Would a Celebrity elite be happy on Norwegian?

[aneka]

We are looking for a Norway Fiords cruise for 2017. We would like to go up the coast to North Cape. Celebrity does not offer this option. We have never sailed on either Norwegian or Princess. Norwegian is about 2T less expensive than Princess for the aft balcony we hope to book. If anyone has sailed these lines I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

[Still Dreaming]

We have never been disappointed with a cruise. We go for the itinerary we want and try to keep the price down. There are things on NCL we like and there are things on Celebrity we like. Not a lot of difference in my opinion.

[Lady Arwen]

We are also Elite on Celebrity, but we are booked on Breakaway in May to Bermuda. We've done Summit a few times to Bermuda, but the price with NCL was just too attractive to turn down. We have not sailed NCL in 20 years, so we're hoping we did the right thing.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm also Elite on Celebrity and cruise on both lines. They are different. NCL is much more casual in dress, especially in the evening. The food, IMHO, in NCL's MDR is not near the quality of Celebrity, but NCL's specialty restaurants that I've eaten in are very, very good. There will be more families with children on NCL, which I've never had an issue with. There is no fixed dining times, it is freestyle, you eat when you want, where you want; however, I would suggest making reservations if you have a specific time in mind. The decor of the ships are different, Celebrity is more understated in my opinion. My first cruise on NCL was in a balcony cabin and I thought it was much smaller than Celebrity's balconies, but it had more than enough storage. I believe the crews on NCL and Celebrity are equal in their efficiency and friendliness. I enjoy both lines and as I always say, as long as I'm on a ship in the ocean, there is no such thing as a bad cruise.

[DMH15]

What is Celebrity Elite?

[NLH Arizona]

What is Celebrity Elite?

Elite is a tier level on Celebrity's loyalty program.

[helen haywood]

I'm Elite Plus on Celebrity. We recently sailed Getaway last year as our first NCL cruise. We loved the whole experience so much we cancelled a cruise on our beloved Reflection and tried Escape. Still loved the experience! A MDR open for lunch on embarkation day. A hamburger available 24/7 at O'Sheehans. Two smaller MDRs that feel like X's specialty restaurants. Music and entertainment in the larger MDR. Coffee machines in the cabins. The multiple choices of eating venues. Loved the entertainment...much better than Celebrity's. Absolutely loved the Waterfront concept but understand that's only on the Away ships.

[Lady Arwen]

I'm Elite Plus on Celebrity. We recently sailed Getaway last year as our first NCL cruise. We loved the whole experience so much we cancelled a cruise on our beloved Reflection and tried Escape. Still loved the experience! A MDR open for lunch on embarkation day. A hamburger available 24/7 at O'Sheehans. Two smaller MDRs that feel like X's specialty restaurants. Music and entertainment in the larger MDR. Coffee machines in the cabins. The multiple choices of eating venues. Loved the entertainment...much better than Celebrity's. Absolutely loved the Waterfront concept but understand that's only on the Away ships.

 

Wow! Sounds very promising....I think that we'll enjoy Breakaway after all. Everything that you mentioned certainly will have an impact on our enjoyment of the ship. Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

[SuiteTraveler]

I'm Elite Plus on Celebrity. We recently sailed Getaway last year as our first NCL cruise. We loved the whole experience so much we cancelled a cruise on our beloved Reflection and tried Escape. Still loved the experience! A MDR open for lunch on embarkation day. A hamburger available 24/7 at O'Sheehans. Two smaller MDRs that feel like X's specialty restaurants. Music and entertainment in the larger MDR. Coffee machines in the cabins. The multiple choices of eating venues. Loved the entertainment...much better than Celebrity's. Absolutely loved the Waterfront concept but understand that's only on the Away ships.

 

We've sailed on Celebrity multiple times and I agree with everything you have written. Also, the newer NCL ships: Epic, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape have the BEST thermal suites at sea. Even the older ships have nice spas. We tend to book a The Haven Spa Suite on these newer ships which includes all the perks of The Haven suites plus access to the thermal area in the spa. NCL does suites better than any other line, IMO. They really just spoil the heck out of you in every way possible and the suites are beautiful with huge bathrooms with a separate tub and walk in shower in most cases. The specialty restaurants are typically:

Le Bistro (French)

Cagneys (steak)

Moderno (Brazilian churrascaria)

Sushi

Teppanyaki

Chinese (usually free)

 

We've also sailed on Princess several times. In terms of dining, Princess is more similar to Celebrity. They usually have 1 or 2 specialty restaurants. The staterooms are nice enough, but nowhere near as pretty as those on NCL. The bathrooms typically still have the shower curtain whereas NCL's newer ships (Gem class and newer) mostly have glass shower enclosures. Entertainment on Princess is more similar to Celebrity - typical cruise ship production shows with a British flair.

 

If your cruise is port and scenery intensive, I would choose the lowest priced option and go with that. It is better to save the money and spend it on tours and souvenirs.

Edited February 27, 2016 by SuiteTraveler