So, sell me on NCL

[Joeychgo]

Ok, so my wife and I have been on a Royal Caribbean cruise and about to leave on a Carnival cruise. For our next cruise, tell me why an NCL cruise will be better..

 

What makes NCL better then RCI or Carnival?

[NYcruzzer]

Since I am not employed by NCL I really don't feel the need to "sell" you on NCL. Now if you need a mortgage..I'm your man. I think NCL, RCI, and Carnival are more similar then they are different. Which ever line you choose, have a great voyage.

[Ilovesailing]

Don't need to sell you on anything.

Read the reviews and make your own decision as to whether NCL is for you or not..

[sdmike]

If you use the search function you will find lots of threads comparing NCL to other cruise lines.

 

If you want to be sold, you can call a personal cruise consultant at NCL. The phone number is on their website.

[Junebug27]

I think you are mainly just asking why NCL loyalists choose NCL. For me I really enjoy the freestyle concept. It is what drew me to the line in the first place. We don't want to do set dinner times and have to eat with other people, wear certain attire etc. The other reason we love NCL is for the suite life, the rooms and all the perks!

That is what I feel discerns NCL from other cruise lines, but as other posters said really they are more similar then different. The freestyle concept is a positive to me but a negative to some others who love the traditional cruise vibe. It is just a matter of your personal preference!

[navyrotorhead]

Ok, so my wife and I have been on a Royal Caribbean cruise and about to leave on a Carnival cruise. For our next cruise, tell me why an NCL cruise will be better..

 

What makes NCL better then RCI or Carnival?

 

It's about as CASUAL and RELAXING as you can get. No need to dress up if you don't want to. LOTS of different dining options. and VERY reasonable prices. I have had an absolute BLAST on all of my NCL cruises.

 

But then I also had a BLAST on Carnival as well as Celebrity.

 

Some people will ALWAYS find SOMETHING to complain about no matter what.

 

My carefully considered advice... TRY THEM *A*L*L* !!! :) ;) :D

[stevex]

Like JuneBug said, it's all about the freestyle cruising.

 

On the NCL ships, there are two main dining rooms that you can choose from, but they basically operate like a standard restaurant. You show up when you like, get a table, and have dinner.

 

We've only cruised on NCL, but that's because I don't think we'd enjoy having a fixed dinner time and fixed dinner guests every night for a many night cruise. Especially with kids, the flexibility that freestyle offers is great.

[sdmike]

Here's a good thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1768399

[DMH15]

If I "sell you", do I get a commission? I know, rough room.

 

Guess what my amigos and I are trying to say is... Obviously WE like NCL. We are here on the NCL board. We don't know you, your likes, your desires.

 

NCL meets my needs. I have chosen to book suites on NCL and I like the perks. I look for suites where we can get a multi-room suite at a price I can live with, since I travel with mom.

 

I think NCL has the best crews. And, I would have to say I respect their top management.

 

I love freestyle. It fits my vacation model. And even though I love to dress to the nines, it is great to have the choice not to.

 

I am not crazy about their smoky casinos. Yeah, I could go To Celebrity, my second choice, and still might do that sometime, but not likely soon as I have a NCL cruise in March and will buy a CRUISE REWARD CERT.

 

I also think NCL's bingo is the worst. But bingo does not a cruise make.

 

Give them a try and decide for yourself.

[Joeychgo]

I know, rough room.

 

 

 

Your not kidding!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Like JuneBug said, it's all about the freestyle cruising.

 

On the NCL ships, there are two main dining rooms that you can choose from, but they basically operate like a standard restaurant. You show up when you like, get a table, and have dinner.

 

We've only cruised on NCL, but that's because I don't think we'd enjoy having a fixed dinner time and fixed dinner guests every night for a many night cruise. Especially with kids, the flexibility that freestyle offers is great.

 

So what is the real reason you stay with NCL?

 

All other main stream cruise lines have some sort of freestyle dining. Some call it your time dining, some call it anytime dining, etc.

 

We cruise on all lines and always get what ever form of freestyle dining that is offered.:)

 

Bill

[sjbdtz]

So what is the real reason you stay with NCL?

 

All other main stream cruise lines have some sort of freestyle dining. Some call it your time dining, some call it anytime dining, etc.

 

We cruise on all lines and always get what ever form of freestyle dining that is offered.:)

 

Bill

 

 

But those things are not the same as Freestyle.

 

We tried Princess Anytime Dining, and found that it was just 2 main dining rooms partioned, each with a different decor, but the same menu.

 

1 speciality restaurant, and 1 converted buffet seating into a 'steakhouse'.

 

Seriously lacking in ambiance.

 

Contrast that with 6 - 7 speciality restaurants, in addition to casual dining and main dining room options on NCL...it's a totally different experience.

 

 

.

[valleyvillage]

Exactly. NCL ships were designed for Freestyle. Much different product from the other cruiselines semi-freestyle.

à chacun son gout!

[youngestof9]

Well, I've only sailed 4 times (with 2 more booked). 2 were RC and 2 were NCL (and 2 more NCL booked). I like them both honestly.

 

What I like about NCL and keeps me coming back:

- value of suites - excellent service and value for the price. We got upsold on our first sailing and it was amazing. We outright booked the same suite for my upcoming Epic sailing. Worth every dime

- dining options - I enjoy freestyle. While I do like to moderately dress up (casual dresses and heels), I like that it's not expected. I like that I can dine at whatever time I want and in a multitude of restaurants. I have no issue with the upcharge for restaurants. Because there are a bunch of places you can eat onboard without ever spending another dime. And I think those restaurants have good food. But I do love that I have so many options to try specialty restaurants. Still a very good value.

- entertainment - on both of the ships I've been on, there was something for everyone of all ages. Always something to do, or not do.

- customer service - I have found the crews on the 2 NCL sailings to be superb. Some of it is because we were in a suite (butler, concierge, etc.) but really, it's more about the crew we've met all around the ship. They're wonderful, accommodating and happy. It sets the tone for vacation.

 

So while I wouldn't hesitate to sail on Royal again (we liked the 2 sailings a lot - Serenade being our most recent RC sailing and it was great), I lean toward NCL because I feel like I'm in vacation mode from the moment I book the cruise, through the anticipation and planning and the second I step on board. I feel NCL has gone out of their way to make me (and the other passengers) thoroughly get the most out of the their vacation dollar.

[beachmonkey]

The Freestyle Experience is more than just the ability to eat when you want. Other lines have "anytime" dining options.

 

Freestyle is an attitude, energy, and culture on NCL. Everything from the schedule of daily events, multiple restaurants, and multiple entertainment options is designed with their philosophy in mind. Every area on the ship(s) seem to appreciate that of the multiple choices you have...you chose their particular area.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

But those things are not the same as Freestyle.

 

We tried Princess Anytime Dining, and found that it was just 2 main dining rooms partioned, each with a different decor, but the same menu.

 

1 speciality restaurant, and 1 converted buffet seating into a 'steakhouse'.

 

Seriously lacking in ambiance.

 

Contrast that with 6 - 7 speciality restaurants, in addition to casual dining and main dining room options on NCL...it's a totally different experience.

 

 

.

 

Exactly. NCL ships were designed for Freestyle. Much different product from the other cruiselines semi-freestyle.

 

As far as how the ships were designed or what ambiance is on the ships in the dining room the Stevex said he didn't cruise on other lines because he didn't want to sit with other people and eat when he wanted. he didn't say he wanted ambiance or say he wanted a ship that was specifically designed.

 

What Stevex was specifically looking for is available on most cruise lines.

 

Sjbdtx i don't know what Princess ship you were on that had partitions up and only had 1 specialty dining room.

 

We were just on the Caribbean Princess that had 3 dining rooms, the Coral, Palm, and Island.

 

One was for traditional, one was for anytime and the other was for traditional from opening time until 7:30pm at which time it was anytime dining until it closed.

 

There were also 2 specialty dining rooms, Sabitinis and Crown Grill and you could also book the Ultimate balcony dinner.

 

Sorry but the ambiance was better in the Princess dining rooms although there was nothing wrong with NCLs.

 

I will give you that NCLs has far more choices for dinner and was specifically designed for freestyle so it works great.

 

Just saying that having to sit with other people and eating at a specific time is not a requirement on other cruise lines if that is the only reason Stevex is not booking with other cruise lines.:)

 

Bill

[sdmike]

The anytime dining on Carnival was a mess when we were on it. The availability was very limited, and since it was only a portion of one of the dining rooms, there seemed to be quite the line at popular times. I think having an entire ship operate this way is significantly different than trying to retrofit some aspects of the experience on top of a more traditional setup. It just didn't seem to work very well compared to NCL.

 

I've not tried Princess

[SuperTrooper00]

As others have said, NCL has mastered Freestyle dining, and others are just not willing to go all-in, and so have major problems.

Others have said why Free-style is great. I will add that Freestyle eliminates the feeling of being at "Adult Summer Camp". Other cruise lines often feel that way to me since everyone is basically doing the same thing. Dinner time in the mess hall (MDR). Assembly in the Auditorium (Theater). Activity time to do crafts (Bars). Dress Codes, lame entertainment, on and on. I love that on NCL you can do those wherever and in whatever order you want to. The entertainment is great. The people tend to be more relaxed and lively, but not a trailer trash party crowd.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

The anytime dining on Carnival was a mess when we were on it. The availability was very limited, and since it was only a portion of one of the dining rooms, there seemed to be quite the line at popular times. I think having an entire ship operate this way is significantly different than trying to retrofit some aspects of the experience on top of a more traditional setup. It just didn't seem to work very well compared to NCL.

I've not tried Princess

 

Agree with you 100% there.

 

When we were on the Star in July we ate at the Aqua restaurant 2-3 times. We went around 5:45pm and were seated immediately.

 

When we came out around 7:15pm we had to literally elbow our way through the crowd that was waiting to get seated as the entrance to restaurant was right where a bank of elevators was and was pretty small.

 

No system is 100% flawless but again I agree NCL does it better.:)

 

Bill

[SteveH2508]

If you want to be told how to dress; when to eat and who to eat with then join the army. :rolleyes:

 

NCL has many alternative dining options compared to the other lines (from what I've read). you do not usually need to pre-book these (except Teppanyaki) unless it is a special day. (thought - do any other cruise lines have a Teppanyaki restaurant?)

 

We love the fact that we can do as we please - for instance - New Years Eve - we decided n the spur of the moment to go to the Sushi bar and had a great time - just us and 2 sushi chefs - great food and some freebies that were not on the regular menu.

 

NCL staff seem to be happy to be there and they interact with us well (we had a long chat with one of the waiters who had worked for Carnival ad NCL and he was effusive in his praise for NCL and how they looked after their staff).

 

I can't comment on other lines except Princess - their crew were very good but there was just not quite that 'je ne sais quoi' that we found with NCL.

[sjbdtz]

Sjbdtx i don't know what Princess ship you were on that had partitions up and only had 1 specialty dining room.

 

We were just on the Caribbean Princess that had 3 dining rooms, the Coral, Palm, and Island.

 

One was for traditional, one was for anytime and the other was for traditional from opening time until 7:30pm at which time it was anytime dining until it closed.

 

There were also 2 specialty dining rooms, Sabitinis and Crown Grill and you could also book the Ultimate balcony dinner.

 

Sorry but the ambiance was better in the Princess dining rooms although there was nothing wrong with NCLs.

 

 

Bill

 

We spent 22 days on the Sapphire Princess in September/October 2007, going from Vancouver to Alaska, to Russia, Japan, Korea & China.

 

Afterwards, we were so negative on cruising, that we hastily booked an NCL Gem cruise for that December, just to finally decide if we were done with it, or if it was the Princess experience which was not for us.

 

The Gem was a delight, as have been the others....so it appears NCL is for us, and Princess is decidely not.

 

The Princess "Anytime Dining" was nothing at all like NCL's Freestyle. You're right.... I don't remember which decks were which, but I think deck 6 was for the traditional dining, and deck 5 was a similarly-sized room with a partition down the middle (I know, I walked through the hallway between the two rooms) essentially breaking-up a big room into 2 smaller rooms. Each had its own decor, but the same (which I hated) menus.

 

The steakhouse was just 8 booths at the back of the buffet, with some curtains. No match whatsoever for our first Le Bistro experience on the Dawn in 2003, surrounded by $200 million of Masters' art-works.

 

We didn't go into Sabatinis, as nearly every item on the menu had some form of shellfish, and I'm allergic.

 

It was a dreary 22 days (other than incredible shore excursions). All the crew happily chirped "hello sir" everytime they saw us. Not one took the time to remember our names, the way everybody does on NCL (from the HD on down).

 

I know from our last cruise when we had a Captain's Table dinner, that the crew who were to meet us at the Reception area and escort us to the dining room all had print-outs in colour with photos from our keycards and associated names, so that they would recognize us (and others in the Captain's Table group).

 

I would be willing to wager that staff are provided photos of certain passengers (:rolleyes:) on each sailing. I remember boarding a ship in New York, and heading to the restaurant reservation desk within 10 mins of boarding...and having the girl there greet me by name. It was borderline spooky.

 

 

That's a big difference in the ambiance.

 

 

.

[janetz]

Ok, so my wife and I have been on a Royal Caribbean cruise and about to leave on a Carnival cruise. For our next cruise, tell me why an NCL cruise will be better..

 

What makes NCL better then RCI or Carnival?

 

Cruising is so subjective. It depends on what you enjoy. I tend not to compare, as we cruise on all lines. I will never get to double D's on RC for that reason. :) With that said, our 1st RC was on the Oasis and our 1st on NCL was the Dawn. One right after the other. The Oasis was our destination and the Dawn took us to Bermuda. We had a ball on both. We do enjoy the freestyle concept. Found the food to be fine, and the service very good.

[jasbo49]

Unless I missed something, only one person has touched on entertainment so far. To me, it's the one clear advantage NCL has over the other lines we've sailed. We've only cruised NCL once, so take it for what it's worth, but we thought the stage shows were far superior to Carnival's. There is also quite a bit of live music spread around the ship most evenings. Our Alaska sailing in the spring also featured a magician and hypnotist. And a soul duo that turned my wife into a virtual groupie.

 

I didn't see the Freestyle thing as much more than a marketing scheme. I don't see much more than freedom to dine when you want and to spend extra money. We've been perfectly satisfied with the arrangements on Carnival and Princess where they let you dine when and with whom you want. I did appreciate the lack of a true formal night, that I didn't have to put on a jacket and tie and bring an extra pair of shoes just to pass muster.

 

Jim

[arhillbilly]

I am so passionate about NCL that I get asked this question a lot....why do you love NCL so much?

 

 

My number one answer is......NCL makes me feel like I am part of a family (well except for the Epic, but "that" ship is in it's own class)

 

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the customer service that I have gotten with NCL.

 

The entertainment has been better than other cruise lines I have been on

 

I love the freestyle everything

 

The food, for the most part is better than other cruise lines

 

I could go on & on about my favorite cruise line

 

I have sailed on Carnival (last one was the worst cruise EVER and I will not go back....it also ALWAYS charges double for a solo passenger)

 

Costa....this was a nice cruise line and still prob the prettiest ship that I have been on. However, everything repeated in 5 languages with English being the last, got old in a hurry.

 

Royal Caribbean.....it was ok....if the price was right would sail again

 

Holland America.....wheelchairs & walkers....everything seemed to have shut down at least by 11 if not before....older crowd of people for the most part.....75 plus

 

 

[Joeychgo]

Whats wrong with the Epic?