RCCL vs. NCL

[amartin042]

Ok, so I need some help…My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL and I are currently booked on the Freedom of the Seas. With one small exception we have always cruised with RCCL, and loved every cruise we have taken with them. The one exception was a 2 night cruise to nowhere that I took with my youngest son on the NCL Pearl. Now I realize that a 2 day cruise probably isn’t a fair comparison of a cruise line, but after that cruise my son and I decided that we would never cruise with NCL again. We had a dirty room when we arrived, the food was awful, except for the one time we paid to go to the steakhouse, and we felt claustrophobic because there were no open spaces like the Centrum on the ship. Now I realize that all this was probably not the norm for NCL, but it sure didn’t make a good first impression. Now on the the reason for my post… my family has been looking at the NCL Epic and all the cool entertainment they are going to have. We are seriously thinking about switching and were wondering what those that have cruised both cruise lines think about the overall NCL experiences they have had vs. RCCL. I am especially interested in the food quality in the MDR on NCL. I know this is a subjective subject, but I would still like to get everyone’s opinion. I am posting this on both boards so that I can get as many opinions as possible. Thanks for any help you can give me in advance.:confused::confused:

Anna

[wg6530]

Ok, so I need some help…My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL and I are currently booked on the Freedom of the Seas. With one small exception we have always cruised with RCCL, and loved every cruise we have taken with them. The one exception was a 2 night cruise to nowhere that I took with my youngest son on the NCL Pearl. Now I realize that a 2 day cruise probably isn’t a fair comparison of a cruise line, but after that cruise my son and I decided that we would never cruise with NCL again. We had a dirty room when we arrived, the food was awful, except for the one time we paid to go to the steakhouse, and we felt claustrophobic because there were no open spaces like the Centrum on the ship. Now I realize that all this was probably not the norm for NCL, but it sure didn’t make a good first impression. Now on the the reason for my post… my family has been looking at the NCL Epic and all the cool entertainment they are going to have. We are seriously thinking about switching and were wondering what those that have cruised both cruise lines think about the overall NCL experiences they have had vs. RCCL. I am especially interested in the food quality in the MDR on NCL. I know this is a subjective subject, but I would still like to get everyone’s opinion. I am posting this on both boards so that I can get as many opinions as possible. Thanks for any help you can give me in advance.:confused::confused:

Anna

I like both lines. I have not been on the Pearl or Freedom, but I have been on their sister ships. NCL Gem and Jewel are nice ships, but IOS is a fabulous ship. I'm sure Freedom is, too. For me, the food is fine on both lines, but I like Royal's slightly better. Same with waiters and cabin stewards. If your group uses the ice rinks and flow rider, they may miss them in proportion to the time they spend. To NCL, I'd give the edge for other entertainment and the relaxed, freestyle atmosphere (YMMV as it does not suit everyone).

 

Epic is not out yet, so nobody can tell you very much about her ups and downs.

 

Pearl should be a decent representation of NCL's fleet. Though your NCL cruise may have been too short to tell you everything, it should tell you something. As you have been so happy on Royal and your little trip on NCL was literally not to your taste, I really think you will be happier on Freedom for this big family trip.

 

Perhaps you could come back in 6-12 months and read the Epic reviews; book in the future if the reviews lead you to think Epic is really right for you. Honestly though, Royal may be your cruiseline. Love NCL, but it is not for everyone.

[English Rose]

I am wondering the same. I've cruised around 12 Royal Caribbean cruises (never with Norwegian) and just LOVE the Freedom class ships. The Epic caught my eye and I began to seriously think about trying it out. Leaving my comfort zone will be hard but I am prepared to go in with an open mind and seeing what's on offer it will be hard to imagine I won't like something! I do like the idea of the relaxed dining and the fact that there are no formal nights (this is what takes up most of the luggage allowance on a transatlantic flight) so leaving all that at home appeals enormously. We are travelling with teenagers and RCCL 'do teenagers' very well. The prices between the Freedom and the Epic as well as the itinerary are very similar. This would be a 14 night cruise. I can't compare the Oasis because it's just SO expensive that I wouldn't consider it. One week on the Oasis compared to two on the Epic. No contest. Any opinions on comparisons would be much appreciated by me also. Thanks!

[ColinIllinois]

My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL

 

That's strange names. Are you foreign?

[amartin042]

My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL

 

That's strange names. Are you foreign?

 

That is slang on these boards for DH-Dear Husband, DS-Dear Son, DMIL-Dear Mother In-Law, DSIL-Dear Sister In-Law and DBIL-Dear Brother In-Law. Most every one uses these abbreviations to shorten it up a little.;)

[DiBob]

My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL

 

That's strange names. Are you foreign?

Nope..not foreign...DH...Husband..DS..Son..SOn...Mother in Law...Sister in law...brother in law....

 

But you probably new that already:)

[ColinIllinois]

Yet again my attempt at cruise board humor is underwhelming. lol By the time my July cruise comes around everyone will be hoping I'm not on their ship. :)

[DiBob]

Yet again my attempt at cruise board humor is underwhelming. lol By the time my July cruise comes around everyone will be hoping I'm not on their ship. :)

Oh Colin...you will have the last laugh:D You will be cruising on the EPIC:)

 

I like that you admit it was cruise board humor...I am so use to cruise board snarkiness:rolleyes:

[wg6530]

I am wondering the same. I've cruised around 12 Royal Caribbean cruises (never with Norwegian) and just LOVE the Freedom class ships. The Epic caught my eye and I began to seriously think about trying it out. Leaving my comfort zone will be hard but I am prepared to go in with an open mind and seeing what's on offer it will be hard to imagine I won't like something! I do like the idea of the relaxed dining and the fact that there are no formal nights (this is what takes up most of the luggage allowance on a transatlantic flight) so leaving all that at home appeals enormously. We are travelling with teenagers and RCCL 'do teenagers' very well. The prices between the Freedom and the Epic as well as the itinerary are very similar. This would be a 14 night cruise. I can't compare the Oasis because it's just SO expensive that I wouldn't consider it. One week on the Oasis compared to two on the Epic. No contest. Any opinions on comparisons would be much appreciated by me also. Thanks!

You have 14 days? How about seven days on Epic and seven on Royal or vice versa? Sounds like a blast to me and you'd have so much variety of activity and food. It doesn't solve the formal wear packing issue, unless you are willing to substitute another venue on formal nights.

[martinchem]

Actually I like all the cruiselines, they might all run a little different but that helps mix things up a little. We just got off the Dawn in february B2B 14 day, and I thought they offered some of the best meals I've ever had on a ship, I think they have taken it up a notch and I can't say the same about Royal. Be sure to know your cabin size when booking they can really have limited sq.ft. in rooms of some ships, this doesn't pertain to just Norwegian, although Carnival always has good cabin space.

[KandJCruising]

I've been on one RCI and 3 NCL cruises, and here are my thoughts:

 

I've generally found much better prices for similar dates/itineraries/cabin classes on NCL. This is the major reason I generally choose NCL. I haven't been on the Freedom Class yet, but the prices do look similar to the Epic.

 

I don't have a preference for Freestyle vs set time dining. I can do either, so that's a wash. I found the food in the MDR slightly better on RCI, but the surcharge restaurants are comparable. NCL definitely has the edge in variety of dining venues and total menus.

 

I think the overall service on RCI was slightly better, and I honestly think it's tied to the fact gratuities are automatically added to your bill on NCL. I believe this leads to slightly less incentive to go the extra mile. However, the difference isn't major and certainly not enough to make me permanently switch lines.

 

I haven't found the design or layout of the ships to make a difference to me, though I'm sure it does to many. My DW prefers the central promenade on RCI.

Same goes for the rooms. My RCI balcony room might have been slightly larger, but not enough to really matter. I haven't sailed in a suite, but if you some research on here I think you'll find that does result in a significant advantage in NCL's favor. I finally gave in and we booked one on the Epic next year.

 

Overall, I'm happy with both lines and would gladly cruise either, but the price delta and my perceived benefit almost always leads me to choose NCL. Epic looks phenomenal, and groundbreaking in a lot of ways, and we can't wait to sail on it. That said, we'll also likely do the the Freedom Class and Oasis or Allure (seriously debating the Inaugural sailing and hoping the prices come down when Allure hits the market) at some point, as well.

 

Again, just my opinions based on somewhat limited experiences. Hope it helps.

I like the idea a previous poster mentioned about one week on each. You'd have a great base of experience on each and could easily decide which you like better. And you could share those thoughts with us all here. :)

[may1021]

Have been on NCL for 8 cruises and RCCL for 2 cruises.

Think if price was around the same I would choose RCCL.

RCCL has My Time dining now so you can choose your time to eat.

I found the food better on RCCL and we had wonderful service both times on RCCL (Explorer of the Seas) and we did the My Time and gratuities do have to be paid for that beforehand.

They do not have the variety of restaurants with surcharges that NCL has.

Like NCL entertainment but thought ice show on RCCL was wonderful.

Just off NCL Gem and although I had a nice time, there was sort of something missing. Couldnt place it but maybe it was me?

Will cruise again with NCL but lately have had better experiences on other lines.;)

[petesweet]

Ok, so I need some help…My family DH,DS,DS,DMIL,DSIL,DBIL and I are currently booked on the Freedom of the Seas. With one small exception we have always cruised with RCCL, and loved every cruise we have taken with them. The one exception was a 2 night cruise to nowhere that I took with my youngest son on the NCL Pearl. Now I realize that a 2 day cruise probably isn’t a fair comparison of a cruise line, but after that cruise my son and I decided that we would never cruise with NCL again. We had a dirty room when we arrived, the food was awful, except for the one time we paid to go to the steakhouse, and we felt claustrophobic because there were no open spaces like the Centrum on the ship. Now I realize that all this was probably not the norm for NCL, but it sure didn’t make a good first impression. Now on the the reason for my post… my family has been looking at the NCL Epic and all the cool entertainment they are going to have. We are seriously thinking about switching and were wondering what those that have cruised both cruise lines think about the overall NCL experiences they have had vs. RCCL. I am especially interested in the food quality in the MDR on NCL. I know this is a subjective subject, but I would still like to get everyone’s opinion. I am posting this on both boards so that I can get as many opinions as possible. Thanks for any help you can give me in advance.:confused::confused:

Anna

 

Well, Anna, since you have posted this on the NCL board, I imagine most of the replies are going to favor NCL. Mine, however, will favor Royal Caribbean.

I absolutely love traditional dining. My experiences with freestyle dining have been just so-so--nothing horrendous, but nothing spectacular. The food was OK, but the service was spotty. If we asked for a condiment, the meal might be over before it came. Stuff like that.

To me, you can't beat the gorgeous RCCL ships.

That said, I enjoy my NCL cruises. We go on NCL only when we are part of a group cruise that is booked on that cruise line. When we make our own reservations, it's almost always RCCL.

Another thing - since the Epic has not yet sailed (or has it??), it will be hard to get a good comparison. That is one ship I may try on my own in a couple of years after a few reviews come in.

I know you'll enjoy the experience regardless. Happy sailing.

Kathy

[newmexicoNita]

I am a little concerned, if OP had such a horrible first cruise there might be a tendancy to expect the worst. For that reason I probably would advise sticking with RCI..

 

Now that being said here is my feeling on the two lines: first the ship class has more to do with the overall experience than the line itself..One can't compare the Majesty of Sea with say, the Gem as an example, nor can one compare a short cruise with a 7 day of longer. In fact it is hard to compare a 7 day with a 10 day or longer.

 

We have, overall liked NCL better than RCI but that is our opinion only..All 3 of our RCI cruises have had some service related problems, either the dining room or the cabin steward..Nothing serious, just under par..Entertainment is equal I would say and food, is too subjective to compare.

 

Nita

[amartin042]

Thank you for all the replies!!! I think we are leaning toward keeping our booking on the Freedom of the Seas. One of these day's we will try the Epic just for the entertainment, but I think that we will wait and see what the reviews are like before we make that decision.:rolleyes:

[newmexicoNita]

Thank you for all the replies!!! I think we are leaning toward keeping our booking on the Freedom of the Seas. One of these day's we will try the Epic just for the entertainment, but I think that we will wait and see what the reviews are like before we make that decision.:rolleyes:

 

you are probably making a good decision. Enjoy the Freedom of the Seas.

 

Nita

[cmyers]

We have been on RCI Freedom of the Seas and it is by far the best cruise ship we have ever been on. This will be our first cruise on NCL since 1986 and although we don't expect the same amenities (rock climbing wall, flow rider, ice skating rink, parades, promenade bigger than a small town) we do expect good service and a good time. NCL is about half the price of RCI freedom class ships, so you have to wave what you are looking for in a vacation. We like to cruise every year and cannot afford the larger ships every time. We just need the time to relax and be pampered without spending a fortune.

[amistad]

I'm Diamond on RCCL and am taking my second NCL in less then a week. I think you are making a good decision by staying with the Freedom of the Seas. It is what you are used to and you know what to expect. We enjoyed the Mariner and it is a lovely ship, but it felt so crowded to me that is was not my favorite cruise. I think the medium sized ships are a better fit for me and my DH. That said I would love to take my grandchildren on one of the Freedom class ships or the Epic, just for the ship and activities for the kids. I like variety and have only been on one cruise that was subpar, some we have enjoyed more then others for different reasons. For a family trip go with what you know you will enjoy and have a great trip.

[chefcaw]

We have recently cruised both NCL and RCCL. There are pluses and minuses to both. We stayed in an A3 on the Jade and in a Royal suite on Radiance. The suite experience goes to NCL, Royal does not compare. The only plus to the suite level on RCCL is the free cocktail hours on Royal. The perk of Cagney's for breakfast and lunch outweigh for us the free drinks. Also Royal has nothing to compare to the courtyard.

 

Chris

[cmyers]

We have recently cruised both NCL and RCCL. There are pluses and minuses to both. We stayed in an A3 on the Jade and in a Royal suite on Radiance. The suite experience goes to NCL, Royal does not compare. The only plus to the suite level on RCCL is the free cocktail hours on Royal. The perk of Cagney's for breakfast and lunch outweigh for us the free drinks. Also Royal has nothing to compare to the courtyard.

 

Chris

 

Op is comparing NCL Epic to the RCL Freedom of the Seas. The Radiance is not a freedom class ship and doesn't come close in comparisom. Can't comment on the suite life (courtyard) as we can't afford that in this life time unless we hit the lottery. LOL You can get inside staterooms on the Freedom that have windows that overlook the promenade.

[cruisewithporky]

We have been on several RCCL cruises and two NCL cruises. We were not happy with our NCL cruises, one to Hawaii and one to "Texirribean". I always like to say, "Any bad vacation beats a good day at work", NCL put that to the challenge. We have never been disappointed on RCCL. We've had our kids on both lines and feel RCCL was best for us at that time. Having said that we were unhappy with both of the NCL cruises, we are giving them one last chance as we just booked a Mediterranean cruise for June, 2011 on the NCL Jade. Hopefully NCL can redeem themselves. That is my two cents, take it for what it is worth. Have fun. xoxo

[newmexicoNita]

We have been on several RCCL cruises and two NCL cruises. We were not happy with our NCL cruises, one to Hawaii and one to "Texirribean". I always like to say, "Any bad vacation beats a good day at work", NCL put that to the challenge. We have never been disappointed on RCCL. We've had our kids on both lines and feel RCCL was best for us at that time. Having said that we were unhappy with both of the NCL cruises, we are giving them one last chance as we just booked a Mediterranean cruise for June, 2011 on the NCL Jade. Hopefully NCL can redeem themselves. That is my two cents, take it for what it is worth. Have fun. xoxo

 

 

What did you not like about the 2 NCL cruises? Of course the Dream wasn't designed for freestyle thus I can understand you may not have been happy if you expected something different..

 

I am glad you are giving them another chance, but as for which line is best for the OP, I guess it doesn't make any difference what we say now as they have made their decision...

 

Nita

[English Rose]

Thank you for all the comparisons. Although my favourite ships have been the Freedom Class RCL I am going to dare to be different and am going to book a back to back NCL Epic cruise in October. Taken a lot of effort to steer away from RCL, but I've got an amazing deal with Virgin that I just can't refuse. Basically 2 weeks on Epic or 1 week on Freedom. Now I'm excited.......

[MadBrewer]

What did you not like about the 2 NCL cruises? Of course the Dream wasn't designed for freestyle thus I can understand you may not have been happy if you expected something different..

 

Nita

 

I would be keen to hear this. I loved the dream personally, despite it's quirks, There were plusses and minuses for me the buffet seemed an afterthought & might have benefitted from swapping with one of the other restaurants due to the seating capacity. This meant that after getting a plateful of food, finding somewhere to eat it was a mission.

 

I am sure the entertainers loved having to close off the front doors of the theatre to make a make shift changing room too (not).

 

The views from the MDR seemed more awesome though, I loved the Kiel Canal and the fan base that came out to watch us cross it. The Spinnaker bar though smaller then the jewel class was very nice indeed I loved hanging out there. I thought the ship had some charm that has been replaced by practicality on the newer ships. It's hard to describe but the way most of the bars amalgamated aroung the same (general) area, The showlounges less orderly seating, the terraced restaurant made it fun in an elegant 'hotel' kind of way. As you quite rightly pointed out though - only just adequate for freestyle really.

[ce2000]

Thank you for all the replies!!! I think we are leaning toward keeping our booking on the Freedom of the Seas. One of these day's we will try the Epic just for the entertainment, but I think that we will wait and see what the reviews are like before we make that decision.:rolleyes:

 

I believe that you have made the correct decision for your group. I believe that there will be something for everyone on the Freedom of the Seas.

Enjoy!