NCL Dawn or RCI Legend for Canada/New England Itinerary?

[luv2zdworld]

Looking for insight from cruisers who have cruised on both NCL and RCI. I have cruised 6 times on RCI (Serenade x 2, Majesty x 2, Adventure and Freedom), reaching Platinum this year.

I had been looking to cruise Canada/New England and finally booked on the Legend on September 2014 a 10 day cruise departing from New York and disembarking in Quebec City (overnight in Quebec City). This cruise would bring me up to Emerald status. Itinerary:

Day Port

23-Sep Cape Liberty, New Jersey Depart 4:30 PM

24-Sep Cruising

25-Sep Bar Harbor, Maine Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM

26-Sep Portland, Maine Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 4:30 PM

27-Sep Saint John, New Brunswick Arrive 7:30 AM Depart 4:00 PM

28-Sep Halifax, Nova Scotia Arrive 9:30 AM Depart 6:00 PM

29-Sep Sydney, Nova Scotia Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

30-Sep Cruising

01-Oct Saguenay (Quebec), Canada Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

02-Oct Quebec City, Quebec Arrive 10:00 AM

03-Oct Quebec City, Quebec Disembark

 

Everything was fine until my husband mentioned yesterday that his friend is doing a Canada/NE cruise round trip from Boston, and asked me to check out the route. This was a Holland America cruise; basically two 7-day cruises back to back, with exactly the same itinerary up and down. I explained this to him and we agreed this was not for us and that we would look at the other lines to see their itineraries. That’s when I saw the itinerary for NCL Dawn, 14 day, sailing from Boston round trip with an overnight in the middle in Quebec City. This itinerary is a combo of two 7-day cruises with different ports (except a repeat in Halifax) on each leg:

 

Dates Port Arrival Departure

Fri 26-Sep Boston Depart 5:00 PM

Sat Portland Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 3:00 PM

Sun Halifax Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM

Mon At Sea

Tue Charlottetown Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

Wed Gaspésie, Quebec Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 4:00 PM

Thu La Baie, Quebec Arrive 11:00 AM Depart 7:00 PM

Fri Quebec City Arrive 8:00 AM

Sat Quebec City Depart 6:00 PM

Sun At Sea

Mon Sydney Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

Tue Halifax Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

Wed Saint John (Bay of Fundy) Arrive 10:00 AM Depart 7:00 PM

Thu Bar Harbor Arrive 8:00 AM Depart 5:00 PM

Fri Boston Arrive 8:00 AM

 

I really like the itinerary on NCL Dawn. Cost for RCI per person per day is $114 while cost for NCL is $135.

 

For those cruisers that have cruised both lines (NCL and RCI) how do these lines and ships compare? Are the on-board activities, food and shows in NCL comparable to RCI? How about staterooms, service? Any feedback will be wonderful. This cruise is a long way to go, I know, but if I decide for the NCL I need to move the NCC I used for the Legend (purchased February this year, before the NCC changes) on another cruise.

 

Thanks in advance.

[luv2zdworld]

I really would love to hear the opinion of some NCL regulars. You are the cruisers that know the line better.

[mdvlprof]

I'm doing the NCL Dawn to Canada, Sept. this year. Itinerary just looked really good.

[justcake]

I really would love to hear the opinion of some NCL regulars. You are the cruisers that know the line better.

 

I just returned from the Dawn on a cruise out of Boston to Bermuda. I love the ship and if you are going in a suite the perks with NCL are the best!

 

The shows are comparable on both lines. The food is not. Although NCL food is OK, I can confirm now having just sailed with Royal Caribbean in 2011/12 that their food is far superior to NCL. I will not judge a whole cruise by the food but it does make it enjoyable when the food is better and to me, RCCI beats out NCL by a long shot. I never thought I would say that but I really believe after this last cruise with NCL that I will sail RCCI again before NCL.

 

Having said all of that, the Dawn is a lovely ship and I really enjoyed my trip but can't help but think that I could have enjoyed it that much more if it was on Royal Caribbean.

[tx121]

I can only comment that since you will be doing a back to back on NCL, the menu will be the same as well as the entertainment since you will be doing two 7 days cruise compared to one 14 night cruise on the Legend of the Seas. It can get boring after awhile if you are experiencing the same cruise again.

[ManyMore]

I have cruised both lines and the Dawn this past June. I would like to say they are comparable but I really think RCL is better, espeically in the food, NCL isn't so great.

[bluesea777]

I can only comment that since you will be doing a back to back on NCL, the menu will be the same as well as the entertainment since you will be doing two 7 days cruise compared to one 14 night cruise on the Legend of the Seas. It can get boring after awhile if you are experiencing the same cruise again.

 

It's 10 night, not 14, on Legend, plus the OP will have to pay extra air fare as the Legend cruise is one way. The Dawn 14 day is a round trip from Boston where it is easy to travel by air to from San Juan.

[bluesea777]

If it were us, we'd go on the Dawn for 14 days back to back.

 

If you can, bite the bullet and go for the SJ suite - the cheapest suite but so spacious with full length and height windows for you to sit by and enjoy the scenery, and not miss the balcony. It will be a cool weather cruise.

 

Amongst the SJ suite perks is breakfast and lunch in Cagney's - superb. Also there is a Lavazza coffee machine in the suite. If you do not want to go out to dinner, you can have the butler bring your dinner in suite - there is a round dining table and chairs in room.

 

We have been on Dawn (and others). We do not rate Dawn as our favourite but we enjoyed our cruise on her. We thought the Market Café buffet to be good.

 

Don't worry about the repeats as one poster said - there may not be repeats (as NCL is marketing this cruise as a 14 day one) but there are other things to enjoy.

[DISNEY1975]

If cost is any part of the factor, remember its less expensive to book RT airline tix than one ways each way. That price difference may eliminate the difference between the 2 cruiselines.

 

Ive sailed on the Dawn and LOVED it, but Ive also been on one RCI cruise out of Miami and thought it was a tad better.

 

PS..Just came back from 4 days in San Juan (Isla Verde). I want to go back NOW!!

[buckirj1]

That's a seriously stacked itinerary on the Dawn. If I had two weeks to burn, that'd be my choice. Actually, that'd be my choice anyway. A cheap RT flight to Boston beats an open-jaw flight any day. And you STILL get the overnight in Quebec City.

 

My experience, having sailed both lines in the past few years, is that NCL is superior to RCCL in almost every way: accommodations, linens, bathrooms and showers, cabin layout, deck layout, food, service, entertainment, well...everything. I didn't think RCCL was terrible, mind you (though some aspects came close to terrible), but NCL was so much better. Of the lines I've sailed, NCL remains at the top of my personal rankings, and RCCL remains at the bottom.

[Educators2]

I've sailed both ships. I think Legend is older than the Dawn. The open-jaw airfare is a real expense, in my opinion. Personally, NCL buffet is far superior to RCL. I do like the specialty restaurants on Norwegian. Worth the cost. Both itineraries are good. Quebec is a highlight.

[bonvoyagie]

This cruise is also on my bucket list. I have only cruised on NCL so that is where I would look first. I do like their overall product (so far). I have not been on the Dawn but was recently on the Pearl and did HI on the POA and long ago did AK twice on the Sky. I think that if I had 14 days - this is how I would spend them.

 

I know that RT airfare from Boston would be cheaper than an open jaw flight from Quebec - there is another option - take the train back to Boston. I know that there is VIA rail service from Quebec to Montreal and then Amtrak from there to Albany NY and then to Boston - since the trains run once a day you would require three days and two nights to make it back to Boston. Not sure about the VIA portion of the trip but Amtrak would be $85.00 p/p. But you would get to see the interior portion of the states and see even more great colors and scenery.

[TruckerDave]

That is weird, you do Bar Harbor first then back track to Portland. Then back up to Canada.:confused: