NCL vs. RC

I just got back from a 4 night Royal Caribbean cruise with a friend of mine. I was on this exact same cruise with my husband in 2013 and I must say I was sorely disappointed this time. So many things were discontinued this cruise - the silent club with the headphones on Deck 10, the 70s Dance Party (although they showed it on the on-room TV - what?) The last night buffet/cookout. My friend had never been on a cruise before and thought it was great but I thought a lot was missing and it just seems like Royal Caribbean has gone downhill. My husband and I are thinking of going on a cruise in the fall and we are considering Cuba. What about Norwegian? We would like to go on a cruise line that is less geared towards kids/young people and more toward mature adults. We wouldn't have to go to Cuba, anywhere in that general area would be great. Any suggestions?

I haven't sailed NCL yet but we are booked to cruise with them in November for the first time. From what I've heard they are very much geared to families which is one of the reasons we chose them. We sailed RC for the first time in 2006 and again in 2017 and we also thought there were a lot of differences. We decided it was 11 years so it's understandable for things to change.

Regarding cruise lines for more mature adults, I've read (& heard) that Princess is a more mature line. Viking cruises doesn't allow anyone under 18. Oceania boards here on CC tend to sound like they cater to a more mature crowd. We sailed Holland a few years ago and they were more mature as well. Lots of options out there. Check out some vlogs on YouTube also to help get inside feedback on these various cruise lines. Good luck and happy sailing.

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I just got back from a 4 night Royal Caribbean cruise with a friend of mine. I was on this exact same cruise with my husband in 2013 and I must say I was sorely disappointed this time. So many things were discontinued this cruise - the silent club with the headphones on Deck 10, the 70s Dance Party (although they showed it on the on-room TV - what?) The last night buffet/cookout. My friend had never been on a cruise before and thought it was great but I thought a lot was missing and it just seems like Royal Caribbean has gone downhill. My husband and I are thinking of going on a cruise in the fall and we are considering Cuba. What about Norwegian? We would like to go on a cruise line that is less geared towards kids/young people and more toward mature adults. We wouldn't have to go to Cuba, anywhere in that general area would be great. Any suggestions?

They have all gone downhill.

They have all gone downhill.

Yeah, it seems like every forum on here is filled with XXX cruise line "nickel and diming" passengers, cutting perks that were once on every ship for free and charging more.

Every forum has threads with people saying "XXX lost my business, I'm going to try ABC". Funny thing is for every thread like that, there's one saying "ABC lost my business, I'm going to try XXX." The grass is always greener....

In the end, either a cruise is worth the price you're paying or it's not. Each person has to decide where that line is for themselves.

The quality of mainstream cruises two decades ago is now what you'll get on Cunard or Viking. The floor might be Celebrity.

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Thanks very much for all the helpful info!

I haven't sailed NCL yet but we are booked to cruise with them in November for the first time. From what I've heard they are very much geared to families which is one of the reasons we chose them. We sailed RC for the first time in 2006 and again in 2017 and we also thought there were a lot of differences. We decided it was 11 years so it's understandable for things to change.

 

Regarding cruise lines for more mature adults, I've read (& heard) that Princess is a more mature line. Viking cruises doesn't allow anyone under 18. Oceania boards here on CC tend to sound like they cater to a more mature crowd. We sailed Holland a few years ago and they were more mature as well. Lots of options out there. Check out some vlogs on YouTube also to help get inside feedback on these various cruise lines. Good luck and happy sailing.

 

 

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Back in the mid 80's we sailed on Homeline's Atlantic ship. Balcony rooms would have been considered luxury suites on that ship....there were only a handful. We had an inside cabin. It was our first cruise and taught us that we cannot handle a room without at least a window. That said, I don't think there was any "room service" for rooms of that level...it had a feel of the "steerage"....lower class on the Titanic. LOL There was no food anywhere on the ship except for assigned dining times and the famous "midnight buffet. Oh they did have ice cream by the pool for about an hour after lunch. However, compared to the ships of today, the food at breakfast lunch and dinner was "top shelf". You also had to dress well for dinner...men had to wear suit and tie. I don't recall any lobster but everything else was awesome and plentiful. You had to rent a deck chair for the week and sit where they decided you were gonna sit for the week. Our's were located on the aft....I guess suite guest got to sit by the pool. ha! The casino had about 10 machines and nothing else. There was not a ton of things to do either. We did have a great sailing home party with a huge buffet spread out all around the pool deck.........that was probably the only highlight of the cruise.So if we are talking down hill....I guess it is all what you are used to. I prefer the ships of today even if they are doing away with some things and charging for things we use to get for free. We still get a whole lot more than what we experienced on the Atlantic.

Back in the mid 80's we sailed on Homeline's Atlantic ship. Balcony rooms would have been considered luxury suites on that ship....there were only a handful. We had an inside cabin. It was our first cruise and taught us that we cannot handle a room without at least a window. That said, I don't think there was any "room service" for rooms of that level...it had a feel of the "steerage"....lower class on the Titanic. LOL There was no food anywhere on the ship except for assigned dining times and the famous "midnight buffet. Oh they did have ice cream by the pool for about an hour after lunch. However, compared to the ships of today, the food at breakfast lunch and dinner was "top shelf". You also had to dress well for dinner...men had to wear suit and tie. I don't recall any lobster but everything else was awesome and plentiful. You had to rent a deck chair for the week and sit where they decided you were gonna sit for the week. Our's were located on the aft....I guess suite guest got to sit by the pool. ha! The casino had about 10 machines and nothing else. There was not a ton of things to do either. We did have a great sailing home party with a huge buffet spread out all around the pool deck.........that was probably the only highlight of the cruise.So if we are talking down hill....I guess it is all what you are used to. I prefer the ships of today even if they are doing away with some things and charging for things we use to get for free. We still get a whole lot more than what we experienced on the Atlantic.

Wow. WOW! This really is eye-opening, I had no idea! Thanks for your reply, and for putting things in perspective!

Wow. WOW! This really is eye-opening, I had no idea! Thanks for your reply, and for putting things in perspective!

I am sailing on NCL to Cuba out of Miami. It has been announced that NCL now charges a 'service charge' for room service. Used to be completely free. That's a bummer.

The excursions are REALLY expensive. And don't live up to what is promised. That's a fail. I am going with local tours and not anything through NCL.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all that comes to mind right now.

We have sailed the same Western Carribean route on both the Norwegian Jewel and RC Liberty of the Seas. We did it with family and children in tow. By far everyone's favorite has been our NCL trip on the Jewel. Personally, i found that when cruising on the larger ship (Liberty) we were constantly inside the ship, whereas on the Jewel there was a feel of being outside and actually sailing. Little things like the ability to dine outside at several locations on the Jewel added to this. Yes, there were more activities and bars etc... on the Liberty but how much can you really do in 7-9 days with shore excursions? The food was pretty comparable, though NCL had a better buffet and with kids that's most of what you do. So, I guess it depends on how you like to vacation. Do you want to leisurely stroll and be outside and not commit to a lot? I would go with NCL. If you want constant options of "things to do" and don't mind being inside (in basically a fancy mall) then I'd go with Royal.

I just got back from a 4 night Royal Caribbean cruise with a friend of mine. I was on this exact same cruise with my husband in 2013 and I must say I was sorely disappointed this time. So many things were discontinued this cruise - the silent club with the headphones on Deck 10, the 70s Dance Party (although they showed it on the on-room TV - what?) The last night buffet/cookout. My friend had never been on a cruise before and thought it was great but I thought a lot was missing and it just seems like Royal Caribbean has gone downhill. My husband and I are thinking of going on a cruise in the fall and we are considering Cuba. What about Norwegian? We would like to go on a cruise line that is less geared towards kids/young people and more toward mature adults. We wouldn't have to go to Cuba, anywhere in that general area would be great. Any suggestions?

Hi! Maybe this will help with the comparison: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1884.

I just posted my Sky Review to Cuba.... we had a friend along who this was her first cruise. She loved the experience. We, having been on both NCL and RCCL ships found the ship small. We booked this cruise for the two day in Cuba experience. The ship was secondary to the experience. Since it was just transportation...and the four days goes very fast...we were glad we had no sea days as the ship size and amenities were limited. But it is a clean ship, the crew works hard, and for transportation and hotel service to Cuba...it worked. As my review mentions, we took a private one day tour. For me, this is the only way to go. More than one passenger we spoke to was not happy with the bus tours of NCL...long, hot, not personable, and expensive. They were very disappointed. We were ecstatic over the touring we did and the value of what we got for our money. Cuba and the communism way of life was a throw back, for us, to the days of the Warsaw Pact countries. But the exchanges we had for every Cuban we met were nothing but happy and positive. They are very proud of their country. Time has stood still for Cuba...we toured like it was 1959...oh wait...we were in a 59 Chevy. We saw only a handful of adults with children/families so I am thinking....most booked the cruise because they wanted the Cuban experience. Time on The ship is a minimum...the four days goes fast. Our friend was happy and will cruise again, and we tried our best to refrain from comparing it to a newer ship or a ship with a lot of activities and experiences.

I just reread your post and must admit...I believe NCL and RCCL are comparative. Yes, the perks and nicessities have dwindled making the experience less magical. Also people don't want the dress up events....and I think it goes with a general dressing down of our society. So the cruise lines are trying to market to the middle masses....loud obnoxious music, no formalities, and trying to market that "it's your vacaction...do what you want to do"! I think NCL does a bigger push of add-one and constant sales. That was one thing our friend who never cruised remarked about...the consistent and constant ways they try to get our money. But as I told my friend, there are people who love the art sales, the bingo, the tab card chances...etc. it is sell, sell, sell. This four day cruise was unusual In The itinerary and time on the ship was limited. I will sail both lines again...but opt for bigger ships....the Sky was, indeed, a small basic ship and not a lot of time for receptions, get together, or even meeting other passengers.