NCL vs. Princess?

[mandiecandie5]

Hi I'm looking for some feedback on NCL cruises that would make me want to choose them over my favorite...Caribbean Princess.

 

I'm looking at the new Norweigan Jewel and just don't know what to think about it. Can someone who has been on both lines try to provide some info on the differences or give some general thoughts....greatly appreciated! :)

[Nessi]

I've been on the Star Princess, the Golden Princess and the Diamond Princess. I have been on one NCL ship, the Spirit, and I'm booked for a future cruise on the NCL Star. I can only speak about the NCL Spirit when I make comparisons. The decor is much more elegant on Princess. Example: fake marble pilars on NCL Spirit vs. real marble on Princess. The swimming pools on Princess are incredible. Very large and beautiful with gorgeous decor. The indoor pool with retractable top is just too cool. On the NCL Spirit, the main pool was smaller, much less dramatic, and the area around the pool was much more crowded in. Photos indicate that the pools on NCL Star are not any better. I can't speak to the differences in entertainment, because I never go to shows. As far as food goes, I personally think it varies from ship to ship rather than cruise line to cruise line. Food on the Star Princess was the best I ever had on the six cruises I've been on. However, the food on the Diamond Princess, my most recent cruise, was just okay. I thought the food on NCL Spirit was good (no issues there). The biggest difference between the two lines are personal choice dinning vs. free style dinning. Personal choice (Princess) gives you a choice of traditional early/late fixed seating and a personal choice dinning room. If you opt for personal choice, you go to your own dinning room at what ever time you want. Freestyle (NCL) means no fixed seating. There is a traditional main dinning room but also many restaurants. Reservations recommended but no fixed seating or times. The NCL ship I'm going to sail on in Jan has 10 restaurants. I personally love the flexibility and options. Princess had two restaurants (in addition to the main dinning room), both with a surcharge. NCL has so many more, some with surcharges and some without. Another comparison is the demographics of passengers. With the exception of my Alaska cruise on the Diamond, I found the typical Princess passenger to be much older than us. On our NCL Spirit cruise, most of the passengers were in their 30's and 40's. We made more shipboard friends on that cruise than on any of the other six cruises we've been on. My last comparison is the staterooms. I've had two balcony staterooms and one mini-suite on Princess. We had a balcony room on NCL Spirit. The Princess rooms were much larger and more comfortable. And what is up with that hideous yellow/orange bedspread on the Spirit? However, the bathroom layout on the NCL Spirit was awesome. And the shower was full size. The shower in a balcony room on Spirit is like a motorhome bathroom. I can't even imagine how a person of large size can shower. Sharving your legs is a real challenge. Personally, I obviously like both lines. I'm looking forward to my next NCL cruise. If it is as good as my first one, I will sail them again in the future because we love the dinning flexibility, but I will always be a loyal Princess fan.

[Len3]

We were on the Sun Princess in August, doing the Inside Passage. Everything about Princess was just wonderful. We're now booked on the NCL Spirit for February. We did this basically for location reasons - we live in Maryland and can easily drive to NYC for departure. I hope that NCL doesn't let us down. I do have to say that the Freestyle cruising is a great idea and the Spirit has a fantastic itinerary. We'll see!!!!!

[Cruise_More_Often]

However, the bathroom layout on the NCL Spirit was awesome. And the shower was full size. The shower in a balcony room on Spirit is like a motorhome bathroom. I can't even imagine how a person of large size can shower. Sharving your legs is a real challenge.

Maybe I'm reading your description wrong, but which shower did you think was like a motorhome bathroom? I definitely agree that the Spirit's balcony bathroom is terrific, and my husband who is 6'3" had no problems with the shower size.

[catmand]

Has GOT to be describing the showers on the Princess ships. The standard joke is "squirt soap on the shower wall and spin."

[Cruise_More_Often]

Hadn't heard that one! See you Friday, Chuck!

[SailAways]

And what is up with that hideous yellow/orange bedspread on the Spirit? However, the bathroom layout on the NCL Spirit was awesome. And the shower was full size. The shower in a balcony room on Spirit is like a motorhome bathroom. I can't even imagine how a person of large size can shower. .

 

This is rather confusing.

Our inside cabin on the Spirit had a luxurious bath compared to what

I have read about other ships.

Sliding glass door on the at least 4X2 1/2' tiled shower, adjustable shower head, soap and shampoo dispenser. Absolutely wonderful.

The entire bathroom was huge in comparison to others which I have

read about and as described on CC.

No problem at all. Wonderful hair dryer, great soaps, lotions and ample

storage. I could go on and on.

Not at all like any of the motor homes which we have owned - much nicer

and roomier in every way.

I have to agree about the bedspreads though. They really are ugly.....

But, it is my understanding, from reading another post, that they have not been changed during the dry dock. Too bad, if true.

[Cruising Ken]

Its a matter of taste and personal choice. For me Golden Princess 0/10 Norwegian Dream 7/10, Norwegian Dawn 10/10.

Sorry all you Princess supporters but that's just me.

[mandiecandie5]

Those were some great points of view. Sounds like one big plus will be the bathrooms on NCL as I know Princess is truely tiny. Although Princess did have great euclyptus smelling bath products that I wish I could buy in bulk. I also felt the age for Caribbean Princess was more 50's and up. Not so many in their 30's.

 

What is the demographic specifically for Caribbean NCL cruises? Nessi- you didn't say where you cruised.

 

I'm still a bit confused with this Freestyle idea...is it difficult to get reservations...do you have to make them all right away on the first night? I'm not so interested in the restaraunts you have to pay extra for, I enjoy the large traditional dining rooms. It sounds like 'Tsars' on the Jewel is nice, what is the atmosphere like? Are there set times you can make reservations...on the hour or can you walk in at any time like Princess?

 

Thanks again for any help, its hard planning for a large group! :)

[Cruising Ken]

On our last trip on the Dawn we often used the Aqua restaurant which seemed to be less popular. Because of this the service was astonishing basically one-to-one basis. We found the service to be excellent throughout the ship, but the Aqua came out tops.

As for booking the speciality restaurants, you don't have to book all at once, but we found if you left it too late you could be disappointed, but booking during the morning there was no problem.

[Deloresgardella]

I have been trying to decide whether go on the Norwegian Dream or the the Star Princess next year for my Baltic cruise. I have bent toward the Dream because of the price. I have been on two NCL ships and had a great time though it was a few years ago. When the Norwegian Sea was the Seaworld. My spelling isn't the greatest.

[calmac]

I have been trying to decide whether go on the Norwegian Dream or the the Star Princess next year for my Baltic cruise. I have bent toward the Dream because of the price. I have been on two NCL ships and had a great time though it was a few years ago. When the Norwegian Sea was the Seaworld. My spelling isn't the greatest.

 

A lot of people are not keen on the Dream but we loved her (Alaska this summer). We too are seriously considering the Dream for a Baltics cruise summer 2006. Two key factors in our decision making process - freestyle dining and sailing through the Kiel Canal. I think the Dream is the largest cruise ship to sail through the Canal (the funnel flips over to allow her to go under a low bridge).

[JennCandi]

I've been on the NCL Sun and the Sapphire Princess and I loved them both. The Princess line seems to have nicer decor, but that was the only difference between the two that I noticed. On Princess we did the personal choice dining, so it was the same as the free style on NCL. I would definately give NCL a try if I were you.

[debbiecape]

I've been on NCL Dawn and am booked for the NCL Jewel in January- did the Golden Princess Transatlantic this past August. For me, I really enjoyed the Dawn much much more than the Golden. I prefer Freestyle as the options are fabulous and I found the Golden's food to be average to just above average (the buffet was pretty bad however). The Golden's decor was pretty but not dramatic or engaging; the demographics definitely skewed to a much older crowd (I am 51) and the entertainment reflected that age group. I found the staff on the Dawn extremely amiable and professional (loved Colin, the CD) while on the Golden, the staff seemed somewhat unhappy. We have alos done Celebrity (great food, a bit stuffy) and re booked onthe Royal Caribbean Brilliance for another transatlantic next November. Can't wait to compare another line!!

 

...all in all though I'd rather be cruising on any ship.any line antime!