Can anyone give me a comparison between NCL and other cruiselines?

[Redlats]

My wife and I have cruised on a few cruiselines - Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, but never on Norwegian. A friend is suggesting we join them on a NCL cruise.

 

There must be NCL advocates in the group. How does NCL compare to other cruiselines? And what the heck does "Freestyle" mean anyways?

 

We have enjoyed the other cruiselines I've mentioned - some have better food, shorter lines, better entertainment, more choice - I have never tried to rank one cruiseline over another.

 

The only cruiseline we are unlikely to try again is Carnival as we felt the quality of the food was lower, and that the ship was crowded.

 

Anyway, sorry to ramble. But should we consider a NCL cruise?

[pollux]

Freestyle is eat when you want.

No fancy dress night.

Great now that the airlines charge so much for your bags.

Try it you might like them.

[Redlats]

I don't mind fixed dining - all depends on if you are travelling with others or not.

 

If we are in a group, fixed dining means we can sit at our table even if someone from the table is 5 or 10 minutes late. Usually with freestyle, you only get to sit at your table once everyone in the group has arrived.

 

Does NCL have a fixed-time dining option?

[SuiteCruiser]

I don't mind fixed dining - all depends on if you are travelling with others or not.

 

If we are in a group, fixed dining means we can sit at our table even if someone from the table is 5 or 10 minutes late. Usually with freestyle, you only get to sit at your table once everyone in the group has arrived.

 

Does NCL have a fixed-time dining option?

 

I have never been told I couldn't get my table until the whole party was there, not sure where that came from?

 

There are no fixed dining options on NCL, everything is freestyle, but it's important to note that NCL ships were built for freestyle, whereas most other lines try and cram an "anytime" option into their existing main dining rooms, and it doesn't work as well. I've sailed a few other lines, but prefer Norweigian by a large margin. Love the food options, the relaxed atmosphere and the staff are better than I've experienced on the other lines I've sailed.

Edited July 6, 2014 by SuiteCruiser

[Patakun]

I don't mind fixed dining - all depends on if you are travelling with others or not.

 

 

 

If we are in a group, fixed dining means we can sit at our table even if someone from the table is 5 or 10 minutes late. Usually with freestyle, you only get to sit at your table once everyone in the group has arrived.

 

 

 

Does NCL have a fixed-time dining option?

 

 

Dining on NCL works just like any restaurant you'd typically go to. You're welcome to make a reservation for any of the restaurants for the time that works best for you and your party. Reservations can be made starting 90 days prior to your cruise date. Alternatively, you can skip the reservations and just show up - but you may have to wait to be seated.

 

Really, Freestyle just means that the events and venues on the ship function like their "real world" counterparts :)

 

 

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[cpcanuck]

Dining on NCL works just like any restaurant you'd typically go to. You're welcome to make a reservation for any of the restaurants for the time that works best for you and your party. Reservations can be made starting 90 days prior to your cruise date. Alternatively, you can skip the reservations and just show up - but you may have to wait to be seated.

 

Really, Freestyle just means that the events and venues on the ship function like their "real world" counterparts :)

 

 

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To clarify...reservations that can be made prior to the cruise are only for the specialty restaurants which you are charged an extra fee ($15-$30 per person). You cannot make reservations for the MDR - and I believe that if you do require a reservation for the MDR (as in a larger group trying to sit together) that needs to happen once on board.

[RLM77]

NCL has more specialty (extra cost) restaurants than the competition and a package called the Ultimate Dining Package (UDP) that allows you to enjoy them each night of your cruise at a discount. For a seven night cruise it works out to $17 per person per night. On most ships you can choose from a steakhouse, Brazilian churrascaria, French, Italian, Chinese, and teppanyaki. The food is considerably better IMO than main dining room food on most lines and the value is good.

 

NCL's mid-sized ships (Dawn and Jewell class) have more and better lounge entertainment than other ships of similar size. The newer ships place more emphasis on main stage entertainment -- much of it quite good -- than on live music, although all three have either a Blues club or The Grammy Experience with performances by Grammy winners or nominees. A bit loud for my taste, but quality stuff.

 

The Waterfront on Breakaway and Getaway allows outdoor dining (extra cost) and drinking. Very nice. Theses ships feel a bit crowded, but both offer extra cost deck space (the "beach club") that is spacious and relaxing. Both also have enormous casinos.

 

The overall vibe on the big ships is more active and party-oriented than most of the competition. While many children and teens will be aboard, I believe that there are better choices for families, e.g. RCI and Disney. Younger adults sailing without kids will find a lot to like. Older adults may or may not enjoy. Good food and entertainment for sure, but also can be crowded and noisy.

 

All cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses; after 30 trips we've yet to find the perfect cruise. NCL is a line we will cruise again especially on their mid-sized ships. For us, their strengths outweigh their weaknesses.

 

Rich

[snow bunny]

To clarify...reservations that can be made prior to the cruise are only for the specialty restaurants which you are charged an extra fee ($15-$30 per person). You cannot make reservations for the MDR - and I believe that if you do require a reservation for the MDR (as in a larger group trying to sit together) that needs to happen once on board.

 

While this may have been true in the past, they do have the option for my Getaway booking in October to book the "complimentary" dining venues! The only one not listed is O'Sheehans!!

 

snow bunny

[Winchester Ranger]

Cruise line selection is a very personal thing, but I'll give you my 2 cents.

 

I wouldn't cruise NCL unless it was in the Haven, but then I would cruise in the Haven over ANY other cruise line or cabin. The main detractors are cramped shipboard conditions and poor food quality (note - not in the Haven, different ship entirely).

 

If I couldn't do Haven I have a preference for Celebrity. We did cruise Carnival many years ago and it was fantastic, but things have changed since then and the thugs have now discovered cheap cruising on that line so no thanks. Some friends of mine recently got back from a Carnival cruise and they told me that the list of "people to report to guest services" for credit cards that bounced took 15 minutes to read out.

 

Btw - Freestyle means no formal dining nights, so you can dress up if you like.

[punkincc]

I don't mind fixed dining - all depends on if you are travelling with others or not.

 

If we are in a group, fixed dining means we can sit at our table even if someone from the table is 5 or 10 minutes late. Usually with freestyle, you only get to sit at your table once everyone in the group has arrived.

 

Does NCL have a fixed-time dining option?

 

As of a few days ago, some with booked cruises received emails about a new option to make MDR reservations for your pary on any night, although the time slots and MDRs that are available for this option are limited and seem to vary by ship. Most Freestyle cruisers will have no interest in an MDR reservation. You would do this through the same mechanism you would book specialty restaurants, excursions, and entertainment ( for the new ships that have entertainment options that can be booked in advance ), via your My NCL link which you will set up after your booking.

 

Although the MDR option might benefit some with a larger group to be seated, it is really not that difficult to get a table for any size as a general rule, any time you walk up. I know it's hard to get a large group together, but maybe it's time to institute a new rule that whoever doesn't show up at the designated time is on their own for dinner.;)

[punkincc]

Cruise line selection is a very personal thing, but I'll give you my 2 cents.

 

I wouldn't cruise NCL unless it was in the Haven, but then I would cruise in the Haven over ANY other cruise line or cabin. The main detractors are cramped shipboard conditions and poor food quality (note - not in the Haven, different ship entirely).

 

If I couldn't do Haven I have a preference for Celebrity. We did cruise Carnival many years ago and it was fantastic, but things have changed since then and the thugs have now discovered cheap cruising on that line so no thanks. Some friends of mine recently got back from a Carnival cruise and they told me that the list of "people to report to guest services" for credit cards that bounced took 15 minutes to read out.

 

Btw - Freestyle means no formal dining nights, so you can dress up if you like.

 

Just to give the OP a contrasting opinion, we have cruised all the same lines and taking into consideration the very reasonable cruise fare, great options available for food and entertainment, very relaxed atmosphere requiring no formality and very little scheduling, we much prefer NCL.

 

We have done a couple suites ( 2 out of 6 cruises ) on NCL, and the suite perks are wonderful, but we have never booked a Haven cabin and I would strongly disagree with the "cramped shipboard conditions and poor food quality" statement. The menus have been recently upgraded and we found the food in the MDRs and buffet to be very good, and some of the specialty restaurant food to be exceptional. I don't know if anyone has a definitive answer, but I'd bet that some of the items on the Haven MDR menu are the same as the ones being served to the masses downstairs.;). We were on the Epic and the Getaway for our last two cruises and did not find them to be overly crowded at all. The Waterfront area on the Getaway is wonderful.

[cynbar]

Atmosphere on NCL is way more casual than the other lines the OP has been on. This is most obvious in the dress code --- there really isn't any, except perhaps for one of the fancier specialty restaurants like Le Bistro. There are no mandated formal nights, just a dress up or not night, and our experience has been that few people were dressed up in a suit or sport coat or whatever. You will see people in all sorts of casual attire, including shorts and sweatpants and the clothes they have worn all day, all over the ship at night including in the MDRs. Some people love this but it does take a little getting used to if you are used to the other main cruise lines, and it does give the ship a cheerful, relaxed vibe. Entertainment on NCL seems better and more varied than the other lines (except maybe RCI), and we love the choices of specialty restaurants even with a surcharge. If you're not thrown off by the lack of a dress code, you should have a great time.

[Winchester Ranger]

Just to give the OP a contrasting opinion, we have cruised all the same lines and taking into consideration the very reasonable cruise fare, great options available for food and entertainment, very relaxed atmosphere requiring no formality and very little scheduling, we much prefer NCL.

 

 

By quoting my post you aren't so much giving the OP your opinion as you are disagreeing with mine.

 

I had hoped to avoid that with my opening statement.

[punkincc]

By quoting my post you aren't so much giving the OP your opinion as you are disagreeing with mine.

 

I had hoped to avoid that with my opening statement.

 

I only quoted your post as your opinion contrasted so much with mine. I did not say that your opinion was "wrong", only that I felt differently. You are correct, we all have our "2 cents" , and we are not all going to agree. I did not mean to offend, but if you can't take such a mild difference of opinion, I don't know how you manage on Cruise Critic. The more info someone has, the better they'll be able to make a decision based on what they want out of a cruise.

[Susie51]

In my experience the MDR has the slowest service on NCL compared to RCI, Celebrity, HAL, Princess, Disney, and Carnival. However, there is a wide variety of specialty restaurants.

 

I like the NCL Jewel class ships, - X -, and HAL buffet food choices to me are better than the other cruise lines. The arrangement of NCL food stations appeals to me above the rest.

 

The adult pool does not have steps into on Jewel class ships only ladders.

 

Consistently great production shows, singers, and dancers on NCL which IMO is better than the other cruise lines except for Disney.

 

I keep booking NCL, because I like it.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Susie51

[OceanDreaming2]

I can only compare NCL to Princess and Carnival (trying Celebrity in March). IMO, NCL's dining and entertainment options exceed those of the competition. There are many options for meals which range from the buffet, main dining rooms, Blue Lagoon/O'Sheenan's, and specialty restaurants. Sure the other lines have buffet lines and main dining rooms, but it just feels like NCL is so much more organized.

 

Entertainment on Princess, while good, is down to a 40-45 minute show and Carnival's is more like lip syncing and little live music. We did enjoy some of the comedy acts on both Princess and Carnival. NCL goes all out for their live shows - Elements, for example, is excellent! Not only that but NCL offers a wide variety of evening entertainment throughout the ship.

 

Freestyle refers to the relaxed dress code (I've never seen anyone wearing sweat pants in the MDR at night) and the ability to eat whenever and wherever you choose.

 

Try NCL, you may like it! :)

[cpcanuck]

While this may have been true in the past, they do have the option for my Getaway booking in October to book the "complimentary" dining venues! The only one not listed is O'Sheehans!!

 

snow bunny

 

Ah! That is new then...I stand corrected. :)

[Redlats]

Thanks for all the feedback. Like one of the posters mentioned, choosing a cruise line is a very personal choice. Obviously, every cruise line finds cruisers that prefer them otherwise the cruise line would soon be out of business.

 

A friend asked us about Norwegian which lead to my question. Interestingly the travel agent we used at one point recommended we do not try NCL.

 

In regards to waiting for the total group to appear before letting us be seated - that was the rule on one of the ships we have cruised on, but I don't remember which. Yes it makes sense if NCL operates more like a restaurant, they would have different rules than we were subjected to.

[SuiteCruiser]

Thanks for all the feedback. Like one of the posters mentioned, choosing a cruise line is a very personal choice. Obviously, every cruise line finds cruisers that prefer them otherwise the cruise line would soon be out of business.

 

A friend asked us about Norwegian which lead to my question. Interestingly the travel agent we used at one point recommended we do not try NCL.

 

In regards to waiting for the total group to appear before letting us be seated - that was the rule on one of the ships we have cruised on, but I don't remember which. Yes it makes sense if NCL operates more like a restaurant, they would have different rules than we were subjected to.

 

We used to hear a lot on these boards before that some travel agents would discourage people from booking NCL because they pay less in commissions. I'm not a TA, but we've had this crop up quite often. AAA travel agencies all refused to work with NCL and tell their clients that the don't recommend them, they wouldn't even keep their brochures because they refused to offer them a larger kickback. Hopefully that's all in the past as it hasn't come up in a while.

 

Happy cruising wherever you land :)

Edited July 8, 2014 by SuiteCruiser

[wvfrogg]

I am often a "solo" cruiser and find what NCL has to offer me as a solo cruiser is great. (Not so great is the double cost of the cruise.) But, with anytime dining, I can either choose to ask to share a table, or to eat by myself. On the one "fancier" night, I usually stay away from the MDR as that tends to be for couples. I tend to be rather social, so meeting people is not hard for me. I usually meet some very nice folks at the Meet and Greet, and often join them for dinners (if I want). My two non NCL cruises weren't really a good sample of those lines. My Carnival was when my daughter was 13 and I was newly widowed. We did not have a good time, but I am not sure it was Carnival's fault. My daughter and I also went on Celebrity, but were very disappointed with the food and entertainment. It was an Alaskan cruise, and I am a "warm weather gal", so perhaps that played into my disappointment.

 

So, I'll stick with NCL. I love the wonderful staff, compared with the other lines. And I am fine with the food -- usually have one or two "fee" dinners, but the rest in the MDR or buffet for breakfast.

 

But enjoy anyone of the cruises you can go on!!

[mrobstad]

NCL has more specialty (extra cost) restaurants than the competition and a package called the Ultimate Dining Package (UDP) that allows you to enjoy them each night of your cruise at a discount. For a seven night cruise it works out to $17 per person per night. On most ships you can choose from a steakhouse, Brazilian churrascaria, French, Italian, Chinese, and teppanyaki. The food is considerably better IMO than main dining room food on most lines and the value is good.

 

 

 

NCL's mid-sized ships (Dawn and Jewell class) have more and better lounge entertainment than other ships of similar size. The newer ships place more emphasis on main stage entertainment -- much of it quite good -- than on live music, although all three have either a Blues club or The Grammy Experience with performances by Grammy winners or nominees. A bit loud for my taste, but quality stuff.

 

 

 

The Waterfront on Breakaway and Getaway allows outdoor dining (extra cost) and drinking. Very nice. Theses ships feel a bit crowded, but both offer extra cost deck space (the "beach club") that is spacious and relaxing. Both also have enormous casinos.

 

 

 

The overall vibe on the big ships is more active and party-oriented than most of the competition. While many children and teens will be aboard, I believe that there are better choices for families, e.g. RCI and Disney. Younger adults sailing without kids will find a lot to like. Older adults may or may not enjoy. Good food and entertainment for sure, but also can be crowded and noisy.

 

 

 

All cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses; after 30 trips we've yet to find the perfect cruise. NCL is a line we will cruise again especially on their mid-sized ships. For us, their strengths outweigh their weaknesses.

 

 

 

Rich

 

 

 

 

 

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[westkay]

My wife and I have cruised on a few cruiselines - Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, but never on Norwegian. A friend is suggesting we join them on a NCL cruise.

 

I am the "friend" REDLATS refers to....

 

HE and we, soooooooooooo enjoyed the nightly lounge crawls for the 2 for 1 drink specials before we headed off to see the entertainment, on our shared Celebrity Mediterranean cruise way back in 2012.

Does NCL offer same??.....

 

'signed' the friend

[bjlaac]

Your question will, and has, yielded many different opinions. As a long time cruiser, still under 60 years old that recently tried NCL, they have their pluses and minuses. Their entertainment is better than most in our opinion.

 

The one thing that I think you could single out about NCL is their "freestyle" concept. As you already have read, that means two things. You can choose to eat in the complimentary restaurants whenever you choose and there is little dress code enforced, if any. You also have many "pay" restaurants to choose from as well. If you like this idea then you may enjoy NCL. I can tell you we loved that freedom on both our sailings with them.

 

Those that don't will quickly point out the negatives such as certain times are impossible to get dinner reservations, there's a lack of elligance because of the dress code, all the pay restaurants fell like nickle and diming and the free restaurants don't offer the same food you might find on other cruise lines because its in the pay restaurants only.

 

So the question you need to know the answer to is if any of the freestyle concept NCL offers is a deal breaker or not. We went on two NCL cruises in the last 2 years and would definately go again. However, given a choice, NCL would be our last resort given the same date and itinerary if offered by RCL, Holland or Celebrity.

 

Its all a matter of personal taste.

[sasha96]

I had no problems making reservations for the 3 MDRs on the Breakaway. Only issue was it wouldn't let me reserve a 5:30 dinner in the MDR if I had a 7:30 show reservation. Oh well, other choices than MDR those nights. Just needed to that closer to the time the online system allows you to, in order to get the times you want.

[UPNYGuy]

My wife and I are 3 star mariners with Holland America Line. We decided to give Norwegian a go. (on the Breakaway) just for giggles to see what was about. The Breakaway is a 2 hour bus ride for us, so no airfare.

 

It contained everything we "hated" about cruising (megaship, lots of people! lots of kids...) but we decided WHAT THE HELL... Life is way too short. Our theory is that if we are going to go on a family cruise with our niece, a megaship would be necessary. We knew nothing about NCL aside from what we read and heard.

 

We absolutely loved it! For us, the breakaway has quite literally become our favorite ship. We certainly do not feel like we part of 4,000 (or more). Our first Breakaway sailing, we were n The Haven, and had the UDP. Our second sailing we were in a mini suite and ate only the complimentary restaurants. We found the food superior wherever we ate. Obviously we preferred our room in The Haven (have another Haven cruise booked on her), but it isn't necessary to have an enjoyable cruise.

 

Without writing a novel, we won't be returning to Holland America

 

 

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