Considering our first NCL cruise

[spammie]

Hi. My past cruises are listed in my signature. We have only cruised with RCCL and Celebrity. We are looking to book a cruise to the Caribbean in October out of Miami. Celebrity is our favorite cruise line so far but they don't have ships sailing the Caribbean until November.

 

We have never had a bad cruise but some have been much better then others. Our least favorite was RCCL Allure, way too many people and the ship was too big for our taste. We love the Solstice class ships on Celebrity. Just trying to give you some background on our likes and dislikes. We always cruise in a cabin that has a balcony. We have been in Junior Suites or RCCL and Aqua Class on Celebrity.

 

My question is which ship would be the better choice for cruising out of Miami in October. What is a "mini suite" and what is the difference in the balcony cabin categories.

 

I appreciate all help since I don't know anything about NCL. We always opt for "my time dining" on Celebrity and RCCL since we don't like an assigned dining time. Thank you! Wanda

[beerman2]

The Ecsape ( NCL's) newest ship and the Getaway are both large ships sailing from Miami in Oct to carribbean.

 

We sailed Epic last year compatible to Escape in size and had a good trip.

 

NCL is offering choose 2 right now ( beverage, dining,free gratuities, wifi).

NCL other than the Specialty Dining Rest. has freestyle dining similar to RCI.

 

Had a mini last year on Epic , if I remember bathroom is a little bigger than reg. balcony.

 

Food is so subjective but we thought Cagney's ( steakhouse ) was excellent.

 

I see you have done RCI Freedom 5 times, that was our only trip on RCI and really had a great cruise.

Hope this helps somewhat!

[Starflyr3]

My question is which ship would be the better choice for cruising out of Miami in October. What is a "mini suite" and what is the difference in the balcony cabin categories.

 

A minisuite on NCL is a larger balcony room that has a bathtub and a 2 person pull out couch instead of a single couch and a pullman bed. There are not really any special perks that come with a minisuite besides the tub and the space - some say that they should be called "deluxe balcony". I think it's akin to a Royal "Junior Suite" that gives space but no perks. The categories are mainly about where on the ship the balcony is. I know many people like the aft balconies because the balconies are larger.

 

I appreciate all help since I don't know anything about NCL. We always opt for "my time dining" on Celebrity and RCCL since we don't like an assigned dining time.

 

NCL is "freestyle" dining, which means that there are no assigned mealtimes/dining rooms. However, if you want to go to a specialty restaurant at a specific time (i.e. not 5:30 or 9:30), it's probably best to make a reservation. There is also no "formal night". there is a "dress up or not" night when some will be formal, but others wont. Pretty much anything goes in terms of dress except in the more formal MDR and LeBistro (possibly another, depending on the ship).

 

Ive only been on RCI in a suite and never on celebrity, so Im not sure how NCL exactly compares to them. We personally prefer smaller ships.

[endymion6942]

Hi. My past cruises are listed in my signature. We have only cruised with RCCL and Celebrity. We are looking to book a cruise to the Caribbean in October out of Miami. Celebrity is our favorite cruise line so far but they don't have ships sailing the Caribbean until November.

 

We have never had a bad cruise but some have been much better then others. Our least favorite was RCCL Allure, way too many people and the ship was too big for our taste. We love the Solstice class ships on Celebrity. Just trying to give you some background on our likes and dislikes. We always cruise in a cabin that has a balcony. We have been in Junior Suites or RCCL and Aqua Class on Celebrity.

 

My question is which ship would be the better choice for cruising out of Miami in October. What is a "mini suite" and what is the difference in the balcony cabin categories.

 

I appreciate all help since I don't know anything about NCL. We always opt for "my time dining" on Celebrity and RCCL since we don't like an assigned dining time. Thank you! Wanda

 

We have sailed NCL and RCCL many timeS. We have also sailed Celebrity. I like NCL for a number of reasons. I like the Freestyle concept. As far as a junior suite iS concerned, on NCL. it is a little larger than a balcony cabin but has a bathtub, which regular cabins do not. I took a quick look at departures out of Miami in October and your two options are ESCAPE, which is NCL's largest and GETAWAY, which is just a little smaller that Escape.

I you ae looking for a smaller ship, you might want to change or cruise date and look at one of NCL's "Jewel" class ships.

[helen haywood]

OP, I was you last year!! We're Diamond on Royal and Elite Plus on Celebrity. I wanted to go to the Caribbean in September and looked at NCL. Never sailed on NCL. Took Getaway. Absolutely LOVED both the NCL product and Getaway!! We had a B6 balcony which is the same cabin size as a regular balcony but has a much larger balcony...two lounge chairs and two regular chairs. We did this on Getaway as her balconies are very small. Escape's balconies are more the industry normal.

 

We loved that a MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day. We loved having a coffee machine in the cabin. We loved that you could get a hamburger 24/7 at O'Sheehans included in your fare. Neither Royal or Celebrity offer this 24/7. NCL has three MDRs, one large one aft similar to what you are used to and two smaller venues, Taste and Savor, that feel more like a Celebrity specialty restaurant. We found the food very good, comparable to what we've had on other lines, but the desserts were far better. The buffet was extensive and we always found something good. The Asian food was very good. We like that there are toasters you can use at breakfast yourself. Every time I've tried to get an english muffin toasted correctly on any other line I either get barely warm or charred.... NCL has napkins and condiments on each table.

 

We liked the food in the MDR very much but felt we should try a couple of specialty restaurants. This is subjective and some people love them....we would be happy to just stay with Taste or Savor. The larger MDR has a dance floor and music and some nights will have a mini show. What we particularly liked in Taste or Savor, was that our party of two were always seated at a table for four, the extra set-ups were taken away and the next table was a proper distance from us. If you've eaten at a table for two on an S Class ship you'll appreciate this as well!

 

We loved Getaway so much I cancelled a January cruise on our beloved Reflection and booked the Escape. We just got home two weeks ago. We had a wonderful cruise on Escape but somehow preferred Getaway. With the news that NCL is changing the shows around and Getaway will soon have Million Dollar Quartet as well as Burn The Floor, two of the most spectacular shows we've ever seen on a cruise ship, Getaway would be my pick before she disappears to Europe.

 

Oh, another plug for Getaway is they have the Flamingo Grill above the Buffet which serves Cuban style food for no extra charge. On Escape this has been changed to a Margaritaville which is now a for fee venue.

[laurabegorrah]

Since the time frame you are looking at only has 2 of NCL's mega ships available, you might want to look into either a Spa class cabin, or if you can afford it, the Haven (or one of the Spa Haven suites and get the best of both!). Both of these offer you a quite area to relax away from the sea of humanity. The Escape especially seemed to have an overly crowded pool deck - we ran into a woman one day who'd been looking around the whole ship for 2 hours for a place to lounge in the sun. The chair were packed in so close you could barely walk from one end to the other.

 

The Haven also gives you a private dinning option, which can be very nice.

 

There is also the option of Vibe - an adults only VIP section with a bar, loungers, and hot tubs. The only big issue there is that the passes sell out in a hot minute, and you almost literally have to run once on board to get one.

[Va. Plumber]

Just a little clarification: Not all mini-suites have a bathtub.

[spammie]

OP, I was you last year!! We're Diamond on Royal and Elite Plus on Celebrity. I wanted to go to the Caribbean in September and looked at NCL. Never sailed on NCL. Took Getaway. Absolutely LOVED both the NCL product and Getaway!! We had a B6 balcony which is the same cabin size as a regular balcony but has a much larger balcony...two lounge chairs and two regular chairs. We did this on Getaway as her balconies are very small. Escape's balconies are more the industry normal.

 

We loved that a MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day. We loved having a coffee machine in the cabin. We loved that you could get a hamburger 24/7 at O'Sheehans included in your fare. Neither Royal or Celebrity offer this 24/7. NCL has three MDRs, one large one aft similar to what you are used to and two smaller venues, Taste and Savor, that feel more like a Celebrity specialty restaurant. We found the food very good, comparable to what we've had on other lines, but the desserts were far better. The buffet was extensive and we always found something good. The Asian food was very good. We like that there are toasters you can use at breakfast yourself. Every time I've tried to get an english muffin toasted correctly on any other line I either get barely warm or charred.... NCL has napkins and condiments on each table.

 

We liked the food in the MDR very much but felt we should try a couple of specialty restaurants. This is subjective and some people love them....we would be happy to just stay with Taste or Savor. The larger MDR has a dance floor and music and some nights will have a mini show. What we particularly liked in Taste or Savor, was that our party of two were always seated at a table for four, the extra set-ups were taken away and the next table was a proper distance from us. If you've eaten at a table for two on an S Class ship you'll appreciate this as well!

 

We loved Getaway so much I cancelled a January cruise on our beloved Reflection and booked the Escape. We just got home two weeks ago. We had a wonderful cruise on Escape but somehow preferred Getaway. With the news that NCL is changing the shows around and Getaway will soon have Million Dollar Quartet as well as Burn The Floor, two of the most spectacular shows we've ever seen on a cruise ship, Getaway would be my pick before she disappears to Europe.

 

Oh, another plug for Getaway is they have the Flamingo Grill above the Buffet which serves Cuban style food for no extra charge. On Escape this has been changed to a Margaritaville which is now a for fee venue.

 

PERFECT! This is exactly the information I was looking for. We are Diamond on RCCL and Elite on Celebrity so it's hard giving up the "perks" but we are looking to try something different. I had read that the balcony cabins were smaller and that is what had me confused.

 

What was your experience with the pool deck? I know on any ship it can be a challenge finding a chair on "sea days". Do you have to sign out towels or are that at the pool? Thank you so much again for your assistance. Wanda

[helen haywood]

Can't comment on the Pool Deck. Didn't go there. Either on my own balcony or on the Waterfront. Can't believe I forgot to extoll the Waterfront!! I'm fair and avoid direct sun. The Waterfront has comfortable couches and tables and chairs on both sides of Deck 8. Often I'd be all by myself for hours! You look directly out to sea...but are covered from the sun or the passing rain showers or even the balcony washing apparatus!

 

It sounds like the Away ships (as well as most other ships) have a small pool area for more people than it will accommodate. That is a BIG plus for the S Class ships with the Solarium.

 

But if you want to sail the Caribbean in a month X doesn't go there I would pick NCL over Royal. My personal opinion only.

[AF-1]

Try and see if there are any aft staterooms left on Getaway or Escape. I sailed in aft penthouse for two weeks on Jade. The balcony was huge and the room was great; our friends had an aft mini suite and their balcony was nice size. These are the first cabins to sell out. I liked freestyle dining; you show up and they seat you; no formal nights; casual all the time.

ps. we never had a problem finding chairs or loungers at pool

Edited February 19, 2016 by AF-1