NCL vs RCCL: Norwegian Pearl Compared to Radiance of the Seas

[ronandannette]

I just so happened to sail these two ships recently within weeks of one another and they are really great for a head-to-head comparison because they are relatively similar in size and age and I believe my experience on each is very representative of what they have to offer. Neither is among the newest or "best" ships on either line, but both the Radiance-class (RCCL) and the Jewel-class (NCL) seem to have their fair share of ardent admirers, especially amongst "cruising purists" that claim not to value the more novel features of the larger, newer builds. While everybody's experience will be different (and conditions can change very quickly in the cruise industry), I think my opinions are fairly well informed, as we have now taken 12 cruises (RCCL, NCL, Carnival, Celebrity & Princess) on 11 different ships (LOL and have researched countless numbers more). I had pretty reasonable expectations going in and had quite a bit of information about each ship.

 

The Ship/Public Areas

This one wasn't even close. The Radiance was far and away a nicer ship with a better overall design and way more effective layout. Despite 2,300 passengers we nicknamed it the "ghost ship". There were many times we were all alone in the common areas, never once waited for an elevator or had any trouble finding a spot in a hot tub or a seat in an entertainment venue. The Pearl lacked a centrium and was made up of countless "little rooms" and narrow hallways; mostly all very separate from one another and even a few people in them seemed like a crowd. The pool deck had the impression of being down in a pit, with two higher sundecks around it and only one stairwell up. The thing that shocked me the most was the lack of high end finishes on the Pearl. RCCL (and every other line I've ever been on, really) creates a luxurious environment through the extensive use of marble, wood and gleaming glass and metal. The Pearl was finished mostly in cheap ceramic tiles and plastic laminates; the public washrooms looked like they belonged in truck stops. That said, the decor on the Pearl was much more contemporary and in fresher condition; the Radiance is very much in need of the upcoming drydock when many of the textiles and soft furnishings will be replaced. Both ships were equally clean and well kept.

 

Cabins

The Radiance was better, even though we had an Inside GTY as opposed to a Deluxe balcony on the Pearl. Although RCCL is fairly renowned for having very small cabins, our inside was actually roomier than our balcony on the Pearl despite it measuring 20ft. sq. smaller. There was more storage space and the desk/vanity and tv locations worked way better. The thing I liked most about the Radiance was a heavy privacy curtain that separated the bed from the rest of the cabin - I've never seen it before but it was an excellent idea. The thing I liked least on the Pearl was the bathroom which had a remarkably large shower, but the toilet was walled-off behind a sliding door into a little compartment that was too tight even for me (5' tall and of modest girth). The only place the Pearl excelled was in the unbelievably comfortable beds, bedding and pillows. The Radiance had probably the worst mattress I've ever slept on and our requests for a topper and softer pillows was declined. Again, both cabins were kept equally (and acceptably) clean. The Pearl also offers coffee makers as standard in their cabins, unlike any other cruiseline we've tried.

 

Dining

The Pearl absolutely blew the Radiance away - not even a contest. Admittedly, I don't like MTD and having been stuck with it on the Radiance, where I don't think it's smoothly run at all, tainted our view. NCL though is well known to be Freestyle only - no traditional dining and understanding that going in moderated our expectations. They have perfected the anytime dining system and offer a great range of variety; even novelty in their venues. While both lines are starting to "jump the shark" with the price of the specialty restaurants, the Radiance served us an appallingly bad dinner (in Chops) while the Teppanyaki Grill on the Pearl was better than similar Japanese places we've been to on land. The free MDR's on the Pearl were much, much better than on the Radiance, which surprised me. I had two dinners in Indigo that may have been the best MDR experiences I've ever had. The Garden Cafe food was way better than the Windjammer (yuck, just yuck) and the breakfast, lunch and snacks available in a variety of places were better on the Pearl too. Radiance does get the nod for room service - NCL now charges a ridiculous $8 fee for each order which I find so irksome I just wouldn't even use the service (which is, presumably the end goal of the fee in the first place).

 

Activities/Entertainment

Very close; maybe even a tie. Main showroom events every night were varied and of pretty good quality, with the Pearl having an edge in the quality of their singers and dancers and the Radiance gaining ground by including a live orchestra. Although we don't care for this sort of thing, both lines advertise a number of daily trivia contests, guest participation games, karoke and small-venue events like Love & Marriage and the Quest. There are many bars on each ship that host various types of live music. For movies, the Radiance excelled with an outdoor big screen, dedicated cinema and pay-per-view system in the rooms. The Pearl lacked all of these things and had instead a huge screen in the guest services area that was used for movies and Wii play (the location was not very conducive to either, IMO). As for active recreation, both ships lack; each have swimming and hot-tubbing, and a sports court but little else. Radiance had mini-golf (free) while the Pearl had bowling alleys (for a fee). No water slides, surf parks, ice rinks or ropes courses on either ship. Both ships offer gym facilities (better equipped and better located on the Radiance) and a spa with a Thermal Suite (for a fee on both lines). The Pearl thermal suite was way nicer with a thelasso-pool and a variety of steam/sauna options, but it was also twice the price of the Radiance's thermal suite, which, on balance, made both of them quite a disappointment.

 

Service

The Pearl ran away with this category as well. Dining room service was pretty well flawless, the wait staff respectful and attentive and the courses timed perfectly. Our cabin steward was accessible and accommodating (they still fill the icebuckets twice a day!) and bar servers were omnipresent everywhere. In general, there just seemed to be a greater ratio of crew to passengers on the Pearl; on the Radiance the staff seemed harried and somehow less hospitable in general. We felt much more welcome and valued on the Pearl.

 

In Conclusion

Many aspects of the experience were better on the Pearl. As a ship, the Radiance was much more to our liking, even though it's out least favourite of all the RCCL ships we've sailed. Price-wise, NCL is uniformly less expensive than RCCL on any comparable itinerary and I think they deliver an excellent value, especially since they've been running a free dining or free drinks promotion for the better part of a year. RCCL promotions don't touch this. I'm hard pressed though to say that we'd favour one line over another though - but I could easily recommend both to friends or family, depending on their own preferences.

[mariefisher]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed your comparison of both ships.

[ronandannette]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I really enjoyed your comparison of both ships.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions. Another thing I will add is how IMPRESSED I was with the fact that although the Pearl sailing was only a 3-Day Pacific Coastal, it represented a very comprehensive experience. Nothing was scrimped on. I had taken a friend (first-time cruiser) to offer her a glimpse of what cruising was all about and was nervous the trip would wouldn't deliver. Although the time frame was very compressed, I don't feel it lacked in opportunities to get a real feel for what makes cruising such a unique and wonderful vacation.

[ChampionCruiser]

Thanks for the comparison and your experience was basically the same as mine.

 

We sailed the Jewel (NCL) and Jewel (RCCL) in the same year and thought the same regarding the ships/dining/service/entertainment.

[rstackjd]

Thanks for the great review. We are sailng the Pearl (Pacific Coast) in May!

 

Bob

[piper45maru]

Thanks for your well-thought-out and well-stated review! I am sailing on the Pearl on a 4-day 3 weeks from today, and this helped a lot!

[ronandannette]

Thanks for the great review. We are sailng the Pearl (Pacific Coast) in May!

 

Bob

I hope you have some good ports (and there ARE some along the PC; I always wonder how a cruiseline chooses the itineraries). Astoria was the only stop for me this time and it's easily the least-interesting we've ever been to, and we've been their twice. :p

 

Thanks for your well-thought-out and well-stated review! I am sailing on the Pearl on a 4-day 3 weeks from today, and this helped a lot!

I LOVE 4 day cruises - I'd take tons of them if I lived within driving distance of a port. Have a great trip!

[newmexicoNita]

I just so happened to sail these two ships recently within weeks of one another and they are really great for a head-to-head comparison because they are relatively similar in size and age and I believe my experience on each is very representative of what they have to offer. Neither is among the newest or "best" ships on either line, but both the Radiance-class (RCCL) and the Jewel-class (NCL) seem to have their fair share of ardent admirers, especially amongst "cruising purists" that claim not to value the more novel features of the larger, newer builds. While everybody's experience will be different (and conditions can change very quickly in the cruise industry), I think my opinions are fairly well informed, as we have now taken 12 cruises (RCCL, NCL, Carnival, Celebrity & Princess) on 11 different ships (LOL and have researched countless numbers more). I had pretty reasonable expectations going in and had quite a bit of information about each ship.

 

The Ship/Public Areas

This one wasn't even close. The Radiance was far and away a nicer ship with a better overall design and way more effective layout. Despite 2,300 passengers we nicknamed it the "ghost ship". There were many times we were all alone in the common areas, never once waited for an elevator or had any trouble finding a spot in a hot tub or a seat in an entertainment venue. The Pearl lacked a centrium and was made up of countless "little rooms" and narrow hallways; mostly all very separate from one another and even a few people in them seemed like a crowd. The pool deck had the impression of being down in a pit, with two higher sundecks around it and only one stairwell up. The thing that shocked me the most was the lack of high end finishes on the Pearl. RCCL (and every other line I've ever been on, really) creates a luxurious environment through the extensive use of marble, wood and gleaming glass and metal. The Pearl was finished mostly in cheap ceramic tiles and plastic laminates; the public washrooms looked like they belonged in truck stops. That said, the decor on the Pearl was much more contemporary and in fresher condition; the Radiance is very much in need of the upcoming drydock when many of the textiles and soft furnishings will be replaced. Both ships were equally clean and well kept.

 

Cabins

The Radiance was better, even though we had an Inside GTY as opposed to a Deluxe balcony on the Pearl. Although RCCL is fairly renowned for having very small cabins, our inside was actually roomier than our balcony on the Pearl despite it measuring 20ft. sq. smaller. There was more storage space and the desk/vanity and tv locations worked way better. The thing I liked most about the Radiance was a heavy privacy curtain that separated the bed from the rest of the cabin - I've never seen it before but it was an excellent idea. The thing I liked least on the Pearl was the bathroom which had a remarkably large shower, but the toilet was walled-off behind a sliding door into a little compartment that was too tight even for me (5' tall and of modest girth). The only place the Pearl excelled was in the unbelievably comfortable beds, bedding and pillows. The Radiance had probably the worst mattress I've ever slept on and our requests for a topper and softer pillows was declined. Again, both cabins were kept equally (and acceptably) clean. The Pearl also offers coffee makers as standard in their cabins, unlike any other cruiseline we've tried.

 

Dining

The Pearl absolutely blew the Radiance away - not even a contest. Admittedly, I don't like MTD and having been stuck with it on the Radiance, where I don't think it's smoothly run at all, tainted our view. NCL though is well known to be Freestyle only - no traditional dining and understanding that going in moderated our expectations. They have perfected the anytime dining system and offer a great range of variety; even novelty in their venues. While both lines are starting to "jump the shark" with the price of the specialty restaurants, the Radiance served us an appallingly bad dinner (in Chops) while the Teppanyaki Grill on the Pearl was better than similar Japanese places we've been to on land. The free MDR's on the Pearl were much, much better than on the Radiance, which surprised me. I had two dinners in Indigo that may have been the best MDR experiences I've ever had. The Garden Cafe food was way better than the Windjammer (yuck, just yuck) and the breakfast, lunch and snacks available in a variety of places were better on the Pearl too. Radiance does get the nod for room service - NCL now charges a ridiculous $8 fee for each order which I find so irksome I just wouldn't even use the service (which is, presumably the end goal of the fee in the first place).

 

Activities/Entertainment

Very close; maybe even a tie. Main showroom events every night were varied and of pretty good quality, with the Pearl having an edge in the quality of their singers and dancers and the Radiance gaining ground by including a live orchestra. Although we don't care for this sort of thing, both lines advertise a number of daily trivia contests, guest participation games, karoke and small-venue events like Love & Marriage and the Quest. There are many bars on each ship that host various types of live music. For movies, the Radiance excelled with an outdoor big screen, dedicated cinema and pay-per-view system in the rooms. The Pearl lacked all of these things and had instead a huge screen in the guest services area that was used for movies and Wii play (the location was not very conducive to either, IMO). As for active recreation, both ships lack; each have swimming and hot-tubbing, and a sports court but little else. Radiance had mini-golf (free) while the Pearl had bowling alleys (for a fee). No water slides, surf parks, ice rinks or ropes courses on either ship. Both ships offer gym facilities (better equipped and better located on the Radiance) and a spa with a Thermal Suite (for a fee on both lines). The Pearl thermal suite was way nicer with a thelasso-pool and a variety of steam/sauna options, but it was also twice the price of the Radiance's thermal suite, which, on balance, made both of them quite a disappointment.

 

Service

The Pearl ran away with this category as well. Dining room service was pretty well flawless, the wait staff respectful and attentive and the courses timed perfectly. Our cabin steward was accessible and accommodating (they still fill the icebuckets twice a day!) and bar servers were omnipresent everywhere. In general, there just seemed to be a greater ratio of crew to passengers on the Pearl; on the Radiance the staff seemed harried and somehow less hospitable in general. We felt much more welcome and valued on the Pearl.

 

In Conclusion

Many aspects of the experience were better on the Pearl. As a ship, the Radiance was much more to our liking, even though it's out least favourite of all the RCCL ships we've sailed. Price-wise, NCL is uniformly less expensive than RCCL on any comparable itinerary and I think they deliver an excellent value, especially since they've been running a free dining or free drinks promotion for the better part of a year. RCCL promotions don't touch this. I'm hard pressed though to say that we'd favour one line over another though - but I could easily recommend both to friends or family, depending on their own preferences.

 

Very fair and balanced. I first thought, oh here we go, true RCI fan putting NCL down, but then, reading on, I am sure some thought an NCLfan putting RCI down. Your review is just why always say: mass marketed lines are more alike than different, but each has its own personality.

[ronandannette]

Very fair and balanced. I first thought, oh here we go, true RCI fan putting NCL down, but then, reading on, I am sure some thought an NCLfan putting RCI down. Your review is just why always say: mass marketed lines are more alike than different, but each has its own personality.

 

I am a "fan" of cruising, but not of any particular cruise line. I am also not "Little Mary Sunshine" by nature, nor do I subscribe to the "we're on a cruise, how bad can it be" philosophy. I try to judge my personal experiences against what I believe to be pretty reasonable expectations, based on the best information I can obtain. In a decade of cruising I've never sailed on a ship that I either completely hated or completely loved - they've all got their own set of characteristics and some suit me better than others and my opinions will not be the same as the next person's. We greatly enjoyed both of our recent trips but that said, I'm not sure I'd rush to book either ship again although I'd have no hesitation to recommend either to anyone else if I though the product was suitable for them.

Edited October 14, 2015 by ronandannette

[mariefisher]

Having sailed both Radiance class and Jewel class myself I found the one thing I really disliked on RCCL was the lack of a deck party. We even cruised once on New Years Eve and they had everything in the atrium. It was sooo crowded. NCL always offers a great deck party where you are not standing on top of each other and were outside enjoying the fresh air. We experienced this on both Brilliance and Radiance. They have really big and beautiful pool decks but still put their parties in the atrium, I could never figure out why.

Edited October 18, 2015 by mariefisher

[ronandannette]

Having sailed both Radiance class and Jewel class myself I found the one thing I really disliked on RCCL was the lack of a deck party. We even cruised once on New Years Eve and they had everything in the atrium. It was sooo crowded. NCL always offers a great deck party where you are not standing on top of each other and were outside enjoying the fresh air. We experienced this on both Brilliance and Radiance. They have really big and beautiful pool decks but still put their parties in the atrium, I could never figure out why.

 

There was a Captain's event in the atrium on the Radiance, but we don't pay much attention to stuff like that so I couldn't tell you if it was crowded. For sure there was never anything held out on deck, unless you count the outer-wear sale** and hot chocolate stand set up on the helipad on Hubbard Glacier day, and that wasn't really an "event". Sail away was a complete non-event since it took place around 8:00 p.m. when many people were at dinner.

 

On NCL, there were no deck parties either, maybe because we were on a very short itinerary. But they did have music and a bbq out by the pool two days out of three. Lots of us were topside on the bow for sail away as we went directly under the Lion's Gate bridge in Vancouver but I don't remember it being an organized event either. The White Hot Party was held indoors at the Bliss lounge.

 

**This actually really tickled my funnybone. It was a beautiful, sunny day and about 17C (63F) the day we sailed the Glacier. Seeing people lined up to buy hats and mitts made me laugh!

Edited October 19, 2015 by ronandannette

[sprint180]

Haven't sailed RCI but I was on the Pearl last year. Your review of the Pearl was right on to what I thought of the Pearl.