Norwegian vs Princess

[brownie9]

MY last two cruises were on Princess. Will someone compare Princess vs Norwegian. There is a great cruise on Norwegian that I would love to take but am put off some by the bad reviews, etc....

 

 

Thanks,

 

Brownie9

[nycruise]

Princess is our favorite cruise line but we've been on many NCL cruises and always enjoyed them. Princess is a bit more low key and elegant, much like Celebrity. The big difference used to be Freestyle, but all of the lines have some variation of "Freestyle" these days.

 

We sailed the Breakaway and the Royal Princess last year. We found the Royal to be elegant but pretty much a larger version of previous Princess ships and that's not a bad thing. The Breakaway was much more innovative, with a Cirque show, Ice Bar, Broadway show, live music in the main dining room, many more dining venues, etc. But the Breakaway was much more crowded than the Royal and that took away from the overall experience.

 

Although subjective, in general we think the food on Princess is better than NCL. Service on both lines is similar.

 

I think if you enjoyed Princess you will also enjoy NCL but for different reasons, but I predict you will still prefer Princess.

[Kattus]

I too have sailed on Princess, my first and only cruise, and will be on the Breakaway for the March 16th sailing to Florida and the Bahamas. I'll let you know how they compare!

[mizLORInj]

Which Princess ship are you thinking of? I do love the grand class of Princess ships. Island Princess was good too. I plan to try out Royal Princess at some point too.

Norwegian won't have those multi-story atrium areas. Breakaway is a fabulous ship that compares to princess decor-wise somewhat--more than NCL's other more colorfully decorated ships.

You won't have fixed dining times at all on NCL--that's about the only big difference in my book. Ok, there are included dining places, and many more upcharge restaurants on NCL than Princess.

Nothing compares to Princess pizza, but other than that, food on both lines is comparable IMO, as is service.

Don't be put off by reviews--I have found it best to try out various cruiselines for myself and I haven't had a bad cruise yet!

I would cruise either line in a heartbeat. :)

Edited February 6, 2014 by mizlorinj

[newmexicoNita]

Let me say, like the last poster, don't put too much into reviews. Here is an example, 4 people have posted here in the past week about their cruise on the Jewel. 3 said it was one of the best cruises ever, another said the service sucked and he wanted to let NCL know. Go, figure!!! Who was right? Who knows? everyone has a different idea on what makes them happy. Like food, cruise ships and cruising is very subjective.

 

For us, our least favorite line is Princess. Our favorite is HAL and NCL. But as has been said, there really isn't much differences in the mass marketed lines. They all have their own personality but basically are pretty similar.

 

We found the food on Princess to be not so great, others might say it is better than NCL. I would say it is a toss up when it comes to dinner. The buffets on NCL are more to our liking, if any buffet is great! Our service in the MDR on Princess, especially for breakfast was really bad. We didn't like always being seated with a group of 8, every single meal. We asked for a smaller table but were told there were none available. Oh well, it was our choice to go with open dining. Everyone raves about the Pizzza, we didn't find it much different than on any other line.

 

I would rate the entertainment on the two lines very similar, with Princess having more choices, NCL have slightly better main showroom entertainment, but there isn't enough difference to rate one over the other. The thing Princess has going for them, is the beauty of the ships: yes, they are stunning. NCL ships (I haven't been on the new mega ships) are nice, but not a lot of bells and whistles.

 

I think the biggest difference we saw and we have done more than one Princess cruise was the attitude, overall of the passengers, we didn't find them as friendly and down to earth and we found, most of them very defensive about Princess. This could have just been our experience.

 

Again, overall there isn't much difference and even though I say it is our least favorite line, I think all cruise lines are good. I would not hesitate to sail Princess again. We have just been on so many NCL cruises and are now platinum we will continue to sail with them cause we love the perks.

[toyotaford]

We have cruised on Princess three times. We have enjoyed all of them. But our favorite cruise line is NCL. The perks they offer with their suites are wonderful. On our Princess cruise last year I went and met with the cruise consultant and asked if they had anything that compared to the NCL suite program and he said they did not. I think you would find the lines very comparable other than that. I do feel the main theater entertainment is better with NCL. The last two cruises we have been on have been with a couple who had cruised CCL and Princess previously and they were impressed with the overall cleanliness of both NCL ships we were on. We have cruised RCCL, CCL, HAL, Princess and NCL and NCL is our cruise line of choice.

[RJ2002]

We have sailed on both Princess and NCL, and like each one for different things.

 

Overall, Princess has a bit more refined onboard atmosphere. Princess still retains fixed dining, but also offers open seating. They still have formal nights. We think Princess' ships are more tastefully decorated than NCL. Both lines seem to maintain their ships well.

 

From a MDR and Lido food perspective, IMO Princess is better. We are not fans of the NCL MDR. We've had food delivered lukewarm and bland. Meats have been tough. Princess, IMO, has better MDR food. Their Italian dishes are particularly good. Both lines have very good specialty restaurants.

 

For entertainment, NCL wins.

 

Service on either line is very good.

 

We enjoy the suite experience on NCL very much. Nothing comparable on Princess.

 

We would sail on either line again, but on NCL, we'd choose a suite and mostly dine in the specialty restaurants.

[Zubsin]

We've done a couple on Princess and a couple on NCL and we like them both for different reasons. Little things like....shower door in NCL vs shower curtain on Princess. Fresh water pool on PCL vs salt water on NCL. Food is too subjective. NCL has smaller rooms and I like the PCL Caribe deck balconies. I like freestyle dining my DH prefers to have a set table so he can meet new people. If you are not hung up on the color of your cabin key card...I'd vote try NCL.

 

We pick the itinerary first and then look at what cruise lines best meet our goals for that itinerary.

[rajones007]

Our first (real) cruise was on Princess and my wife and I both loved it and that is what got us hooked on cruising.

 

Our next cruise was on NCL, and that's where we plan on staying.

 

We're simple unassuming country folk and we found the elegance of Princess a little too much for us. Don't misinterpret that - we thought it was a great cruise, it was a lovely ship, the passengers were great (with a couple exceptions), and the service was top-notch. But when we experienced the more casual and laid back approach of NCL 10 months later, then we knew which cruise line was more for us. It's our style to be Freestyle. I don't dress up for dinner here at home, why on earth would I want to do it while I'm on vacation?

 

Keep in mind we did book a Princess cruise for the end of January but had to cancel it (damn, we'd be on it right now, too :( ) so it's not like I hate Princess by any stretch. We liked the itinerary and we never hesitated to book with Princess.

 

So why do I prefer NCL? It's really hard to put in words, but I'll try to boil it down to a few words - Princess was like having to go out for dinner with the boss. NCL was like going out for dinner with the neighbour.

[newmexicoNita]

Our first (real) cruise was on Princess and my wife and I both loved it and that is what got us hooked on cruising.

 

Our next cruise was on NCL, and that's where we plan on staying.

 

We're simple unassuming country folk and we found the elegance of Princess a little too much for us. Don't misinterpret that - we thought it was a great cruise, it was a lovely ship, the passengers were great (with a couple exceptions), and the service was top-notch. But when we experienced the more casual and laid back approach of NCL 10 months later, then we knew which cruise line was more for us. It's our style to be Freestyle. I don't dress up for dinner here at home, why on earth would I want to do it while I'm on vacation?

 

Keep in mind we did book a Princess cruise for the end of January but had to cancel it (damn, we'd be on it right now, too :( ) so it's not like I hate Princess by any stretch. We liked the itinerary and we never hesitated to book with Princess.

 

So why do I prefer NCL? It's really hard to put in words, but I'll try to boil it down to a few words - Princess was like having to go out for dinner with the boss. NCL was like going out for dinner with the neighbour.

 

What a tasteful way to define the difference in the 2 lines.

[SissasMomE]

MY last two cruises were on Princess. Will someone compare Princess vs Norwegian. There is a great cruise on Norwegian that I would love to take but am put off some by the bad reviews, etc....

 

 

Thanks,

 

Brownie9

 

Princess used to be very upscale, until Carnival took them over. They seem to have gone downhill from there. I used to enjoy their cruises, but don't so much anymore. They also tend to have no nightlife. NCL is much more lively, and depending on which port you are leaving from, a little more "friendly", for lack of a better word.

[gelo7]

What a tasteful way to define the difference in the 2 lines.

I concur.....

[squirrels]

We just came off the Norwegian Star having cruised on various other cruise lines, this was our first Norwegian cruise and will be our LAST. Our basis for this, as follows:

1. Posted throughout the ship and constantly on their cabin TV's were several "Promises" by crew members - advertising. Not one of the "I promise" was met. Very sad for Norwegian.

2. The buffet area looked like a High School cafeteria. We heard several remarks from passengers about this. Food was ordinary and sea food appeared from frozen.

3. Because of the several added pay restaurants (an additional $15 - $35 per person), passengers could not find space to sit or gather inside the main areas of the ship. In fact at 3:30 PM passengers were asked to leave an area to enable crew to clear tables for the Moderno restaurant which opened approximately 6 PM.

4. Nightly at the (no pay) restaurants, there was a minimum of a half-hour wait between the appetizer and main meal. This was common and several people left without finishing their meals.

 

In summary, the Norwegian Crew referred verbally and in writing to the Norwegian Star as "Hotel," we prefer a RESORT style cruise, such as MSC, Princess or HAL.

[SissasMomE]

4. Nightly at the (no pay) restaurants, there was a minimum of a half-hour wait between the appetizer and main meal. This was common and several people left without finishing their meals.

 

We pay dearly for dining experiences like this just about every weekend. They are not serving fast food ..... who wants to eat everything in an hour?!!

[RJ2002]

Princess used to be very upscale, until Carnival took them over. They seem to have gone downhill from there. I used to enjoy their cruises, but don't so much anymore. They also tend to have no nightlife. NCL is much more lively, and depending on which port you are leaving from, a little more "friendly", for lack of a better word.

 

To followup on your comment about Princess' apparent decline, I had always thought that they were still considered a Premium line, but apparently not, at least according to Travel Weekly. This link on their website categorizes all the cruise lines:

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise/Lines

 

We last time sailed Princess was in 2011, and will need to sail them at least once more in order to use a future cruise deposit which we bought on our last cruise. I guess we'll see for ourselves if there has been a decline.

[SissasMomE]

To followup on your comment about Princess' apparent decline, I had always thought that they were still considered a Premium line, but apparently not, at least according to Travel Weekly. This link on their website categorizes all the cruise lines:

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise/Lines

 

We last time sailed Princess was in 2011, and will need to sail them at least once more in order to use a future cruise deposit which we bought on our last cruise. I guess we'll see for ourselves if there has been a decline.

 

Thanks for the link. You may not notice a decline between 2011 and now. Anyone who has sailed Princess before Carnival bought them out in 2002 would probably notice. I still think they have beautiful ships though!

[SMerritt]

Princess - beautiful ship, good food & services

 

NCL - We prefer "freestyle" and also, NCL offers more entertainment we like

 

We were in the Grand Suite on Princess, suite services and "perks" were not even close to the amazing NCL Haven Suite amenities

 

Opinions Vary......

[UPGrandma]

Regarding post from Squirrels: # 2 and 4: we sailed NCL Pride last July and thought the buffet was good. We never experienced or saw that kind of a wait in the MDR. Sorry your experience was different.

Edited February 6, 2014 by UPGrandma

[newmexicoNita]

We just came off the Norwegian Star having cruised on various other cruise lines, this was our first Norwegian cruise and will be our LAST. Our basis for this, as follows:

1. Posted throughout the ship and constantly on their cabin TV's were several "Promises" by crew members - advertising. Not one of the "I promise" was met. Very sad for Norwegian.

2. The buffet area looked like a High School cafeteria. We heard several remarks from passengers about this. Food was ordinary and sea food appeared from frozen.

3. Because of the several added pay restaurants (an additional $15 - $35 per person), passengers could not find space to sit or gather inside the main areas of the ship. In fact at 3:30 PM passengers were asked to leave an area to enable crew to clear tables for the Moderno restaurant which opened approximately 6 PM.

4. Nightly at the (no pay) restaurants, there was a minimum of a half-hour wait between the appetizer and main meal. This was common and several people left without finishing their meals.

 

In summary, the Norwegian Crew referred verbally and in writing to the Norwegian Star as "Hotel," we prefer a RESORT style cruise, such as MSC, Princess or HAL.

this is the reason not all cruise lines are for everyone and obviously NCL isn't for you. You seem to like MSC, more cruisers dislike the line than like it. Like food, cruise ship opinions are very subjective. One example,, you mention the sea food appears to be frozen; of course it is: it would be pretty tough to catch fresh fish daily off the back of the ship. The lines might get tangled. As for waiting 1/2 hour between courses, we never waited anywhere near 1/2 hour. Even when we were eating with friends and enjoying a nice visit we never waited that long. Our first night on our last cruise the service was a little slow. The restaurant was crowded and people were just settling in for their 11 day adventure. I will say my cousin and I did have just fair service a couple nights on the Star, many years ago, but not 1/2 wait between our appetizer and salad. We did have to leave without dessert in order to make one of the shows, but people were not leaving in groves because of the service and it was simply dessert. I know a lot of people who do skip dessert, go to the show and then come back for dessert later. Makes good sense to me.

 

Can you explain what you are referring to when you talk about gathering in the main public areas because of the addition of pay restaurants? The only addition I know of on the Star is Modernos and it used to be Ginzas ( I think that is what it was called) so how did that interfere with your relaxing in a public area? I find that a little confusing to follow.

 

Regardless, I am sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, and I hope you continue cruising on whatever line suits you. We all have our favorites, that is what it is all about.

[brownie9]

Thanks so much for all your information. We have sailed Princess, Carnival and HAL. We found HAL to be too laid back for us, we found Carnival too young of a crowd but we really liked Princess. We have found a cruise we like on NCL but were afraid of a bad experience. I think after reading all this, we will board NCL with hopes of a good experience.

 

 

Thanks again,

 

Brownie9

[RJ2002]

Thanks so much for all your information. We have sailed Princess, Carnival and HAL. We found HAL to be too laid back for us, we found Carnival too young of a crowd but we really liked Princess. We have found a cruise we like on NCL but were afraid of a bad experience. I think after reading all this, we will board NCL with hopes of a good experience.

 

 

Thanks again,

 

Brownie9

 

Good idea. Give it a try and go into it with an open mind.

[squirrels]

this is the reason not all cruise lines are for everyone and obviously NCL isn't for you. You seem to like MSC, more cruisers dislike the line than like it. Like food, cruise ship opinions are very subjective. One example,, you mention the sea food appears to be frozen; of course it is: it would be pretty tough to catch fresh fish daily off the back of the ship. The lines might get tangled. As for waiting 1/2 hour between courses, we never waited anywhere near 1/2 hour. Even when we were eating with friends and enjoying a nice visit we never waited that long. Our first night on our last cruise the service was a little slow. The restaurant was crowded and people were just settling in for their 11 day adventure. I will say my cousin and I did have just fair service a couple nights on the Star, many years ago, but not 1/2 wait between our appetizer and salad. We did have to leave without dessert in order to make one of the shows, but people were not leaving in groves because of the service and it was simply dessert. I know a lot of people who do skip dessert, go to the show and then come back for dessert later. Makes good sense to me.

 

Can you explain what you are referring to when you talk about gathering in the main public areas because of the addition of pay restaurants? The only addition I know of on the Star is Modernos and it used to be Ginzas ( I think that is what it was called) so how did that interfere with your relaxing in a public area? I find that a little confusing to follow.

 

Regardless, I am sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, and I hope you continue cruising on whatever line suits you. We all have our favorites, that is what it is all about.

 

 

Thanks so much for yours and others responses. You asked for an explanation of main public areas - on the Star, this is the Atrium. The Moderno restaurant is now located in the area set up with tables and chairs and used during the day for games and social gatherings.(8th floor) The Ginzas is located elsewhere. As independent travellers we always enjoy our times away. The Star's Captain and Hotel manager left as of Feb 2.

 

Selecting a cruise and ship is an independent preference. Each company will attract different personalities and preferences. Based on the NCL Star's advertised "Promises," none were met on our cruise, we hope other ships are different. Happy sailing and thanks again for your response.

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks so much for yours and others responses. You asked for an explanation of main public areas - on the Star, this is the Atrium. The Moderno restaurant is now located in the area set up with tables and chairs and used during the day for games and social gatherings.(8th floor) The Ginzas is located elsewhere. As independent travellers we always enjoy our times away. The Star's Captain and Hotel manager left as of Feb 2.

 

Selecting a cruise and ship is an independent preference. Each company will attract different personalities and preferences. Based on the NCL Star's advertised "Promises," none were met on our cruise, we hope other ships are different. Happy sailing and thanks again for your response.

 

ok, now I do understand the part about Modernos. It is situated where the old Mexican restaurant was. Yes, it is on the upper level of the atrium. I don't think it would have interfered with all those wanting to just sit and people watch or visit, but yes, it would create some problems. I thought the Mexican restaurant being there was a little strange. As for this being a huge issue, I have never seen anyone complain about it before. Checking the last 2 months reviews on the Star is interesting to say the least and shows how views are so subjective: 9 gave the ship a 4 or 5 star rating and 7 only 2 or less.

 

Can I ask, if you know, why did the Star Captain and Hotel manager leave? Were their contracts up or did they lose their jobs? What do you or anyone happen to know about this?

Edited February 7, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[shorefolks]

We have done 11 cruises in the past 9 years (NCL- 5, Princess- 4, and Celebrity- 2). Although we generally consider Princess our favorite, we would happily sail again on any of the three lines for the right itinerary and price. From our limited experience in comparison with that of others, we frankly find it difficult to draw many broad contrasts between cruise lines, particularly in regard to both food quality and service. We have actually found greater differences between ships of the same line or even different cruises on the same ship. With food, we tend to believe that the nature and quality of the food have much more to do with the chef and the tastes of the specific clientele than with the line in general. With service, very much depends on the particular individuals one encounters, for the most part by chance. Many staff members jump to a different ship when they sign new contracts, and the mix does change. We have never had a cruise where staff were uniformly good or bad in terms of service. Moreover, our three favorite stewards were each on a different line.

 

In sum, if you cruise for the itinerary, I think you will be satisfied with either Princess or NCL (or Celebrity, for that matter). You will like some things more or less from one line to the other, but you should have an agreeable experience regardless.

[Hockeylovinmom]

 

So why do I prefer NCL? It's really hard to put in words, but I'll try to boil it down to a few words - Princess was like having to go out for dinner with the boss. NCL was like going out for dinner with the neighbour.

 

 

I loved this quote! It is our feeling exactly. We do give the nod to NCL for food and dining (especially the coffee)! AND, their suite life cannot be beat on any line we've cruised.

 

By the way, we have cruises booked on both lines!

 

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