Norwegian vs Royal vs MSC?

Hi all! Need some ship opinions. We are planning a senior HS spring break trip. My family has always sailed on Royal. Can I get some comparisons between Royal/MSC/Norwegian? Answer as if destination, ship size, and cabin costs are all about the same. Straight up - who is better? We will have kids with us from about 6 - 18 years old and adults that typically purchase the RCI alcohol packages.

Thanks!

Not having cruised with MSC or Royal, but a loyal NCL customer and avid reader of these boards, I would say that NCL is more family friendly and "Fun" than MSc, catering to a younger, middle class family demographic than MSC. NCL is cheaper by quite a bit than Royal and MSC. They have much superior entertainment than MSC and Royal. Food maybe not quite as good, but still exceptional.

NCL seems to be giving away free unlimited drinks on all cruises now, so a significant savings if you like to drink. Just pay the gratuity fee.

Ships and destinations are generally the same no matter which line that you go on. Bahamas private island GSC is generally considered better than Royal's. And right next door. Both tender ports which are affected by rough seas quite often.

Hope this helps. General and not based on first-hand accounts. I am sure others will add more detail and first-hand.

Personally, I have no interest in starting over with other cruise lines, especially if more expensive.

/this is just my opinion: others will have some ideas I am sure: Depending on where you want to sail from and when your spring break will be, could make a difference but I would forget MSC for families; it attracts an older crowd. Of the other two choices, it is probably a toss up, with NCL having a slight edge. Regardless, spring break will mean lots of families and crowds so be prepared. That being said, what a wonderful way for kids to end their high school life. :cool::cool:

Seeing as though your at in ATL, I would assume you are cruising out of Florida and driving? Spring break 2019 I am assuming since we are almost to Spring Break now?

Are you looking at 3-4 day cruises or 7 night? That would make a huge difference. The Bahamas cruises IMO are the same really on any cruise line - Nassau and a private island.

I cannot comment on MSC as I have not sailed but I have sailed equally on Royal and NCL. I used to be loyal to Royal but have since cruised mostly NCL for the Free and Sea perks plus the Freestyle less structured aspect. As a mom to 6 kids ages 9-20 I totally get your dilemma.

NCL has the Free at Sea which would make it beneficial for the adults who like to drink. However since there will be teens involved, maybe that isn't the route that wants to be taken? We do drink but on my daughter's Spring Break cruise I drank very little because I was chaperoning other people's children. Royal is very structured to where NCL is not. You eat when you want and it is a lot more laid back.

Your options......

NCL

2019 Spring Break 7 nighters you have Epic out of Port Canaveral, Getaway out of Miami, Bliss out of Miami and Pearl out of Tampa.

I have sailed Getaway twice, one with 4 teens and they loved it. I have also sailed Epic and loved the onboard entertainment. What I did not love was the fact you cannot see water from a public deck besides the pool decks. Bliss is new so that would be awesome and has a lot to offer. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these ships for your demographic. Pearl is old, so that would be out for me.

Royal

Ft Lauderdale has Adventure of the Seas, Miami has Allure and Empress.

Empress and Adventure are smaller older ships. Allure as the Oasis class would have most to offer the teen group.

With Royal you have a more structured sailing with dining and shows. Again, depending on your groups needs, this could be a factor.

We just did our first MSC in YC back in August for our DDs HS grad trip on Divinia. It was fabulous. Seaside is in Miami now and is a brand new ship.

We've only done one Royal way back but plenty of NCL. MSC is a bit difficult to figure out at first with all their experiences but if you go YC you pretty much get everything included.

MSC is a family run company and it shows in a good way but they do also have a few quirks of their own.

ETA:

Here is some info from our trip:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2532066

Done them all numerous times.

MSC will have a lot of families with younger children because of their "kids sail free: deals. Announcements will be made in numerous languages. Expect English speakers to be in the minority.

Are any of the 18-year-olds going to want to drink alcohol? On NCL, 18-20 year olds can drink IF their parent is onboard with them and signs the waiver.

Agree that the destination, duration and cost would be my biggest concern. Seniors in high school will have fun no matter where they are as long as they are with their friends.

Bless your heart for taking this on, I would not, and never did with my kids though I was asked repeatedly to come up with a senior trip for the masses. Just a headache and a chore to deal with others and their expectations.

Seeing as though your at in ATL, I would assume you are cruising out of Florida and driving? Spring break 2019 I am assuming since we are almost to Spring Break now?

 

Are you looking at 3-4 day cruises or 7 night? That would make a huge difference. The Bahamas cruises IMO are the same really on any cruise line - Nassau and a private island.

 

I cannot comment on MSC as I have not sailed but I have sailed equally on Royal and NCL. I used to be loyal to Royal but have since cruised mostly NCL for the Free and Sea perks plus the Freestyle less structured aspect. As a mom to 6 kids ages 9-20 I totally get your dilemma.

 

NCL has the Free at Sea which would make it beneficial for the adults who like to drink. However since there will be teens involved, maybe that isn't the route that wants to be taken? We do drink but on my daughter's Spring Break cruise I drank very little because I was chaperoning other people's children. Royal is very structured to where NCL is not. You eat when you want and it is a lot more laid back.

 

Your options......

NCL

2019 Spring Break 7 nighters you have Epic out of Port Canaveral, Getaway out of Miami, Bliss out of Miami and Pearl out of Tampa.

 

I have sailed Getaway twice, one with 4 teens and they loved it. I have also sailed Epic and loved the onboard entertainment. What I did not love was the fact you cannot see water from a public deck besides the pool decks. Bliss is new so that would be awesome and has a lot to offer. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these ships for your demographic. Pearl is old, so that would be out for me.

 

Royal

Ft Lauderdale has Adventure of the Seas, Miami has Allure and Empress.

Empress and Adventure are smaller older ships. Allure as the Oasis class would have most to offer the teen group.

 

With Royal you have a more structured sailing with dining and shows. Again, depending on your groups needs, this could be a factor.

I am curious as to what is meant by you can't see water from public places......thinking of booking the Epic...have not yet cruised NCL...going to jump ship after 27 Carnival cruises.

Hi all! Need some ship opinions. We are planning a senior HS spring break trip. My family has always sailed on Royal. Can I get some comparisons between Royal/MSC/Norwegian? Answer as if destination, ship size, and cabin costs are all about the same. Straight up - who is better? We will have kids with us from about 6 - 18 years old and adults that typically purchase the RCI alcohol packages.

Thanks!

NCL for sure. I like them both, but Norwegian is more like being at a resort at sea with no schedules and time to do whatever!

I am curious as to what is meant by you can't see water from public places......thinking of booking the Epic...have not yet cruised NCL...going to jump ship after 27 Carnival cruises.

If you're going and will spend the entire time comparing to Carnival, forget it. You won't like it because they are different animals. If, however, you forget all your biases you may find you like Norwegian much better. I do.

If you're going and will spend the entire time comparing to Carnival, forget it. You won't like it because they are different animals. If, however, you forget all your biases you may find you like Norwegian much better. I do.

Going with an open mind! I am sure we will love the Epic....

We were mostly Holland/Princess cruisers then we discovered Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. They are fabulous! In fact we did Escape twice, same itinerary just because we loved the ship and especially the grotto in the back. We sailed MSC twice in Europe and it was awful. In fact the reason why we sailed it again was the fact that I wrote a letter of complaint to the President of the US division and he actually called me. They gave us a $500 credit per cabin for our group for the issues we had so we rebooked with them out of Venice. It may be a whole different story with the ones out of Miami. Never saw our cabin steward. Took 3 days to get ice in our cabin. In Europe every port is an embarkation/disembark so people turnover is constant and that means fire drills in EVERY port. We had someones suitcases sitting outside our cabin for 2 1/2 days DESPITE numerous daily phone calls. The dress code is nonexistent, although we found that to be true on the Escape. Had dinner one night in Savor/Taste sitting next to a guy in shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt with questionable writing on it. While the pricing on MSC is great, our group agreed never to cruise on one again.

I am curious as to what is meant by you can't see water from public places......thinking of booking the Epic...have not yet cruised NCL...going to jump ship after 27 Carnival cruises.

The Epic does not have the waterfront, a promenade deck with restaurants and bars that is a feature on all “breakaway class” ships. I think the “can’t see water from public places thing” is not true. There are great places on the upper decks with fantastic views like the outdoor buffet and the various sun decks including one at the front point of the ship. We’ve sailed twice on the Epic and loved it.

I am curious as to what is meant by you can't see water from public places......thinking of booking the Epic...have not yet cruised NCL...going to jump ship after 27 Carnival cruises.

Epic is built like a floating hotel with lots of Balcony and Oceanview Rooms. There are no multiple public decks to walk around like on Carnival and Getaway/Breakaway with Waterfront. If you have an interior room, the only way to see the ocean without a glass in between you is from the pool deck and above. I believe there is a jogging track on deck 7 but that was on one side and super busy so you can't really hang out there.

I did love the Epic for its cabin design and shows - just miss seeing the actual water when in an interior room. I would recommend the Getaway/Escape class if that is important to you - loved the layout.

Epic is built like a floating hotel with lots of Balcony and Oceanview Rooms. There are no multiple public decks to walk around like on Carnival and Getaway/Breakaway with Waterfront. If you have an interior room, the only way to see the ocean without a glass in between you is from the pool deck and above. I believe there is a jogging track on deck 7 but that was on one side and super busy so you can't really hang out there.

The running track on deck 7 is fore and aft only (it doesn't go around the bow or stern of the ship) and the view of the water is obstructed by the lifeboats that are positioned at eye level, hanging over the water. You can see the water from that area if you position yourself in between the lifeboats. But, the criticism is probably minor and not even noticed by most people because of the great shows, dining and activities they have. For me, I like the ocean and the Epic isn't a great ship. I would still sail it again, though, as it is a fun ship.

HOWEVER, for a family with teens, the bathroom situation may be a deal breaker, depending on how shy the teens are about their bodies. The majority of the cabins, inside, oceanview, balcony and mini-suites, all have the shower and toilet enclosures in the room behind frosted glass, and not in a separate bathroom. They are positioned on either side of the door, so the privacy curtain between the entryway into the room and the rest of the cabin is pretty useless if Jen is on the toilet and Ben comes back from the teen club. Here's a picture showing the frosted glass:

Here's an image of a standard balcony room. Behind my lovely wife you can see the toilet and shower on either side of the cabin door, and see the aluminum track just behind her head on the ceiling that holds the privacy curtain.

This wasn't a big deal for us, but when my kids were teens I can imagine this would be a major deal. For some families, who never shut the bathroom doors and walk around nude anyway, it's not a big deal. But others should be aware of it so they can plan appropriately.

I have not sailed MSC but have sail a few cruises on Royal and NCL. I'd skip MSC, I'm going to. Without knowing what ship, it's hard to give you a good answer.

NCL has better food, less formal and better staterooms especially the bathrooms. They seem to take pretty good care of their ships. Prices are through the roof and itineraries not that great.

Royal will feel less crowded, most the ships are very nice even if they are older. Mostly a solid product.

Really you can't go wrong with either. Choose the ship that you think is the most impressive that better suits your needs.

It's good to have variety.

The running track on deck 7 is fore and aft only (it doesn't go around the bow or stern of the ship) and the view of the water is obstructed by the lifeboats that are positioned at eye level, hanging over the water. You can see the water from that area if you position yourself in between the lifeboats. But, the criticism is probably minor and not even noticed by most people because of the great shows, dining and activities they have. For me, I like the ocean and the Epic isn't a great ship. I would still sail it again, though, as it is a fun ship.

 

HOWEVER, for a family with teens, the bathroom situation may be a deal breaker, depending on how shy the teens are about their bodies. The majority of the cabins, inside, oceanview, balcony and mini-suites, all have the shower and toilet enclosures in the room behind frosted glass, and not in a separate bathroom. They are positioned on either side of the door, so the privacy curtain between the entryway into the room and the rest of the cabin is pretty useless if Jen is on the toilet and Ben comes back from the teen club. Here's a picture showing the frosted glass:

 

 

Here's an image of a standard balcony room. Behind my lovely wife you can see the toilet and shower on either side of the cabin door, and see the aluminum track just behind her head on the ceiling that holds the privacy curtain.

 

 

This wasn't a big deal for us, but when my kids were teens I can imagine this would be a major deal. For some families, who never shut the bathroom doors and walk around nude anyway, it's not a big deal. But others should be aware of it so they can plan appropriately.

I totally agree about the bathrooms on the Epic. For us, just a couple we happen to love the shower being in the room, but with a family I think I would pick another ship.

Having sailed Oasis and currently on the breakaway, I can give you my opinion. It depends on the ship, honestly.

My kids? They 100% prefer Oasis to Breakaway and I would have to agree with them. Here is why I say this and again this is only my opinion.

Kids clubs: both my kids said Royal for this. My son was always either in the teen club or with friends he met there on Oasis. With NCL, he went the first night and has no desire to go back. My daughter, who is 8, prefers Royal’s kids club as well, and we agree with her. For starters, Royals kids club is open more often. NCL has short hours so you feel like you have to go get them just after you dropped them off. But the thing my husband and I loved about Royals kids club is that you got to know the people who were taking care of her everyday. We are in day 3 of NCL and I have never met the people taking care of my daughter as you check in at a desk and they wisk the kids away to their room and then call for them when you pick them up. With Royal you got to have conversations with the counselors and knew that they really cared about your kids. We loved that and really miss it on NCL.

Entertainment, Royal wins again for this family. We loved the water and ice show on Oasis. NCL has nothing like that.

I plan to post a comparison when it get back, but our opinion is Royals mega ships blow NCL out of the water.

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Having sailed Oasis and currently on the breakaway, I can give you my opinion. It depends on the ship, honestly.

 

My kids? They 100% prefer Oasis to Breakaway and I would have to agree with them. Here is why I say this and again this is only my opinion.

 

Kids clubs: both my kids said Royal for this. My son was always either in the teen club or with friends he met there on Oasis. With NCL, he went the first night and has no desire to go back. My daughter, who is 8, prefers Royal’s kids club as well, and we agree with her. For starters, Royals kids club is open more often. NCL has short hours so you feel like you have to go get them just after you dropped them off. But the thing my husband and I loved about Royals kids club is that you got to know the people who were taking care of her everyday. We are in day 3 of NCL and I have never met the people taking care of my daughter as you check in at a desk and they wisk the kids away to their room and then call for them when you pick them up. With Royal you got to have conversations with the counselors and knew that they really cared about your kids. We loved that and really miss it on NCL.

 

Entertainment, Royal wins again for this family. We loved the water and ice show on Oasis. NCL has nothing like that.

 

I plan to post a comparison when it get back, but our opinion is Royals mega ships blow NCL out of the water.

 

 

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I mean, yea, if you have kids ;p

I don't have any, and if I did, they wouldn't be on vacation with me and my wife. NCL is far superior for the middle-aged adult w/o or not accompanying children.

I mean, yea, if you have kids ;p

 

 

 

I don't have any, and if I did, they wouldn't be on vacation with me and my wife. NCL is far superior for the middle-aged adult w/o or not accompanying children.

OP says they will have kids with them from 6-18 so giving my opinion based on that and from my kids point of view.

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Most arguing against MSC haven’t sailed them lol. Just off the Seaside and it’s quite a great ship for all age groups. Still an international flare, but much higher percent Americans and families than Divina. Gorgeous ship, outstanding service. Tons of outdoor space/ views and lots of activities such as zip line, water slides, bowling, 4D movies. Never felt crowded though it was spring break and everyone appeared to be having a great time.

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Why are people giving opinions on MSC having never sailed with them, knowing nothing about them. Older crowd? Less family oriented? Apparently these people haven't seen the new MSC Seaside which blows away everything that NCL has except maybe the Escape, which I've sailed, and the Bliss ( I am sailing) possibly. MSC kids sail free and their prices overall are cheaper. Balconies for the prices of Ocean Views on NCL. Seaside has a huge kids Jungle park and kids pool. 6 Waterslides, full size bowling, arcade, 5D Thrill Theater, longest Zipline at Sea, etc. ...... stunningly beautiful ship. Take no advice on MSC from people that know zero about MSC.

Having sailed Oasis and currently on the breakaway, I can give you my opinion. It depends on the ship, honestly.

 

My kids? They 100% prefer Oasis to Breakaway and I would have to agree with them. Here is why I say this and again this is only my opinion.

 

Kids clubs: both my kids said Royal for this. My son was always either in the teen club or with friends he met there on Oasis. With NCL, he went the first night and has no desire to go back. My daughter, who is 8, prefers Royal’s kids club as well, and we agree with her. For starters, Royals kids club is open more often. NCL has short hours so you feel like you have to go get them just after you dropped them off. But the thing my husband and I loved about Royals kids club is that you got to know the people who were taking care of her everyday. We are in day 3 of NCL and I have never met the people taking care of my daughter as you check in at a desk and they wisk the kids away to their room and then call for them when you pick them up. With Royal you got to have conversations with the counselors and knew that they really cared about your kids. We loved that and really miss it on NCL.

 

Entertainment, Royal wins again for this family. We loved the water and ice show on Oasis. NCL has nothing like that.

 

I plan to post a comparison when it get back, but our opinion is Royals mega ships blow NCL out of the water.

 

 

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Ditto. If you are going to sail Oasis-class, then it's a no brainer that you should choose Royal. If you are sailing smaller Royal ships, then I think you can almost toss a coin and pick any major line, they are all "good."

I have sailed Royal and NCL. I like the buffet on NCL better, they have good variety and decent Indian food. The sit down dinners on Royal are a little better but not much. I like the flexible dining times on NCL though, I like to eat when I'm hungry. The layout of the Royal ships are better, more public space and it does feel less crowded. Also Royal has much better free pool areas (adults Solarium), the NCL mega ships have a small pool. My daughter didn't like this aspect on NCL. Depending on the ship there are waterslides, rope courses on both cruise lines. I like the entertainment on both lines. I also found the cabins to be comparable as well.

I have sailed CCL, NCL and MSC.

NCL had better specialty restaurants. better UBP/free at sea. more options where to go and for how long.

MSC had better entertainment. better food overall. it did feel a bit more international but with much fewer, uh, what I call "ugly American tourists". casino totally non smoking. MSC will match your rewards level with a competitor, which is very nice.

rooms and service almost indistinguishable. I was on Escape and Divine, both really new ships. six of one, half dozen of the other in comparison.

I think you'll love either cruise line. I do!

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I don't have experience on MSC yet, but Norwegian v Royal -- either way you look at it, it's definitely based on individual opinion.

If you are looking at the biggest, newest ships, NCL is going to be less than royal and you will get more for your money. Hands down. There is no comparison.

It really depends on the kids. My youngest doesn't want to go on a cruise ship without water slides, so for Royal that takes the Oasis and the Allure (we did the Oasis once already) -- but happy to see that they have refurbished older ones to include slides like Liberty, Freedom and Independence -- these are good options that you can get for less than Harmony & Symphony.

We went on Getaway twice, Epic twice and Escape once and absolutely loved each and every cruise. My only issues were both at check in with not having the right amenity on my account (good thing I bring my print outs) -- other than that -- great time all 5 of those cruises. Epic, we avoid having issues by having adults in one room and kids in the other -- we've never found it to be an issue. Food, entertainment, areas to enjoy the water are all great. Our two teenagers and one 8-year old love the kids and teen clubs. We've even been over Christmas week and didn't have the crowding in kid and teen club that others have spoken about for Spring break -- so it really is individual experience. My teens keep asking when we are scheduling our next cruise so they can make more new friends and keep in touch with others they met at the teen club for last two cruises.

We are going on the Symphony next so we will get to experience a Royal teen club, which we haven't yet since we were on the Oasis 5 1/2 years ago.

HTH.