If we love Princess will we like NCL?

[crusinpeg]

What was so bad about your balcony on NCL? I am curious since I have a balcony booked. thanks.

 

Nothing personal about the balcony ( I actually never had one on NCL)..I was only using that as a comparision as to how much more I prefer Princess! Sorry.

[kendon]

After about 6 or 7 Princess cruises and 1 RCCL cruise, we tried the Norwegian Sun which was very new at the time. I wanted to like it, but REALLY didn't at all. It just felt "cheap". Couldn't find a thing at the buffet to eat...bologna sandwiches on white, very greasy burgers, and SaraLee type desserts. Every where we went, the staff complained both to the passengers and amongst themselves. Serious morale issue, at least on that ship. Now of course, you just may like it. But personally, our family would not cruise with them again.

[woozlebear]

After about 6 or 7 Princess cruises and 1 RCCL cruise, we tried the Norwegian Sun which was very new at the time. I wanted to like it, but REALLY didn't at all. It just felt "cheap". Couldn't find a thing at the buffet to eat...bologna sandwiches on white, very greasy burgers, and SaraLee type desserts. Every where we went, the staff complained both to the passengers and amongst themselves. Serious morale issue, at least on that ship. Now of course, you just may like it. But personally, our family would not cruise with them again.

 

 

That would have been about 10 years ago........things change!

 

Regards

Susan

[Katie333]

A close friend of mine is a regular Princess cruiser (and a fan) and she took the Hawaiian itinerary that NCL alone offers. Her overall opinion was that she was glad she went with a set of lower expectations. Of course, they had a fabulous time because they were in Hawaii but she did feel that the food, service and overall experience were just better on Princess.

 

I asked her if she would sail NCL again, she said, only if it was a similar situation where a particular itinerary she really wanted was ONLY available on NCL. Otherwise, there would be no reason to return.

[shepp]

Thanks for all your replies, my DH originally said "why risk it when we've enjoyed Princess and have plenty of Princess itineraries that we haven't done yet" but I thought there is no harm checking with the experts i.e. you guys. I guess your replies will make his mind up for sure and it looks like Princess here we come again :)

 

My attitude pretty exactly.

 

Different strokes, of course. One man's Ruth's Chris is another man's Mickey D's. There are perfectly fine people - especially those who don't consider line dancing and trivia the ne plus ultra of excitement - who would pick NCL over Princess every time.

 

Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, depriving myself of new experiences. I'm occasionally tempted by NCL's low base pricing and entertainment options, but from what I've seen, of all the major lines, NCL has the spottiest reputation. (Yeah, I know it's kinda stupid, but in the last Conde Nast cruising poll, Princess ships grabbed 9 of the top 40 relevant spots, including the luxury lines. NCL scored zero.) Princess ain't broke, so why fix it? Heck, I'm sailing to Alaska on the Sea for the second year in a row.

 

And besides, I love dressing for formal nights. Even got a new tux shirt for next month...

[jools222]

Hi, We've been on 3 Princess cruises and love the informal relaxed atmosphere with the opportunity to dress up on a couple of nights but like the fact that the remaining nights are smart/casual. We've always found the service to be great and food to be delicious. We wondered whether to try another cruise line but don't fancy P&O due to dress code (don't want DH to have to wear a jacket on non formal nights) and am concerned about the level of children on board Royal Caribbean (we sail outside of school holidays to try to avoid this) so wondered what NCL is like as I like some of their itinaries. For anyone who tried NCL after Princess what were the main differences? Thanks

 

We are not vastly experienced but would query the comment re P&O formal as the dress code on P&O was no different to Princess. ie smart casual & 2 formals in 2 weeks. We found it hard to choose between the two lines andswitch between P&O & Princess. Definitely no jackets on non formal nights. We would not travel RCI again - purely too hectic for us as we loathe queueing!

[ChuckinSC]

We were on the Pride of America (Hawaii). While the balcony stateroom was fine, I felt like I was on a troop ship. Never again!

[Rascal1]

We are not vastly experienced but would query the comment re P&O formal as the dress code on P&O was no different to Princess. ie smart casual & 2 formals in 2 weeks. We found it hard to choose between the two lines andswitch between P&O & Princess. Definitely no jackets on non formal nights. We would not travel RCI again - purely too hectic for us as we loathe queueing!

 

Hi, the comment about the dress code on P&O was from surfing their website, brochure (in UK) and checking with some recent P&O cruisers who have experienced 4 ships, although I appreciate that this experience is only from a small number of people. According to the brochure P&O have 3 different dress codes smart casual, semi formal (which is stated as Jacket, or a suit & tie for men) and then formal (Tux). When I checked with the previous cruisers they said that all 3 dress codes were enforced every time which put us off. It may be that local decisions are made, as with other cruise lines, but would hate arriving for a meal and feeling out of place if everyone else was dressed up and we weren't. I'm the kind of cruiser who tries to follow guidelines regards dress codes and it was the semi-formal bit that put us off. I might try posting on the P&O board to see if the 3 dress code is generally enforced.

[crusinpeg]

Don't want to appear stupid...but who is P&O? If this is Princess there is no smart casual with a jacket required.

[Rosethorn40]

Hi, We've been on 3 Princess cruises and love the informal relaxed atmosphere with the opportunity to dress up on a couple of nights but like the fact that the remaining nights are smart/casual. We've always found the service to be great and food to be delicious. We wondered whether to try another cruise line but don't fancy P&O due to dress code (don't want DH to have to wear a jacket on non formal nights) and am concerned about the level of children on board Royal Caribbean (we sail outside of school holidays to try to avoid this) so wondered what NCL is like as I like some of their itinaries. For anyone who tried NCL after Princess what were the main differences? Thanks

 

I have a friend that is very well traveled, and has been on many, many cruises (And likes to go 1st Class too!). I thought when I told him that DH and I were going to give NCL a try that he would put his nose up in the air, but what he actually said that while HAL was his favorite cruise line, NCL was his 2nd favorite! (He has been on Princess a number of times as well).

 

I love Princess, but I have tried HAL, RCCL, and Carnival each once and found that they were all enjoyable cruises. We are giving NCL a try because we wanted something different in the way of itinerary, the price was right, and I didn't feel like having an extra piece of luggage along just for formalwear-DH wears a size 15 shoe & is 6'8" tall-Dress up clothes for him take up an entire piece luggage.

 

In about 60 days I will be posting my thoughts on NCL.

[mrscruisequeen]

Hi, We've been on 3 Princess cruises and love the informal relaxed atmosphere with the opportunity to dress up on a couple of nights but like the fact that the remaining nights are smart/casual. We've always found the service to be great and food to be delicious. We wondered whether to try another cruise line but don't fancy P&O due to dress code (don't want DH to have to wear a jacket on non formal nights) and am concerned about the level of children on board Royal Caribbean (we sail outside of school holidays to try to avoid this) so wondered what NCL is like as I like some of their itinaries. For anyone who tried NCL after Princess what were the main differences? Thanks

 

We have had many cruises on Princess, RCCL, Celebrity and 3 NCL....my answer to your question in NO.!!!

While there is something to be said about casual cruising, it was a little to freestyle to suit us...as in sloppy!

 

The food was not good, so we spent a lot of extra $$ in their alternitive resturants (which were excellent) but after trying NCL 3 times, no more.

 

The cheap can come out expensive.

 

Jeanne

 

PS...try RCCL, their newer ships...you will love them.

[kendon]

That would have been about 10 years ago........things change!

 

Regards

Susan

 

Okay.

 

But as you can see by the responses, things didn't change that much. That cruise left us with a bad feeling and WE weren't interested in trying again.

[caribill]

Don't want to appear stupid...but who is P&O? If this is Princess there is no smart casual with a jacket required.

 

P&O is one of the ten brands owned by Carnival Corporation. From the web site:

 

"One of the most recognizable and respected names in travel, market-leading P&O Cruises has been operating cruise ships for more than 170 years and combines innovation, professionalism and unrivalled experience on its fleet of seven ships dedicated to the British market. Each ship is elegantly appointed, combining classic British tradition and hospitality with modern amenities. The result is a refined cruising experience with distinctive restaurants, comfortable accommodations and enjoyable entertainment. P&O Cruises offers passengers the most stylish and contemporary holidays afloat with destinations including the Caribbean, South America, Scandinavia, Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands and Round the World cruises."

 

http://www.pocruises.com/

[mmceachn]

I like NCL..have sailed the Dawn, Spirit and Majesty....

Also sailed the Crown Princess three times and the Caribbean Princess once...

 

The past two NCL cruises were fun, but the food in the main dining room was inconsistent at best. When we go on NCL we budget extra for LeBistro and Cagneys and set our expectations low for the other nights.

 

We liked the quality and selection on Princess ships, and also enjoyed the good quality pizza by the pool, as well as the International Cafe (coffee bar) in the atrium. Princess does have a couple of formal nights, which some people like and some do not. Most people do dress up.

 

I'd pick the ship for price and itenerary...I like them both

[suzyed]

After about 6 or 7 Princess cruises and 1 RCCL cruise, we tried the Norwegian Sun which was very new at the time. I wanted to like it, but REALLY didn't at all. It just felt "cheap". Couldn't find a thing at the buffet to eat...bologna sandwiches on white, very greasy burgers, and SaraLee type desserts. Every where we went, the staff complained both to the passengers and amongst themselves. Serious morale issue, at least on that ship. Now of course, you just may like it. But personally, our family would not cruise with them again.

It's so funny how every cruise is experienced in a different way by different people.

I am not a fan of buffets on land or on ships. We sailed on Princess for the first time last fall and I didn't think the buffet was all that great. Late night visits to the buffet were just a waste of time, I never found anything that appealled to me. The NCL buffets were just passable too...as I said I am not a buffet fan.

We only ate in the MDR twice on NCL and it was just an OK experience, but I think the specialty dining venues are really great!

Princess food, even in the dining room was passable as well. There was not one single soup that I thought was good (and I love soup), the desserts were for the most part not worth eating either.

With all that said, we don't cruise for the food. We cruise for the ports, the people, the sea days/relaxing...

The people are, ahem, more "experienced" on Princess....older, retired, lots and lots of cruises...etc.

That's not a downside or an upside...just a difference.

[suzyed]

A close friend of mine is a regular Princess cruiser (and a fan) and she took the Hawaiian itinerary that NCL alone offers. Her overall opinion was that she was glad she went with a set of lower expectations. Of course, they had a fabulous time because they were in Hawaii but she did feel that the food, service and overall experience were just better on Princess.

 

I asked her if she would sail NCL again, she said, only if it was a similar situation where a particular itinerary she really wanted was ONLY available on NCL. Otherwise, there would be no reason to return.

I don't know this first hand, but I have heard that "NCL" ships that sail to Hawaii are almost a different company than the rest of NCL. They are run very differently from the others. Most reviews I have read of the Hawaii cruises with NCL were not favorable.

[caribill]

I don't know this first hand, but I have heard that "NCL" ships that sail to Hawaii are almost a different company than the rest of NCL. They are run very differently from the others. Most reviews I have read of the Hawaii cruises with NCL were not favorable.

 

The one ship remaining that sails only in Hawaii is part of NCL America, a division that was set up so they could operate solely in with a US itinerary.

 

Most of the crew must be Americans and American wage standards apply.

[DMRick]

We had a M&G on our second sailing where the Crew who attended outnumbered the passengers. The Captain, CD, Conceirge, Kitchen Manager, Hotel Director, Housekeeping Manager, Chief Chef, etc etc...all attended our M&G. They provided a large assortment of pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, juice! It was very nice!

That is a real plus on NCL..especially getting to 'know' the hotel director. Having coffee and snacks was a nice touch. We had no one at our first Princess M & G, and just the CD on our second.

 

The only thing I do not like on NCL, is the Bingo. They use electronic boxes. I like "real" bingo. LOL

I don't play bingo, but it looked like they had both (with the electronic more expensive) when we were in the room..did that change?

 

Every cruiseline has it good and not so good points. I happen to think it's nice to mix it up and try different things. We usually choose by itinerary.

I agree.

[DMRick]

Perhaps you should ask this question on the NCL board. I think some people are very loyal to one line, or if they had one 'bad' cruise, they won't try a second.

 

Thanks for all your replies, my DH originally said "why risk it when we've enjoyed Princess and have plenty of Princess itineraries that we haven't done yet" but I thought there is no harm checking with the experts i.e. you guys. I guess your replies will make his mind up for sure and it looks like Princess here we come again :)

[suzyed]

That is a real plus on NCL..especially getting to 'know' the hotel director. Having coffee and snacks was a nice touch. We had no one at our first Princess M & G, and just the CD on our second.

 

 

I don't play bingo, but it looked like they had both (with the electronic more expensive) when we were in the room..did that change?

 

 

I agree.

It's been two years since we sailed on NCL, so I am not sure about the bingo....I only remember the "boxes" that had like 144 games on them. You were supposedly playing 144 games!!!! You didn't mark anything, the computer did, it only showed your "best" card on the screen, and then told you when you had a bingo. Needless to say, when you did win, so did about 25 other people....I won with 21 others and I won about $8. The prices were exorbitant and I didn't feel like I was actually "playing". I did it once or twice on our first NCL cruise and didn't do it again.

So if you had "paper cards", you really had no chance of winning in my opinion.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We did not

[billet]

Perhaps you should ask this question on the NCL board. I think some people are very loyal to one line, or if they had one 'bad' cruise, they won't try a second.

 

I second your comment. To get a more balanced (or equally biased view) this question should also be on the NCL board to get the feedback of people there who have sailed Princess and NCL. It does seem that a number of the comments are from people who have never stepped foot on an NCL ship. It would be interesting to see what NCLs who have never stepped foot on a Princess ship think as well. I bet the will be some wonderfully negative hearsay comments.

[mr green]

I sailed a few times with NCL, and it went from good to poor. Princess by contrast has lost very little ground IMO in the past ten to twelve years.

 

john

[billco]

We have sailed 10 times on Princess and once on NCL. Last year, we sailed from Dover to Port Canaveral on the NCL Sun, because the cost of this cruise was about 1/2 the cost of a comparable Princess cruise and we wanted to take advantage of the second half of a round trip airfare. Two positive things stand out for me. 1. As a runner, I prefer the wide Promenade Deck with arrows for runners and walkers. The only comparable Princess Ships that I have been on would be the Island and Coral. Grand Class Promenade Deck is too narrow. 2. In anytime dining when we were asked if we would like to share, we said no and were still immediately escorted to a table for two. On Princess, if we don't want to share we will probably have a wait. We enjoyed our cruise, but not likely to sail NCL again, because we are working toward Elite status.

[Seabreeze8]

My mother-in-law and brother sailed on Princess and NCL and definitely would not sail on NCL again. They did not like the service, food or the crowd. As much as we like their Hawaiian itinerary, we are waiting for some other cruise line to come up with a comparable itinerary (even with more sea days is worth it). The world is a big place so we are cruising to other places in the meantime.