Celebrity vs Norwegian

[packedandready]

Haven't sailed NCL so can't comment about the cruise experience. BUT.....(IMHO) the painted designs on the ships make them about the ugliest ships on the sea.

 

Don't know if I could book a cruise just for that reason. Something about the price and/or intinerary whould have to be GREAT.

[Bridge Maven]

I keep hearing people talk about better pricing on NCL. I find the prices on Celebrity to be incredibly low for the cruises I book. For instance we were in a Huge FV on Solstice for 12 days in the Med and we paid $1009/pp. We are leaving on a TA today on Eclipse, 13 days in a CC cabin for $999 each. I can't imagine that NCL has cheaper fares than that for equivalent cabins. My first few cruises a long time ago were on NCL and I am thankful that I have other choices now.

 

CathyCruises - I agree with you. Based on my experience, NCL is not cheaper than Celebrity today, but was at one time. However, because of that factor people tend to think of NCL as a less expensive line.

[Ghengis Klown]

For the cruise I am going on, I found the prices to be close to the same. I just liked to route the NCL ship was going. Otherwise I probably would have gone with X, it's all I know at this point

[momofmeg]

CathyCruises - I agree with you. Based on my experience, NCL is not cheaper than Celebrity today, but was at one time. However, because of that factor people tend to think of NCL as a less expensive line.

 

Not much difference in price when prices are first released- and even later no more than about $200 a person-however that becomes a bigger price difference holiday weeks when my daughter can cruise. (she works in our county school system) Popularity of a line does come into the picture. To have the same type of stateroom it can be close to $500 per person difference in price. I know when we booked our Thanksgiving cruise in Sept. 2008 (within 90 days)-we booked NCL because we could get a balcony for $850 each for hubby and I and $450 for our daughter the third person, then prices dropped a bit more before sail date, and we were able to upgrade it to a minisuite. Other lines we looked at were more like $1300 a person each for a balcony-although we could have booked a 6 day of RCI Liberty of the Seas for $1149 a balcony-heck even the Carnival 7 day were all $1000 plus.

 

Heck, even non holiday weeks I notice Celebrity prices will come down a bit from when they were first released as the cruise gets closer. But Princess and the newest RCI ships rarely come down form the price first issued. I assume it is because those two lines are very popular family lines. I certainly do not find either line was good as Celebrity, in my mind.

 

 

Bottom line we may cruise NCL because of WHEN we cruise, but if price were not a factor, we would cruise Celebrity over NCL, unless it was a specific ports not offered by Celebrity.

[momofmeg]

Haven't sailed NCL so can't comment about the cruise experience. BUT.....(IMHO) the painted designs on the ships make them about the ugliest ships on the sea.

 

Don't know if I could book a cruise just for that reason. Something about the price and/or intinerary whould have to be GREAT.

 

The inside of the ships I cruised are more attractive, even some great artwork in places-but I agree the outside of the ships are not "classy" and a bit "cheesy." I am thinking perhaps it is because they are a line that goes for the families and younger singles under 35 demographics.

 

The NCL Sun and Sky both have a lot of tropical designs-sort've like the Caribbean Princess had. You know teals, Aquas, corals, peaches, mint greens, a bit of lime etc. The Pearl was more contemporary than "beach themed" and was done in jewel tones. Although they all have the glass elevators mid ship in the centrum area-none where you can see the ocean-which is what I like/enjoy.

[momofmeg]

I keep hearing people talk about better pricing on NCL. I find the prices on Celebrity to be incredibly low for the cruises I book. For instance we were in a Huge FV on Solstice for 12 days in the Med and we paid $1009/pp. We are leaving on a TA today on Eclipse, 13 days in a CC cabin for $999 each. I can't imagine that NCL has cheaper fares than that for equivalent cabins. My first few cruises a long time ago were on NCL and I am thankful that I have other choices now.

 

You may would have got that great a price for a TA last year but, unfortunately, you can thank the Costa Concordia scaring people from the Med/Italy this year. We first booked an oceanview and with 4 people at $1750 each for hubby and I, another $1200 for the girls each. (daughter's friend is going with us) Prices dropped after that happened and, we upgraded to a balcony, same price, and the girls got their own inside room, $200 each more. Prices dropped again, we went to an aqua balcony and the girls to a partially obstructed balcony. Prices dropped again, we are now in a sky suite (paid $300 more total) and the girls are in a CC balcony.

 

We couldn't have got that price even on Carnival last year, I know, because we considered going before unexpected medical bills prevented us.