ship has it advantages and its drawbacks.

 

It also depends on where you are going. If you want to go through the Kiel Canal, the BEST ship is the Dream--others won't fit.

 

But, what really makes any ship is the crew. A mediocre or less-than-optimal ship with a a GREAT crew is a WONDERFUL ship. We sailed on the old Cunard Vistafjord/Caronia 4 times because she had a level of attention to detail by the crew that we've yet to see surpassed.

 

If you have concierge service, that concierge can be very good, or fantastic--and it makes a huge difference. For us, the two best are Ruth Haggar and Simone Weigel. Alex Forbes and Claudio are awesomely good concierges as well. Carlos is a very fine concierge, yet the others are better. It's a horrible high-stress job and it burns them all out from time to time.

 

Given all that, our favorite ship, physically, was the old Norway. Of the two, the Dawn and the Star, we slightly prefer the Star, but the Dawn is an East-Coast ship and we are East-Coasters. Some features on the Jewel-class are better than the Star class, but many are inferior. The Jewel-class was far from the great leap forward over the Star class that NCL would have you think it is. They are nice, but have pluses and minuses. For little kids, the outdoor pools on the Star/Dawn are far better than the Jewel class--where they are an afterthought--and a bad one at that--near the pool bar at the center pool and completely covered so there's no sun. Plus it's 1/3 the size, if that, of the aft kiddee pools on the Star/Dawn. However, the indoor Kid's Crew are FAR better located and set up than on the Star/Dawn....so choose your poison. I think the Spa/Gym setup on the Star/Dawn beats the Jewel-class hands down, but the Atrium on the Pearl is out of this world, it's so nicely done.

 

So it's all a question of choices. I'm just surprised that the Jewel-class gave up SO many of the good things of the Star/Dawn class.

 

I guess, currently, the Star would be our favorite--but only as long as she has the great crew. We are looking forward to the Jade--Ruth Haggar is Concierge and I think even the Capt is a little scared of Ruthie!