comparison

[shelly314]

Hi. For those of you that have cruised Holland American and Royal Carribean, how does Norwegian rate? Is it about the same, or a step above. We are thinking of booking our first cruise on NCL, and hope it will be as good as HAL and RCCL. Thanks for the input.

[BeachBumMama]

It's hard to 'compare' because they are all different. I'm sure you see differences in both HAL and RCI, as well, you'll find differences on NCL.

 

The main difference will be in the dining. Freestyle is no set time and seems to be a love or hate relationship. Most fans of NCL return again and again and consider it a favorite cruise line because of that. I find NCL more casual and relaxed. Dress code is resort casual and formal nights are now 'dress up or not' nights. This doesn't mean the dining rooms are full of people in shorts and tank tops. For women it's capri's, slacks, easy skirts and nice tops, and for men it's khaki's and collar shirts. Jeans are allowed in all but one main dining room.

 

Depending on the ship you're sailing, you'll also find more restaurant choices. There are 2 main dining rooms and several smaller venues you can walk right into and eat whenever you're hungry. There are some other alternative dining options which require reservations. Some have a surcharge and some you just need the reservation because they are smaller venues.

 

All 3 lines, NCL, HAL, and RCI will offer you a great cruise in different ways. I think HAL is probably the most 'formal', RCI has lot's of amenities with ice skating, flowrider, promenade parades, etc. and NCL can offer a relaxing choice at a great price. If you book suites, their suite perks can't be beat.

 

For me, if there is an itinerary that is similar and I'm trying to compare with ships, NCL always wins out. But that's me. Lot's of info on here to help you decide what's best for you. The best thing to do is book your cruise, experience it for yourself, and form your own opinions.

 

Have fun whatever you decide.:D

[terrymtex01]

A lot of people will tell you the food is one big difference.. And in a way, it is in that with NCL you have so many other choices than with other cruise lines. When it comes to the quality of the food, I can honestly tell you I did not notice a huge difference in the two. The only food thing I remember from our RCCL cruise was how wonderful the bread, rolls and butter were. As far as the actul food, I do not have any specific memories. And I am one of those "foodies".

 

As with the previous poster, I agree. HAL and RCCL are more formal type atmosphere where as NCL is more laid back. As weird as this may sound, I like both. We are going on an Alaskan cruise May 31st of this year and although I can not wait and I am very excited about it, I wonder if this would have been one that I would have liked the more formal experience. Oh well.. We will find out very soon. 8-)

 

We have always stayed in a suite, and honestly, IMO, the suites we have had on all the ships we have stay in have all been about the same, with the exception of the Penthouse Suite we had on the NCL Star. It was on the AFT section of the ship.. OMG.. just a WONDERFUL stateroom. LOVED IT. The perks of being in a suite are great on NCL, but from what I read they are great on HAL as well.

 

The best casino I have ever been in, anywhere, at sea or dry land, was the Casino on the RCCL ship Grandure of the Sea. We literally won a jackpot every night of our cruise and it was a 12 night cruise. Some nights we won more than one jackpot. Casino's are a big deal with us.

 

The bottom line is, as with every thing else, it will end up being a matter of taste and only you will be able to determine which you like the best. Although we really really like NCL, we are not "brand loyal". We will always choose who we feel is giving us the most bang for our buck. So far when it comes to that, its hard to beat NCL.

 

One last thing I can tell you... If you are like we are and use credit cards for travel rewards, I have not found any cruise line that comes even close to NCL's Mastercard. Theirs, again IMO, beats all others hands down.

 

I hope you find some postings that will help you decide. i know it's a big decision to make and if you choose NCL you might be nervous about making the right decision. Just remember that more people are apt to write about a bad experience than a good one, so take what you read with a grain of salt. Try to find those reviews that are some where in the middle... not too negative and not all positive.. and you will probably find what you are looking for...

 

No matter if you choose HAL or RCCL again or go with NCL... you seem like a cruise addict to me. That makes us all family.. people outside the "circle" just dont get it.... :)

[bagelsnbrew]

With only 3 cruises under my belt, I'm hardly and expert BUT both of my previous RCI cruises were a better value than my recent NCL Spirit cruise. The food was somewhat better on RCI, but food is subjective. We found the service we received on RCI was consistently better than on NCL. We did eventually find food service in the main dinning room that equaled our RCI experience but it took till the end of the cruise to find it. I'm not talking about over the top service, just a competent wait team that staged the meal well and remembered that people like coffee with their desert. Freestyle gives you dinning flexibility at the cost of that personal relationship with your waiter/assistant waiter. Some love it, we didn't. Our cabin steward was also an issue. He was nice enough and very hard working but our cabin was serviced very late in the day (2:00pm and 10:00pm). On our previous cruises, our steward introduced him/herself at the beginning of the cruise, not so with NCL. To meet him, we had to search him out in the hall ourselves. We traveled with 4 other families with cabins in other parts of the ship and none of them had their steward introduce him/herself either. I think NCL may follow a different scheduling system from the other lines in which the stewards are responsible for more cabins. I don't recall the cabin stewards cleaning cabins continuously form morning till night on our previous cruises, I assume that they had other responsibilities when they weren't "on the hall". Most if not all the NCL optional on board costs are a bit higher priced (drinks, bingo, spa, etc.), as is the fuel surcharge, so that initial package price may be a bit misleading. We had a great time on our NCL cruise, but to take another, it would have to be at a substantial discount over a similar RCI cruise.

[terrymtex01]

bagelsnbrew, I am going to agree and disagree with some things you said. (Of course every one has different experiences)..

 

As far as the room stewards, on both of the NCL cruises we have been on they could not have been better. No matter what hallway we were going through they were always cleaning rooms, etc., and when we pasted them, even one's that were not ours, they always smiled and said hello, etc. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with them (which to me is inexcusable) , but I can tell you from my experience and from others I have read, that is not the norm for NCL.

 

I do agree with you that having the same waiter every night is a bonus with RCCL. It's nice having someone who remembers what you like with dinner, how and when you like your coffee, etc. With that, however, you do give up being able to choose to dine when you want, etc.

 

As far as a fuel surcharge, I just found this on RCCL's website. I looked because I could not believe they were not charging a fuel surcharge like every one else is:

 

Note: For all North America reservations, a fuel supplement of $8 per person, per day for the first 2 guests in a stateroom (subject to a max. of $112 per person) applies; each additional guest in the stateroom will be charged $3 per person, per day (subject to a max. of $42 per person).

I believe that is only $2.00 a day less per person than what NCL charges so that shouldn't make that big of a difference in the cost of the cruise.

 

One last thing for Shelly314, with NCL you are charged a daily "service charge" of $10.00 per person per day for the first two guest. This replaces the tips you would tip individually on RCCL. My understanding is this is non-negotiable. With most cruise lines, tips are optional but strongly recommended. Amounts are your options as well, however with NCL and the Freestyle cruising since you might have a different waiter every night, etc, they can't work that way. The money you pay goes into a pool that is divided by waiters, room stewards, etc. I can tell you that on both of our NCL cruises we always tipped the room stewards additional because they did such a great job.

[bagelsnbrew]

bagelsnbrew, I am going to agree and disagree with some things you said. (Of course every one has different experiences)..

 

As far as the room stewards, on both of the NCL cruises we have been on they could not have been better. No matter what hallway we were going through they were always cleaning rooms, etc., and when we pasted them, even one's that were not ours, they always smiled and said hello, etc. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with them (which to me is inexcusable) , but I can tell you from my experience and from others I have read, that is not the norm for NCL.

 

.

 

I never suggested that the stewards were doing a bad job, my experience was quite the opposite. The stewards were always working throughout the ship, and that may be a issue. There was never a time morning through night that the cleaning carts weren't in the hall. I was trying to highlight a difference that I observed in work organization between NCL and some of the other lines. I've never worked on a cruise line, so this comes from what I've read and observed. It appears that NCL utilizes fewer cabin stewards who are responsible for more cabins each. They clean cabins all day with no other responsibilities, finishing up the morning clean and then moving right on to the turn down service. If you're at the start of their hall, you're not going to notice a difference. If you're at the end like us, you will. My observation on my RCI cruises is that there are more stewards, responsible for less cabins each. After they finish cleaning cabins they are not on the hall and presumably have other responsibilities elsewhere on the ship (everyone works long and hard on cruise ships!). The result is that all the cabins are addressed at a reasonable hour, which I don't believe 10:00pm is.

 

As for the $2 additional fuel surcharge. On its own it doesn't make a huge difference. Add to it the buck or 2 extra per drink, a few buck extra for bingo, a couple of bucks more for the spa, $5 additional on photos and it adds up. Although I didn't look into tee's and souvenirs, a friend who is a frequent Carnival customer and recently sailed NCL for the first time complained that the souvenir prices were also higher. It can certainly be argued that most of these items are optional, but its also true that many if not most passengers will utilize some or all of these services. We were aware of the additional charges before we booked and chose to reduce our on board spending somewhat because of it. I think the additional charges are significant enough to be taken into account when one is choosing their vacation. I also think it's why the term "nickel and dime" shows up so frequently around here.

[shelly314]

Thank you all for your informative replies. The free style dining sounds like a novel idea which I wouldn't mind trying.

Tell me, what is the average age of NCL cruisers? HAL seems to cater to an older group (which I like). Are their many children on the NCL cruises? How about trivia? We love playing it. I'm also a big casino fan, and would hope that the casino is a good size.

I guess the reason I'm so curious is that we were always told that Celebrity cruises were a step above HAL and NCCL. Well, we took a Celebrity cruise and were really disappointed. They didn't come close to HAL. We've also cruised with Princess, and although they have some nice features, they still didn't compare to HAL. Yeah, I know, I should just stick to my favorites but I always like to try something new, so was hoping to hear that NCL was comparable.

[terrymtex01]

Thank you all for your informative replies. The free style dining sounds like a novel idea which I wouldn't mind trying.

 

Tell me, what is the average age of NCL cruisers? HAL seems to cater to an older group (which I like). Are their many children on the NCL cruises? How about trivia? We love playing it. I'm also a big casino fan, and would hope that the casino is a good size.

 

I guess the reason I'm so curious is that we were always told that Celebrity cruises were a step above HAL and NCCL. Well, we took a Celebrity cruise and were really disappointed. They didn't come close to HAL. We've also cruised with Princess, and although they have some nice features, they still didn't compare to HAL. Yeah, I know, I should just stick to my favorites but I always like to try something new, so was hoping to hear that NCL was comparable.

 

Ok.. I have to tell you my experience with the casino's on NCL have been different for each of the two ships we were on. On the NCL Sun it had a great casino, lots of different slots to choose from, great staff, and we won several jackpots. On the NCL Star, not so much. Smaller casino, management that I did not find to be too friendly, oddly enough the regular staff of the casino were very nice and helpful, and I will tell you we gambled a little into the five figures and won only one jackpot, $1500.00. It was the tightest casino I have ever played in. Complete opposite of the NCL Sun. One thing to note about the casino on the NCL Star - the NCL Star, as I understand it, was the first NCL ship built exclusively for Hawaiian cruises and therefore was built without a casino. When they took it off that route, they had to add the casino and that explains why it is so much smaller than the NCL Sun.

 

NCL has a program called Casino as Sea's which is just like major casino's players club. It has player points and you get comps for playing in their casino, plus deals on future cruises. Also, Casino at Sea's has joined forces with Harrah's or will be joining forces very soon and that will make it even better.

 

LOVED LOVED LOVED the casino we had on the RCCL Grandure of the Seas. Best ship casino we have ever had, IMO. We literally won at least one jackpot every night. Had a great staff, etc.

 

As far as the extra charges that bagelsnbrew is talking about... (not that he needs or has asked for my validation).. but he is correct about it making a difference when you add it all up, especially for a family. I guess since it is just my DP and me I don't pay attention to those extra charges. My DP and I do not drink hardly ever, so we don't notice the price differences between ships, cruise lines, etc on those "extra's". To be fair, most of our "extra" charges have always been taken care of by the casino management. But I will tell you that I found the prices for the photo's on NCL's Star OUTRAGEOUS. So much so that for the first time ever we did not buy any at all. We have always bought at least one or two, etc. But they were astronomical to me on the NCL Star.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Tell me, what is the average age of NCL cruisers? HAL seems to cater to an older group (which I like). Are their many children on the NCL cruises? How about trivia? We love playing it. I'm also a big casino fan, and would hope that the casino is a good size.

To answer the first question correctly, we'd need to know which itinerary, which ship and which time of year you are planning to cruise. If you cruise during the school year, outside of holiday weeks, you will see an older clientele onboard NCL's ships, and ditto for itinerary (school in = fewer families; longer itineraries = fewer families).

 

Same with the casinos on the ships, although from my experience, they're all about the same size. There are trivia games on all the NCL ships, so you'll feel right at home there. We had a great time playing music trivia on one of our NCL Sun cruises in the Windjammer Bar.

 

We've cruised with HAL and RCI, and NCL happens to be our favorite of the three, by far. However, every cruiser likes something different on their ships. We love Freestyle dining, and we have eaten in every type of restaurant on NCL's ships. I love dining just with my hubby at times, and if we meet someone on the ship, it's fun to dine with them, which is impossible if you have assigned tables. It's all about choice for us, and NCL offers us lots of choices.

[coffeebean]

I have done 21 cruises on several different lines...RCCL, HAL, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and NCL. We are Diamond on RCCL and are going on our 7th NCL cruise in a little over a week. Needless to say...RCCL and NCL are our favorite lines. We don't cruise with kids.

 

We like RCCL for their fabulous ships and ammenities. We love NCL for the Freestyle dining as nothing beats it. We also stay with the newer or newest NCL larger ships.

 

Just a couple of hints regarding NCL's Freestyle...

You can dine the entire cruise and not pay one additional red cent but you will not have the best dining experience NCL has to offer. We dine only in the specialty restaurants for dinner and pay the surcharges which give you a superior dining experience. There are many times, our NCL bottom line cruise fare was significantly less than other lines so paying the surcharges for the specialty and alternative restaurants turns out to be the same price for the overall cruise fare, sometimes even less than other lines.

 

On NCL we dine either early or later but not during prime time which is 7:00 pm to 8:30pm. We avoid lines and waits by doing this. It is very easy to see the shows in the evening by dining early or later and we love the choice of either time to eat.

 

Many people don't understand the NCL concept of "ala carte" cruising and feel as though NCL "nickel and dimes" you to death. I don't feel this way at all. My cruise base fare is usually less and I get to choose what I want to spend money on and that is definately the surcharge restaurants.

 

Enjoy your cruise no matter which line you choose.

[CruisnGram]

My experience was the exact opposite of one of the other posters.

 

Our dining room service was excellent all week long. Our cabin stewards introduced themselves within a 1/2 hour of when we first entered our room. They had the room cleaned every day by 11 am and turned down by 9 pm.

 

The cost of optional items vary from cruise line to cruise line, but remember they are optional. And you will spend quite a bit less for the basic cruise on NCL then on RCCL, so you will have to buy an awful lot of those optional items in order for the cost of the trip to come out even.

[cruisingkimo]

Hi. For those of you that have cruised Holland American and Royal Carribean, how does Norwegian rate? Is it about the same, or a step above. We are thinking of booking our first cruise on NCL, and hope it will be as good as HAL and RCCL. Thanks for the input.

I have sailed NCL, HAL, Celebrity, and RCL. One main difference, to me, was as others have said-the food. I must begin by saying that, unlike many other cruisers, I have never thought that cruise line food-on any of the lines I have been on, has been outstanding. I do have the mind set, though, that I am not on vaction to eat so it's really hard for the food to ruin my experience. That being said, there is really no comparison regarding NCLs food compared to HAL or RCCL. I have posted before that I think that the food in the main restaurants was terrible and that the food in specialty restaurants on NCL was much better than the food in the main restaurants but only as good as the food in the main restaurants on the other lines. In other words, you have to pay to have the same quality food that is included on the other lines. If you're a foodie I say go to those restaurants and you'll be happier.

 

I think that the tone of the lines are different. I like all the lines I have sailed but for different reasons. I think that HAL is a bit more upscale and the service is much better than on RCCL or NCL. On HAL I feel very pampered. In fact I find the service on NCL, in terms of attentiveness of their staff to be a lot lower than the other lines and wouldn't mind seeing an improvement in this area.

 

I found RCCL to be a more lively experience and to have more of a "party" attitude. It was a very "fun" atmosphere while I thought that HAL is much more subdued. I like the freestyle dining on NCL but it is a less formal expereince-in attire as well as service. I do like the formal nights on HAL but there are also other times when I look forward to a less formal, more laid back experience. I am sailing NCL in August with my husbandand two teenagers (17). The guys are very happy to not have to wear suits to dinner and are looking forward to wearing slacks with nice shirts and calling it a night. Us girls are still going to wear our pretty dresses but the gowns are staying home. Overall, I'd call the NCL experience more casual and relaxing.

 

All in all I think any cruise is what you make of it. Go on an NCL cruise with realistic expectations and you'll get out of it exactly what you're looking for.

Kim

[newmexicoNita]

I think it is about impossible to compare cruise lines, but we all try. For us, NCL works the best, but this does not mean they are the best line, just best for us. I will say, in my opinion RCI and NCL fall in the middle of the mass marketed lines and HAL toward the top.

 

Here is how we would compare, if comparing is what needs to be done here:

 

NCL: pros: of course freestyle dining; so many choices it is hard to decide, even if many do have sur charges. You always have choices that do not have extra charges, more than on most ships (not all, some RCI ships have a better variety than others)

 

No need to dress up if you do not want to but you can if this is what you like. Which ever way, you won't feel uncomfortable as others will be dressed the same as you are.

 

You don't have to worry about being stuck at a table for a week or longer with table mates you have little in common with.

 

friendliest crew on all lines

 

best casinos, though I agree this depends on the ship. The Sun and Jewel had great casinos with wonderful casino personel, the Star was not friendly, the slots tight and the atmosphere just not that much fun.

 

The youngest fleet at sea; Only the new Sky is over 7 years old, (well, that is after the Majesty and Dream are completely gone)

 

Best entertainment.

 

CONS: the food may be a step down from HAL>

Service in the dining room can be hit or miss. Most of the time it is very good, we have had rare occassions where we were disappointed, either to rushed or too slow. Mainly this occurred on the Star.

 

HAL:

Pros: large cabins

Very professional crew, sometimes almost stuffy, but still very efficent.

Wonderful library

Great lecture programs and classes (though the classes can be pricey)

Ships are decorated to the tea, even with fresh flowers

Great food, best buffet of all lines

Being able to eat in the buffet at dinner and get pretty much the same menu as in the main dining rooms. This works well if you are in a hurry or do not feel like dressing up that evening.

More refined cruisers

nice for those who enjoy traditional dining, but they now offer both.

 

Cons: entertainment isn't all that great

On board activities are not geared for those who really enjoy having a fun time, they are a bit on the stuffy side and there are not as many.

Casinos small, not friendly at all

debarkation didn't run quite as smooth as other lines we have cruised. all have gotten better in the past 5 or so years.

 

RCI:

Pros: lots of activities, both for particpants and spectators.

Nice ships especially for those who enjoy the mego class

great promanades on some ships

good entertainment

traditional dining for those who prefer getting to know your wait staff.

Casinos better than HALs.

 

Cons: the worst service we have had, both cabin steward and dining room have been on RCI ships. We have cruised them 3 times

Cabins can be small (again depending on the ship you choose)

food is hit or miss, like NCL, but we have had consistantly better food on NCL. Again, I think food is subjective and can vary from week to week and ship to ship.

 

Remember this is just one persons opinion. I do think, most mass marketed lines are more alike than different.

 

Nita

[flashdog_1]

We keep generalizing about comparing cruise lines. Maybe what would be more beneficial for you would be to read reviews of the exact same trip you will be making: same itinerary and on the same ship, especially recently. Even so, you will STILL get those who love it and those who don't!

 

if it's just a matter of wanting to try out freestyle, go for it. What do you have to lose? If you are looking for a cruise line that really fits you because RCCL did not, then that's another story, isn't it?

 

There's the old piece of paper with a line drawn down the center to bottom. In the first column list the things you really really LIKE about RCCL at the top, in order of preference, like if food is your top concern, put it there. At the bottom perhaps put the things you don't like so well. In the right hand column, research first, and see if you think NCL will meet your expectations on the things you've already listed. Then below those, list the neat things you think you'll like with NCL that RCCL did not have. You get the picture.

 

Before my very first cruise I did extensive research and came up with the cruise line I thought would be most to my liking and it fit almost perfectly. However, it did not fit my husband at all. He would prefer NCL because of not having to dress up, and is happy eating very good French fries in the grill for every meal! I like the fancy restaurants and the waiter to know me and call me by name.

 

I found NCL's service to be equal to Celebrity's (haven't been on RCCL) and HAL. Nothing was lacking for me except the food, and the necessity of deciding where to eat. I did not like not having a reservation where I needed one after reading that day's menu and wanting to go. I found my mind was wrapped around finding the right meal for me instead of enjoying my destination! But I did enjoy walking from restaurant to restaurant reading the menu choices for that night. When I did not get to eat what I wanted I felt kind of cheated because I'd compromised and eaten in the buffet with hubby. On other occasions I ate alone in the beautiful restaurants.

 

I have 2 more NCL cruises on newer ships booked, so maybe it will be better there. Also I'm traveling without French fries make him happy husband, but with my daughter who will go to any restaurant I want, and I to the one she wants.

 

The age demographic was absolutely all ages on NCL. You will migrate to the part of the ship where probably people of your own age are, anyway. Except my husband. He's 72 but enjoys things a 25 year old would. I was always a 50-60 year old!! ha ha

 

Good luck with your choice.

[coffeebean]

I have sailed NCL, HAL, Celebrity, and RCL. One main difference, to me, was as others have said-the food. I must begin by saying that, unlike many other cruisers, I have never thought that cruise line food-on any of the lines I have been on, has been outstanding. I do have the mind set, though, that I am not on vaction to eat so it's really hard for the food to ruin my experience. That being said, there is really no comparison regarding NCLs food compared to HAL or RCCL. I have posted before that I think that the food in the main restaurants was terrible and that the food in specialty restaurants on NCL was much better than the food in the main restaurants but only as good as the food in the main restaurants on the other lines. In other words, you have to pay to have the same quality food that is included on the other lines. If you're a foodie I say go to those restaurants and you'll be happier.

 

I think that the tone of the lines are different. I like all the lines I have sailed but for different reasons. I think that HAL is a bit more upscale and the service is much better than on RCCL or NCL. On HAL I feel very pampered. In fact I find the service on NCL, in terms of attentiveness of their staff to be a lot lower than the other lines and wouldn't mind seeing an improvement in this area.

 

I found RCCL to be a more lively experience and to have more of a "party" attitude. It was a very "fun" atmosphere while I thought that HAL is much more subdued. I like the freestyle dining on NCL but it is a less formal expereince-in attire as well as service. I do like the formal nights on HAL but there are also other times when I look forward to a less formal, more laid back experience. I am sailing NCL in August with my husbandand two teenagers (17). The guys are very happy to not have to wear suits to dinner and are looking forward to wearing slacks with nice shirts and calling it a night. Us girls are still going to wear our pretty dresses but the gowns are staying home. Overall, I'd call the NCL experience more casual and relaxing.

 

All in all I think any cruise is what you make of it. Go on an NCL cruise with realistic expectations and you'll get out of it exactly what you're looking for.

Kim

 

I don't agree with your assessment of NCL's specialty dining food. Chops Grille on Royal Caribbean is the same quality and service as Cagney's on NCL. Both of these restaurants have a surcharge and you get what you pay for. Chops Grille on RCCL is far superior to RCCL's main dining room and Cagney's is on par if not better than Chops. That is just one example.

 

Le Bistro is superb for food and service and is so much better than RCCL or NCL's main dining rooms. Teppanyaki on NCL is dinner and a show and you don't get that in any line's main dining rooms. Teppanyaki serves excellent food and the service is extremely attentive as is Le Bistro and Cagney's on NCL.

[Loralu]

This is great information - the OP is my Mom, and we are thinking of booking the Dawn to bermuda in October.

 

I have a question for anyone who has been on the DAWN.. we are thinking of aft cabin.. wondering how those are with noise - vibrattions.. etc. anyone with experience that can answer?

 

Thanks everyone for the great info.

[terrymtex01]

This is great information - the OP is my Mom, and we are thinking of booking the Dawn to bermuda in October.

 

I have a question for anyone who has been on the DAWN.. we are thinking of aft cabin.. wondering how those are with noise - vibrattions.. etc. anyone with experience that can answer?

 

Thanks everyone for the great info.

 

 

We have never been on the Dawn, but I have to assume it is pretty much the same for all ships. We have been on AFT cabins our last two cruises.. and will be on our next two that we have already booked. I promise you.. YOU WILL NOT REGRET it. It is WONDERFUL being able to look out and have that view.

 

The only slightly negative thing we have had with it was on our very first time on the NCL Star in a AFT cabin. The very first night when we went to bed, the motion was making me sea sick. I AM NEVER sea sick. My DP said he had read if you have a low light on, it would take care of that. Guess what.. It worked. After that, no problems and they have been the best cabins, best views we have ever had.

 

Hope you have a blast with your folks. I wish we had taken a cruise with my parents when they were still with us. I am sure those would have been memories that would last me forever.

[newmexicoNita]

I agree with Terry, yes, you may get a little more vibration, but very little and the view and peacefullness is worth it. We will always try for aft cabins from now on.

 

Nita

[awatt]

This is great information - the OP is my Mom, and we are thinking of booking the Dawn to bermuda in October.

 

I have a question for anyone who has been on the DAWN.. we are thinking of aft cabin.. wondering how those are with noise - vibrattions.. etc. anyone with experience that can answer?

 

Thanks everyone for the great info.

 

The Dawn is my favorite ship in 13 or 14 cruises! I felt it was a bright, upbeat atmosphere, and service was excellent. Lots of fun for all those in our group on the Dawn.

 

Since you are a HAL fan, although I've never sailed on HAL, my suggestion would be to consider a suite if you can swing it. Suite service on NCL is excellent, we felt beyond pampered. It was worth every penny.

 

I am unaware of aft vibrations on the Dawn. I do know that there are a couple of aft BA balcony cabins on deck 10 that have larger balconies and are highly sought after.

 

One thing you should know is that if you are a fan of traditional dining, you can set up same table/waiter nightly. we loved our waiter the first night, so we just spoke to teh maitre d" and it was arranged. You can do this before 6:15 or after 8 or 8:30.

 

Good luck with your choice and enjoy your cruise!

[Loralu]

Thank you again - for all the great tips everyone, I'm sure Mom and I will have a great time.. I will check into those aft cabins someone mentioned.