Royal Diamond Tries NCL and Loved It!

[Clarea]

How did the OP get to Diamond after only 7 cruises? Maybe they took all transatlantics in suites? Does that get you there?

 

Saying you like NCL is fine. Everyone has their likes and dislikes.

If they took their Royal cruises before 2011, they could have become Diamond in just 4 cruises.

[Iluvcruising2]

How did the OP get to Diamond after only 7 cruises? Maybe they took all transatlantics in suites? Does that get you there?

 

Saying you like NCL is fine. Everyone has their likes and dislikes.

 

As big al has correctly pointed out, we sailed in JS category for the bulk of our Royal Cruises. Some of these cruises were 14 nighters. That's how we got to Diamond quite quickly.

[Iluvcruising2]

Guests and just suite guess have special privileges that we get a D+ with RC?

I would guess that the suite guest have better service than just lower level cabins.

 

Please do not take this as a negative to your thread, a real good comparison.

For us who are lucky just to book a balcony and are happy with that, along with the perks for Diamond and above, booking with out perks can seriously raise the price of the cruise

Having said that, I have been looking at other cruise lines because of price and especially itinerary

 

You make a good point. I have observed that Royal's loyalty perks (Diamond and above) are significantly better than that of NCL.

 

Booking a Balcony or even inside, with Diamond or D+ perk on Royal, is actually a very good deal. On my recent NCL sailing, I most definitely missed the Diamond Club evening cocktail hours.

 

I have given feedback to NCL that they may want to re-look at their loyalty perks, especially for their higher tiers.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Iluvcruising2

[Iluvcruising2]

Thank you!!!

I have my eye on 2 NCL cruises. Now that Royal has left NOLA, I'm looking at another NCL on Dawn.

 

silly question:

does the smaller bedroom have a TV???

 

Thanks for your comment.

 

Your question is not silly. I should have covered that in my video. The answer is yes, the smaller bedroom has a small TV.

 

In total, I counted 4 TVs in the suite.

 

1. Living area

2. Master bedroom bed area

3. Master bedroom bathtube

4. Smaller bedroom.

[Debde]

 

In total, I counted 4 TVs in the suite.

 

1. Living area

2. Master bedroom bed area

3. Master bedroom bathtub

4. Smaller bedroom.

 

Thank you again!!! I was just hoping for the 3. Now the 4th one in the bathtub!!! That was a surprise!!! :)

[Iluvcruising2]

Thank you again!!! I was just hoping for the 3. Now the 4th one in the bathtub!!! That was a surprise!!! :)

 

To get a better idea, please watch the video I made,

 

Fast forward to the 9:00 mark to see the TV at the bathtub area.

[Iluvcruising2]

Question - does Royal provide towels and drinks to welcome passengers when they come back from port? I don't recall that to be the norm, though I may have seen it once or twice.

 

Norwegian does this. It is not a big thing, but a nice touch. We had this at every port.

 

Video here -

[Clarea]

Question - does Royal provide towels and drinks to welcome passengers when they come back from port? I don't recall that to be the norm, though I may have seen it once or twice.

 

Norwegian does this. It is not a big thing, but a nice touch. We had this at every port.

 

Video here -

I've seen it once or twice on Royal, but it's not the norm.

[Cruising89143]

We cruised in suites twice on NCL and yes their suite perks are much, much better than RCI but we did not care for other aspects of NCL. Ships were okay but did not have the wow factor. Food in the lido and standard dining rooms had to be the worst of any cruise in 28 years of cruising. Specialty restaurants were on par with RCI.

 

Concerning mass market lines, IMHO Celebrity has stepped up with their new suite perks and add to that the Celebrity product and it's a better product over NCL. I also have no interest in the new NCL ships.

Edited December 21, 2014 by cruisingator2

[Iluvcruising2]

I found NCL Jade's buffet offerings in the Garden Cafe to be on par, if not slightly better compared to the Royal ships I have been on, in terms of variety and taste.

 

NCL Jade had a dedicated pasta station that made fresh pastas. In the evenings, they also had a dedicated crepes station.

 

Royal was better in terms of the quality of desserts, including cakes and pastries. I think the ice-cream on Royal tasted better too.

 

Here are some videos I made of the buffet selection. Check them out, especially if you have not sailed on NCL before.

 

Buffet lunch (embarkation day)

 

Buffet dinner

 

Buffet dinner - Grilled offerings (short video)

Edited December 21, 2014 by Iluvcruising2

[Iluvcruising2]

We cruised in suites twice on NCL and yes their suite perks are much, much better than RCI but we did not care for other aspects of NCL. Ships were okay but did not have the wow factor. Food in the lido and standard dining rooms had to be the worst of any cruise in 28 years of cruising. Specialty restaurants were on par with RCI.

 

Concerning mass market lines, IMHO Celebrity has stepped up with their new suite perks and add to that the Celebrity product and it's a better product over NCL. I also have no interest in the new NCL ships.

 

Agree with you the NCL Jade did not have any wow factor. But as I have pointed out in another thread, for some reason, the ship felt far less crowded in the public areas. I still can't figure out why.

[Debde]

Concerning mass market lines, IMHO Celebrity has stepped up with their new suite perks and add to that the Celebrity product and it's a better product over NCL. I also have no interest in the new NCL ships.

 

I think Royal is starting to do the same. With the coastal kitchen and lounge for gold 'colored' cards only, they do seem to be trying to give the Haven a run for the money. Although just one ship to date-but, if the rumour mill is true and this will go fleet wide, this could be a slam dunk for Royal.

 

I can say have not tried Celebrity yet but with all my research, seems my family would enjoy those new NCL ships over Celebrity. I could be wrong but seems more activity on the newer NCL ships. For me, NCL could be the best of both worlds. Activity for them, Haven escape for me!!

 

The cruise I have bucket listed for hubby and I out of Amsterdam-now that's another story. That will be our retirement gift to each other. [hoping they still leave from Amsterdam when we retire;)]

[Iluvcruising2]

I think Royal is starting to do the same. With the coastal kitchen and lounge for gold 'colored' cards only, they do seem to be trying to give the Haven a run for the money. Although just one ship to date-but, if the rumour mill is true and this will go fleet wide, this could be a slam dunk for Royal.

 

Interesting development by Royal.

 

Our suite on the NCL Jade was a non-haven suite. We haven't tried a Haven suite on NCL's bigger ships yet, but hope to try them in the future, God willing!

[Debde]

Loving these video's.

Definitely like that pool area much better then Royals. Guess because of the slide!!:o

Buffet looks really good. I see no difference in Royals.

[Dave85]

OP, we are also Diamonds who recently returned from our first NCL cruise and also loved it. Found the entertainment outstanding and enjoyed the freedom of the freestyle dining once we finally allowed ourselves to relax and give it a go. I'll echo the many voices above me urging everyone to try different lines and learn what else is out there. I look forward to booking another NCL cruise in the near future!

 

 

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[bob brown]

Great post, and I agree that it is sooo important to try different cruise lines, I love Royal Caribbean, but I also love MSC, and I love Princess. The problem is some people in this forum will tear you apart for giving your opinion, it's terrible if you ask me, but I don't put all my eggs in one basket. Might have to try NCL next, especially now that Jimmy Buffett has partnered up.

 

I agree!

Your may attain top tier loyalty status faster by staying exclusively loyal to one line, but as has been pointed out by other's above, you will miss out on many different things that you might enjoy more on other lines....

 

That said, NCL's 'Latitudes' loyalty program top tier ("Platinum"), can be reached faster than any other that I am aware of...only 75 days (or credits), with double triple or quadruple credits, can be done in as little as two longer cruises! See:

http://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards/rewards-points-and-benefits

The perks are pretty decent too....especially if you combine those with what you get in their suites...;)

Edited December 21, 2014 by bob brown

[Iluvcruising2]

That is how it was for us.. We cruise 2-3 times a year and had our first suite 12 years ago, would be very hard to go back to anything less. Have been on Royal, Princess, Carnival, Regent and Crystal.

Now with a 3 year old Royal is a decent fit but am really interested in NCL.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks for your response.

 

On the topic of kids, my kids really looked forward to sailing with Royal because they loved the Adventure Ocean.

 

This time round, for some reason they decided that they DID NOT want to go to any Kids' club, Royal or otherwise. And they are still under 10. So they didn't try the Kids' activities on NCL Jade. Don't even know what their programme is called, but I did see many happy kids playing. The NCL Jade had a full size court (basketball/tennis).

[Iluvcruising2]

This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear....was wanting to book our next cruise and was waffling between Oasis/Allure to NCL.... We have never been on NCL, but I think I will book with them to just try it out!

 

Do try NCL and let us know what you think.

 

We have no cruises booked currently. For next year, we are looking hard the Epic sailings from Europe. Yeah, still looking. If we book at least 9 months out, we will get an additional point per night.

 

Anyway, on Deck 11, Forward of the NCL Jade, you can get the see the Bridge and observe the Bridge crew. They had some instruments for you to look at as well. When I was there, the ship was sailing at 16.5 knots. They put up a very nice and detailed map of the cruise route.

 

The video link is here.

[klove613]

I have been on several Royal cruises (Allure, Oasis, Indy, Liberty x 3, Mariner, and Explorer. We were in suites on 4 of the 8 RCL cruises. Last year we decided to go on the NCL Epic because of the suite perks and also to try something new. We were in a 2-bedroom Haven Suite. In my opinion there is no comparision between the RCCL suite perks and NCL (at least before the Coastal Kitchen addition).

 

On the Epic there was a dedicated pool/hot tub for Haven guests that was steps away from my room. I was able to go out and have a swim first thing and it took me less than a minute to get there. There was also a beautiful dedicated restaurant (like the Coastal Kitchen) for Haven guests which served breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate all of our breakfasts and lunches there. There was a Haven lounge too. We had a butler that we could call if we needed something for the room, wanted special snacks, ice, etc. They had a concierge staff to assist with any meal or show planning that was needed just like Royal, but on Epic the Concierge actually walked Haven guests down to shows and let us get in before general admission started.

 

There was NO complimentary alcohol though (except at sailaway), so that was somewhat of a negative. However, I am not a big drinker, so it wasn't too bad to me. They did provide a bottle of wine in the cabin.

 

That said, I would never sail on the Epic without staying in the Haven. The ship was dark and not laid out well at all. I missed the beauty and openness of Royal ships. The shows on Epic were outstanding though. I would definitely sail again in the Haven, if the price is right. We are back on the Oasis this spring because the newer NCL ship prices are beyond ridiculous right now and I got a great deal on a Grand Suite.

[Iluvcruising2]

I have been on several Royal cruises (Allure, Oasis, Indy, Liberty x 3, Mariner, and Explorer. We were in suites on 4 of the 8 RCL cruises. Last year we decided to go on the NCL Epic because of the suite perks and also to try something new. We were in a 2-bedroom Haven Suite. In my opinion there is no comparision between the RCCL suite perks and NCL (at least before the Coastal Kitchen addition).

 

On the Epic there was a dedicated pool/hot tub for Haven guests that was steps away from my room. I was able to go out and have a swim first thing and it took me less than a minute to get there. There was also a beautiful dedicated restaurant (like the Coastal Kitchen) for Haven guests which served breakfast, lunch and dinner. We ate all of our breakfasts and lunches there. There was a Haven lounge too. We had a butler that we could call if we needed something for the room, wanted special snacks, ice, etc. They had a concierge staff to assist with any meal or show planning that was needed just like Royal, but on Epic the Concierge actually walked Haven guests down to shows and let us get in before general admission started.

 

There was NO complimentary alcohol though (except at sailaway), so that was somewhat of a negative. However, I am not a big drinker, so it wasn't too bad to me. They did provide a bottle of wine in the cabin.

 

That said, I would never sail on the Epic without staying in the Haven. The ship was dark and not laid out well at all. I missed the beauty and openness of Royal ships. The shows on Epic were outstanding though. I would definitely sail again in the Haven, if the price is right. We are back on the Oasis this spring because the newer NCL ship prices are beyond ridiculous right now and I got a great deal on a Grand Suite.

 

Thanks for this. This is very useful for us. At this time, we are thinking of sailing on the Epic, out of Europe next year. They are moving the Epic to Europe.

 

Perhaps we should just go for a haven suite, but we'll have to see the prices.

 

Indeed, while we were on the Jade, I missed the Diamond lounge and the complimentary cocktail hours.

Edited December 23, 2014 by Iluvcruising2

[Iluvcruising2]

This is a rather long compilation of the food we enjoyed in the Main Dining Room, largley in the Grand Pacific Dining Room, but also a couple of times at Alizhar Restaurant. Both are complimentary restaurants on NCL Jade and their menus change every evening. We were told that NCL Jade just got new menus a couple of months back!

 

This was our first time on the NCL Jade and first time trying out the Freestyle Dining concept, after many cruises on other lines like Royal Caribbean. We loved Freestyle Dining!

 

Many thanks to my family members who put up with my video taping antics. All of them had to wait for me to finish recording the video clips before they could tuck in.

 

Before I continue, I would like to give all thanks and praise to our good Lord Jesus, for a wonderful year, which included exciting holidays like this cruise. Indeed, one ought to be thankful for all the blessings, big and small. It was a great privilege to have such good food and service on the NCL Jade. Blessed Christmas to one and all.

 

Now, back to the review.

 

We dined at the Main Dining on NCL Jade 7-8 times and had the chance to try many menus. We tended to eat early, around 6pm. The restaurants were not busy then. Peak period is around 7pm, but even then, it didn't feel overwhelmingly crowded.

 

Here are some direct links to what is contained in the video. (S) for starter, (M) for main, (D) for dessert. I grouped them into Dinner A, B, C for convenient. There were no names given for each menu (unlike Royal), but I show you the dishes we had within each set.

 

Video Link:

 

Dinner A

0:26 - Menu

0:47 - Sushi/Nigiri (S)

0:53 - Caesar Salad (S)

0:58 - Mixed Greens (S)

1:02 - Spanish Chorizo and Fingerling Potatoes (S)

1:08 - Yankee Beef Pot Roast (M)

1:14 - BBQ Shrimp Burger (M)

1:19 - Szechuan Chicken served with Fried Rice (M)

1:24 - Broiled Salmon, Chef's Signature Dish (M)

1:28 - Warm Chocolate Volcano (D)

1:32 - Pecan Pie (D)

1:36 - Creme Caramel (D)

1:42 - Coconut Pudding with no sugar added (D)

1:45 - Banana Split (D)

 

Dinner B

Menu - 1:48

2:12 - French Onion Soup (S)

2:21 - Bouillabaise Soup (S)

2:26 - Vegetable and Pork Spring Roll (S)

2:31 - Lemon and Black Pepper Tilapia (M)

2:44 - Bahamian Crab and Fish Cake (M)

2:52 - Chicken Gordon Bleu (M)

2:57 - Sweet and Sour Pork (M)

3:01 - Whole New York Striploin Roast (M)

3:06 - Warm Chocolate Volcano (again!) (D)

3:12 - Tiramisu (D)

3:18 - Carrot Cake (D)

3:23 - Another look at the Tiramisu (D)

3:28 - Warm Bread Pudding (D)

 

Dinner C

3:59 - Menu

4:14 - Smoked Duck Salad (S)

4:22 - Mixed Greens (S)

4:30 - Roasted Butternut Squash (S)

4:37 - Vegetable Tempura Roll (S)

4:45 - Chicken Tikka Masala (M)

4:52 - Roasted Pork Belly (M)

5:02 - Garlic Shrimp Alfredo, Chef's Signature Dish (M)

5:28 - White Wine Poached Pear (D)

5:36 - Classic Blackforest Cake (D)

5:42 - Pear and Blueberry Jubilee (D)

 

Dinner D

5:53 - Menu

6:21 - Braised Short Rib Ragu (S)

6:26 - Beef and Noodle Soup (S)

6:31 - Baby Shrimp Louis (S)

6:41 - Beef and Noodle Soup again (S)

6:48 - Chicken Kiev (M)

6:54 - Veal Scaloppini Oscar style, Chef's Signature Dish (M)

7:00 - Spaghetti Bolognaise (M)

7:08 - Shrimp Bisque (M)

7:17 - Broiled Mahi Mahi (M)

7:23 - Duo Chocolate Eclair (D)

7:30 - Caramelized Strawberry Napoleon (D)

7:38 - Apple and Pear Tartin (D)

 

Dinner E

8:32 - Menu

8:48 - Loaded Corn on Cob (S)

8:57 - Italian Cheese Tortellini Soup in a Chicken Broth (S)

9:13 - Hungarian Beef Goulash (M)

9:19 - Grilled Corvina (M)

9:25 - Grilled Chicken Breast (M)

9:32 - Cured and Braised Pork Shanks (M)

9:39 - Linguine and Little Neck Clams, Chef's Signature (M)

 

Dinner F

9:53 - Menu

10:11 - Red Leaf and Boston Salad, comes with 2 pot stickers (S)

10:20 - Beef Tenderloin Teriyaki (M)

10:31 - Grilled Grouper (M)

10:41 - Tofu and Spinach Scrambled Egg (M)

10:48 - Shrimp Newburg (M)

10:58 - Cuban Roast Chicken (M)

11:15 - Snicker Doodle (D)

11:25 - Two desserts that I couldn't reconcile their names (D)

 

Dinner G

11:44 - Menu

12:03 - Shrimp Creviche (S)

12:11 - Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables (S)

12:21- Pasta and Italian Meatballs (M)

12:32 - Mixed Grill (M)

12:38 - Breaded Cajun Shrimp and Braised Short Ribs (M)

12:46 - Opera Cake (D)

12:54 - Chocolate Nutella Pot de Creme (D)

 

Dinner H

13:02 - Menu

13:40 - Bread Dumpling (S)

13:46 - Chicken Noodle Soup (from the Kids' Menu) (S)

13:55 - Chicken Parmigiana (M)

14:04 - Beef Burger (from the Kids' Menu) (M)

14:12 - Whole Roasted Prime Rib (M)

14:20 - Baked Cod Fish (M)

14:23 - Grand Mariner Souffle

 

Video link again -

 

Happy viewing!

[Debde]

WOW, Your review just keeps delivering the hits!! this is so great you are taking the time to do this.

 

Now I feel like a slacker when I come back and post-it was great.......have any questions!!:o

[klove613]

Thanks for this. This is very useful for us. At this time, we are thinking of sailing on the Epic, out of Europe next year. They are moving the Epic to Europe.

 

Perhaps we should just go for a haven suite, but we'll have to see the prices.

 

Indeed, while we were on the Jade, I missed the Diamond lounge and the complimentary cocktail hours.

 

Honestly, the whole bathroom situation in the regular Epic cabins scared me off of staying in one of them. Tiny sinks and frosted toilet areas that you can hear every tinkle and other:eek: is just not something I wanted for a 7 day cruise.

 

The Haven is awesome if you can get a good deal. I swam more on that cruise then I had in many cruises prior. It was so nice to have that peaceful area steps away from the cabin.

 

I will say that I loved the fact that the Epic had an outdoor buffet set-up. One day we grabbed some things to munch on and sat outside eating while watching line dancing. I really wish Royal ships had more outdoor eating areas.

[Dave85]

I will say that I loved the fact that the Epic had an outdoor buffet set-up. One day we grabbed some things to munch on and sat outside eating while watching line dancing. I really wish Royal ships had more outdoor eating areas.

 

 

Agreed. It looks like they took a step in that direction by having Johnny Rockets next to the pool on Quantum, but it's an extra charge venue and is no substitute for an included grill like the ones on Carnival and like the one you described on Epic. Oh well!

 

 

 

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[Mapleleafforever]

Thank you so much for posting your review. I'm glad you had a great cruise.

 

We will be Diamond if we sail Royal again. At this point with their current prices and website snafus, we have no desire to book anything on RC. Their sales tactics leave so much to be desired. We are quite interested in seeing what NCL has to offer.

 

I'm especially excited to see what Virgin Airlines, Richard Branson, builds in 2016! Being as they recruited Tom McAlpin to head their management, a founding member of the Disney Cruise Line launch team who also served as its president, their ships should be quite awesome.

 

I'm happy to see other options out there and I'm quite excited. :D

 

Thanks again for taking time to write your review.

 

 

Count me as a plus 1 for anticipating Virgin's cruise line!! OP, we have also considered NCL as we keep hearing good things about it. Nothing is tethering us to Royal forever.