Differences between Princess and NCL?

[Stuffy8]

Can anyone please let me know your thoughts on cruising with Princess vs Norwegian? Better or worse?

Thank you

[rogerdawhip]

I've been on over 20 cruises on most line and the two worst cruises I've taken have been on NCL. The layout of the ships were terrible and the food (both MDR and buffet) were (to me) inedible. I think they downgrade the free food so more passengers opt for their moneymaker...the specialty restaurants.

 

Princess seemed much better but their entertainment is still lacking unless you like trivia and game shows.

Edited December 27, 2015 by rogerdawhip

[cynbar]

I don't agree with the previous poster, we prefer Princess and Celebrity but have enjoyed our NCL cruises, it's just a different experience. I think the biggest difference is in the dress code --- Princess follows a very traditional dress code with 2 formal and 5 smart casual nights on a 7 day cruise, pretty much everyone follows this and spruces up for the evenings. NCL basically has no dress code, it's very casual all the time including most of the dining rooms, a couple do require that you dress up a little but they are easily avoided. We find that the MDR food is better on Princess, but on NCL we enjoy the variety of specialty restaurants and don't mind the surcharges (there is also an optional dining plan and bundles which reduce the cost per meal.) Entertainment is better on NCL, ship decor is brighter, and their suite amenities are the best around if your budget allows that. Both lines have friendly staff and varied itineraries. We will certainly sail NCL again if they have the itinerary we are looking for, we just plan for a more casual cruise experience.

 

PS---- I just looked at your signature and saw that you have only sailed NCL so I didn't have to explain them to you! Princess is a more elegant, dignified experience with more traditional ships that seem more nautical (Wheelhouse Bar is done in mahogany will pictures of all the former P&O ships, for instance). Dress code is followed although you can stay casual and eat in the buffet. Movies under the Stars is on most of the ships and is a fun experience. The International Cafe is great, serves free and delicious snacks in the atrium all day, breakfast pastries in the AM and sandwiches/salads and sweets the rest of the day. But overall, it is a quieter experience than NCL. We find it a little boring to always sail the same line where things are much the same from ship to ship, so you may want to try Princess for yourself so you can judge. As I said above, we enjoy both.

Edited December 27, 2015 by cynbar

[moki'smommy]

My biggest comment on NCL is "upcharges." Yes, the ships are brighter in color scheme and more casual than Princess. Where most lines have one or two upcharge restaurants, NCL has lots of restaurants but only a few are included in the base fare. All the ones that look interesting are upcharges. There is also a charge for room service and at one point in 2015 they tried (and later retracted) a policy that forbid taking food away from designated eating places!

 

There is also a charge for dinner shows, character breakfast, etc. While no one charge is large, they do add up quickly.

 

I also dislike that in their literature they state that room service if included in the cruise fare but in the small print say "service charge may apply." Let's be honest. The charge is $8, it is free if you are in a suite.

 

Another difference is that you'll typically see more kids than on Princess. NCL has partnered with Nickolodeon to put characters on their ships and market strongly to the young child market.

[cruzsnooze]

Both cruise lines have something to offer. Princess is more formal with dress suggestions for dinners, NCL is always casual. I hate the pool area on Princess because the movies are to loud and disrupts my ability to read. I think food is better on NCL but I only sail in suites on NCL which includes the specialty restaurants for breakfast , lunch and dinner. NCL has much better suite perks and their suites are less expensive then Princess. Princess suites are nothing more then a nicer cabin because if you're an elite tier you get the perks anyway.

Entertainment is equal on both ships. decor is more loud on NCL. Both have something to offer so try Princess and make up your own mind.

[Loonbeam]

I'll link my review of the breakaway below, but its not apples to apples comparison, because of NCLs newer ships.

 

Comparing the Breakaway to Princess and the Gem to Princess (and different ships on Princess) will give different results because of the amenities offered. Princess quite simply has nothing to compare to the aways and the Epic, but they also have their own class of large ship that NCL doesn't really have in the Regal/Royal.

 

Overall, I find the food and service to be better on Princess, food being subjective. Entertainment so far, NCL wins on the newer ships, closer on the older but still in NCLs favor as they tend to have more variety. If you are into ship amenities like rock climbing and ropes courses, NCL wins hands down, but except for the Royal class, Princess has better and more usable pool areas.

 

NCL has better outfitted kids clubs overall but staff seems equal and I hear few complaints.

 

Princess does not have an equivalent to the Haven, nor do they offer some of the equivalent packages. Their sanctuary is similar to the vibe, and while outfitted better I don't like the front of ship location on Princess as much (a few ships have rear sanctuaries).

 

Overall, the vibe on NCL seems a bit more energetic, but that's also a function of itinerary and our last 2 Princess runs have been on ones typically more sedate.

 

It really depends on what your priorities are. We have no problem cruising either, we just know what to expect on both.

 

 

 

Review I mentioned:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2153272

[pris993]

Given the last posters comments that food is better on NCL but they cruise only in suites, you had better book a suite on NCL if food is important to you.

 

We did a cruise on NCL a few years ago, after not being on NCL in 10 years. We stopped cruising NCL when it went to freestyle because they don't offer any traditional dining any more. We prefer late traditional dining on any ship we go on. We usually cruise Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Cunard.

 

On the NCL cruise we had what would be a mini suite on Princess... cabin very nice and similar if not better than Princess.

 

Entertainment on board about the same maybe a little better on NCL.

 

We skipped the MDR on our 11 night cruise, simply did a run to the buffet late afternoon and made a plate of offerrings that we brought back to our cabin and enjoyed on our balcony if we were still in port. Food on board is what I would call comfort foods, think stews. We often hit the salad bar, made a selection and made our own sandwiches from what we found available that we liked. Did a buffet run for eggs in the morning as well, plus room service.

 

We did lunch and dinner in the MDR only the first day. We found we had to ask for anything we requested 3x, each time the server would say yes... and disappear, including getting the check for what we ordered to drink. We were not impressed with food offered on the menu... so we decided after the first day/evening meal to do the buffet only. Menu did not impress us enough to pay extra in other upscale venues.

 

We were in the Mediterranean, where we do like to buy food items in port, NCL does not want anyone bringing food on board, they are the only line that restricts food from port. We have done this on Princess, Celebrity, HAL and Cunard without any problem. I came prepared with plastic bags, so did bring on nuts and some pastry from a port but not really allowed.

 

The price we got from NCL for this cruise was very cheap, so we felt we got what we paid for, would go again if I got a good deal.

 

You can wear what ever you want, no regular formal nights... we dressed like we would on any line, including formal clothes because we enjoy doing so.

 

Bottom line if you get a good price with NCL, it is okay... I would not pay a comparable price to Princess since we did not find the MDR food and service even close to what we get on Princess.

 

If you like a totally relaxed dress code can't find a line other than NCL that is so relaxed.

[Paula_MacFan]

I hate the pool area on Princess because the movies are to loud and disrupts my ability to read.

 

There are several other pool areas on Princess that aren't within the MUTS range. Spa pool, Terrace pool, Neptune's pool, for example.

[mmckm]

I have found that suite prices are more on NCL even with the extras. I get free laundry and internet on Princess. NCL prices are about $1400 more for a suite i just priced. Your paying for the free perks. When you add up the perks it becomes pretty close in price between the 2 but princess i feel is still a little cheaper. Celebrity seems a little cheaper but have never cruised them.

[Steelers0854]

DW and I sailed on the Spirit in 2010. We went with a large group 14 of us in total including 6 kids, we did not have any kids with us in our cabin. While we did not have a bad time (IMO it's hard to have a bad time on a cruise and my food has never been "inedible") we much prefer Princess to NCL. We felt that the overall experience on Princess is better to include the food and the service as well as the entertainment. NCL even did a midnight chocolate buffet, and I have never met a piece of chocolate I didn't like, and it was kind of Ho hum. The kids all reported the kids club experience to be on par with other lines.

 

I know 1 NCL cruise may not be enough to judge a brand, but we tried it, we would do it again if the conditions were right, but we prefer Princess overall.

[Stuffy8]

I don't agree with the previous poster, we prefer Princess and Celebrity but have enjoyed our NCL cruises, it's just a different experience. I think the biggest difference is in the dress code --- Princess follows a very traditional dress code with 2 formal and 5 smart casual nights on a 7 day cruise, pretty much everyone follows this and spruces up for the evenings. NCL basically has no dress code, it's very casual all the time including most of the dining rooms, a couple do require that you dress up a little but they are easily avoided. We find that the MDR food is better on Princess, but on NCL we enjoy the variety of specialty restaurants and don't mind the surcharges (there is also an optional dining plan and bundles which reduce the cost per meal.) Entertainment is better on NCL, ship decor is brighter, and their suite amenities are the best around if your budget allows that. Both lines have friendly staff and varied itineraries. We will certainly sail NCL again if they have the itinerary we are looking for, we just plan for a more casual cruise experience.

 

PS---- I just looked at your signature and saw that you have only sailed NCL so I didn't have to explain them to you! Princess is a more elegant, dignified experience with more traditional ships that seem more nautical (Wheelhouse Bar is done in mahogany will pictures of all the former P&O ships, for instance). Dress code is followed although you can stay casual and eat in the buffet. Movies under the Stars is on most of the ships and is a fun experience. The International Cafe is great, serves free and delicious snacks in the atrium all day, breakfast pastries in the AM and sandwiches/salads and sweets the rest of the day. But overall, it is a quieter experience than NCL. We find it a little boring to always sail the same line where things are much the same from ship to ship, so you may want to try Princess for yourself so you can judge. As I said above, we enjoy both.

 

Thank you so much for the detailed info. The reason why I am asking is because I have only sailed NCL and my older family ( Aunts and Uncles ) cruise Princess so I am trying to see the major differences in them. I like a younger crowd and wasn't sure if Princess is an older crowd or how the dress up is. I don't mind getting dressed up but prefer not to and go with the flow which is why I stayed on NCL. BUT Iam open for other options as well...Thanks again.

[Stuffy8]

Thank you all for all the feedback. I may try other cruise lines as well since I am not opposed to it just always felt comfortable on NCL and I like the energetic feel of the crew and people on the ship. I will have to check out prices on Princess as well and maybe give it a try you know.

 

Thanks again!

[Steelers0854]

Thank you so much for the detailed info. The reason why I am asking is because I have only sailed NCL and my older family ( Aunts and Uncles ) cruise Princess so I am trying to see the major differences in them. I like a younger crowd and wasn't sure if Princess is an older crowd or how the dress up is. I don't mind getting dressed up but prefer not to and go with the flow which is why I stayed on NCL. BUT Iam open for other options as well...Thanks again.

 

 

DW and I are in our mid 30s and have been cruising Princess for over 10 years. We find Princess to have a good mix of ages on most itineraries.

[jchris1230]

There are free items on the room service menu on ncl. We cruised them two months ago. The main shows were free still, yes they have some dinner shows for a charge. We sailed on the Getaway. We had fun but during our cruise the bar staff were all indifferent and everyone was complaining about having to make reservations for show etc or you won't get in.

[mattie00]

We have cruised NCL exclusively and are now booked for almost 6 weeks worth of cruising Princess but only because NCL does not offer circumnavigation of Australia. We have never paid room service fee, just tip, but understand there is a room service fee for late night deliveries and pizza. We also have obviously enjoyed our cruises with NCL because they are a very port intensive cruise line and allow casual dress. Pretty hard to stuff formal wear into the limited luggage size/weight now allowed by most airlines without paying extra fee. Also enjoy anytime dining as we enjoy meeting different, interesting crew members and not having same wait staff every night. It will be interesting to see how we like set dining/table on Princess.

[jasbo49]

The reason why I am asking is because I have only sailed NCL and my older family ( Aunts and Uncles ) cruise Princess so I am trying to see the major differences in them. I like a younger crowd and wasn't sure if Princess is an older crowd or how the dress up is. I don't mind getting dressed up but prefer not to and go with the flow which is why I stayed on NCL. BUT I am open for other options as well...Thanks again.

 

For me, it just makes sense to try a few brands before deciding which one is right. We tried five different lines before deciding to concentrate on Princess (partly for the loyalty perks), but I still want to try a couple more.

 

I think you'll find that the age of the passengers depends more on the time of year and itinerary than the cruise line, but Princess will be a bit older. The dress requirements are only for the main dining room and only a couple nights a week. We just had a 15-night Panama Canal cruise, and there were only three "formal" nights, meaning a tie or jacket for men.

 

We have only two NCL cruises, and the only things we liked better, other than the no-rules dress code, were the entertainment and having a coffee maker in a balcony room.

 

Princess has several advantages for us: The cabins are ready and available when ever you board. You don't have half the spaces given over to things that cost extra money and we'll never use (Haven, 6-8 extra-charge restaurants).

 

A big one for us, since we like to go to the evening stages shows, is that the seats in the Princess Theater are comfy and spacious enough to sit an hour. My recollection of theaters in the Jewel and Dawn is that they were made for very small people.

 

I found this small and uncomfortable thing all over NCL's ships. Whether it's cabin furniture or public spaces, you'll find much more appealing and comfortable furniture on Princess.

 

P.S.: One other thing I noticed. We sailed each to Alaska. Princess had lots of educational lectures about glaciers and dog sledding, etc. NCL had almost none.

 

Jim

Edited December 28, 2015 by jasbo49

[spirit rev]

Like the OP, DH and I had only sailed NCL (with one very poor experience on another cruiseline) prior to our first, of now three, Princess cruises. We enjoy both cruiselines for their strengths and will now choose Princess over NCL if the itinerary is similar. While NCL does have a younger average age on some of its itineraries, it is not true of all of them, especially when time of year is considered.

 

NCL's signature free-style dining (yes, including the upcharge venues) is done well. We opt for Anytime dining in the MDR on Princess and find it is not done as well, but still prefer it to traditional dining. We like that Princess has some lunch-time themed meals like an English Pub-like lunch.

 

Entertainment on NCL tends to be more cutting edge than Princess.

 

Dress on Princess is a bit more conservative - no shorts in MDR for dinner - than on NCL. Still, I didn't see much difference. While long-time Princess cruisers may be upset, even the formal nights on Princess were not strictly formal in the MDR.

 

I do find that these two lines are more alike than different.

Edited December 28, 2015 by spirit rev

[Zooguy]

Been on NCL twice.

Once on the NORWAY which was formerly the SS FRANCE. This was a great cruise. Big ship like the ROYAL/REGAL size. The entertainment was outstanding featuring abbreviated versions of NY stage productions.

The other was a small NCL ship from Boston to Bermuda. This was awful. The vibration in the MDR was so bad, the fork, spoons, plates etc moved across the table. You had to yell to be heard. The food was AWFUL. The key lime pie had the consistency of foam rubber.

I'm all done with NCL. We're elite with Princess and despite some decontenting of the product, we remain satisfied.

[rocklinmom]

We have sailed both lines twice...biggest difference for us is that on NCL all five of us can sail in a suite or suite connected to a balcony cabin with an inner door whereas on Princess we always are in two balcony cabins (with the outer balcony doors connected). NCL hands down had better suite amenities, especially the butler and concierge. Also they let us board first, whereas on Princess you board with everyone else unless you are super high status with them. NCL is more casual; Princess is more formal with formal nights and afternoon tea. Both lines are great in our opinion. It really depends on the itinerary you want and the price you want to pay.

[Loonbeam]

Why not just do anytime dining on Princess then. Similar system, just some MDRs are reserved for traditional set dining...

 

Also enjoy anytime dining as we enjoy meeting different, interesting crew members and not having same wait staff every night. It will be interesting to see how we like set dining/table on Princess.

[moki'smommy]

We found the age range on Princess to be quite varied. We cruised the week after Thanksgiving, so school was back in session. There were a significant number of young kids and multi-generational families. There were school aged kids and teens as well as young adults. It was definitely a much broader age range than we'd experienced on Celebrity.

 

NCL does have more young people activities on board.

 

My experience with cruises on all lines--if you travel during typical school vacation times, you'll have lots of kids on board. Travel when most schools are in session and you'll see the pre-school crowd but far fewer 7-17s.

[capriccio]

W Also they let us board first, whereas on Princess you board with everyone else unless you are super high status with them.

 

Just a correction on the boarding process. Suites passengers wait with and board with elites on Princess regardless of their status. So you may not be the absolute first on board (in fact I think wedding parties and Bon Voyage Experience guests go first) but you won't be hanging around in the terminal.

[mattie00]

Why not just do anytime dining on Princess then. Similar system, just some MDRs are reserved for traditional set dining...

 

We have been advised that anytime dining is not available on Australian cruises. Is that not correct?:confused:

[Loonbeam]

Yeah I didn't notice you were on the Dawn. It's not available for that particular ship while in Australia. I assume it has to do with the smaller size and only having 2 MDRs. Same for the Sun

 

We have been advised that anytime dining is not available on Australian cruises. Is that not correct?:confused:

Edited December 29, 2015 by Loonbeam

[mattie00]

Thanks Loonbeam. Ships seem to be similar in size to the smaller NCL ships that also only have 2 main dining rooms. We were told that the Australian market does not like freestyle dining where you can sit anywhere and eat anytime. Whatever the reason, this will be our first taste of the more formal set dining time and table. We can always eat at the buffet if we want flexibility. Eating arrangements are secondary to seeing the wonderful continent of Australia. :-)