Escape vs Allure of Seas

[justindrover]

Not sure if this is the right spot for this but I am trying to decide between the Norwegian Escape and RCL Allure of the Seas

 

Will be travelling with my wife and two daughters (5 and 2) also we are in our mid 30s

[ColinIllinois]

Cut and paste your subject line in to the search feature. You will find many threads with the same subject line. Tons of good info.

[riekl]

If you search you will find several threads on this very topic recently no need to rehash it. By posting in an NCL forum you are more likely to get pro Escape responses. If you post in RCI you are more likely to get pro Allure responses. I will give you a couple of nuggets of my opinion having sailed Allure and Oasis several times.

 

* RCI is going to cost you more pp , potentially as much as 30% more depending on cabin type and week traveling. For example many summer sailings on Escape are $900 for a balcony (pp) but $1400 on Allure for the same week.

* RCI has far better and more varied entertainment options.

* RCI has far better pool decks

* NCL has the water slides ! This is not a small point although I think your kids are too small to use any of them but maybe the yellow.

* Both RCI and NCL have good kids programs, I would say they are pretty much equal.

* Both have great food, good buffets and good free dining. Both have specalty restraunts although NCL has more options here.

* RCI has a massive promenade full of shops (and starbucks !) NCL doesn't have anything that even comes close.

* NCL has the Haven, if you are going to stay in a Haven suite, the whole equation tips heavily towards NCL RCI has nothing that compares.

* RCI has high speed quick Internet that is good enough to post videos, stream Netflix etc. You will not be able to do anything beyond email and very simple web browsing on NCL.

* RCI has free hot breakfast room service, in fact most all room service is free.

 

Either way enjoy your cruise !

[aubreyc1988]

Not sure if this is the right spot for this but I am trying to decide between the Norwegian Escape and RCL Allure of the Seas

 

Will be travelling with my wife and two daughters (5 and 2) also we are in our mid 30s

 

I've sailed both, more recently Escape, been a few years since on the Allure

 

-Entertainment is the biggest difference, I feel like - RCI entertainment is substantially better than NCL, but that doesn't mean NCL entertainment is bad, by any means

 

-Food is subjective, but NCL has a better buffet, in my opinion, and better speciality restaurants.

 

-Casino - If you are a gambler, go with RCI - the smoke in the Escape casino is terrible, and leaks to the other open decks. RCI has, I believe, a non smoking casino.

 

-Nightlife - NCL wins this, but RCI still is decent enough.

 

-Pool decks - DEFINITELY RCI - I love the RCI Solarium, adults only area - NCL has a "Spice H20" adults only area, but Spice doesn't have a pool, like Solarium. NCL Vibe area, which you have to pay for, is similar to the RCI free Solarium

 

- Alcoholic Drinks - NCL wins this one - I think the bartenders are nicer, the drinks are good, and if you get the beverage package as a promo, it's a really hard deal to pass up.

 

-Price - NCL wins this one. Overall, NCL is a very good cruiseline with a great price tag, sometimes even a better value than Carnival! Especially with their Free At Sea Promos, it's hard to discount it, when the Allure is more expensive NOW than it was 2 years ago when I first sailed!

 

My favorite things about the Escape in particular are the number of unique bars, the Waterfront area (look it up on the NCL website), and the laid back dress code. Also, the staff do really neat things for the passengers, like the welcome back to the ship line on port day.

 

My favorite things on Allure - Aquashow (Absolutely amazing, all the shows are), Ice Skating, Solarium, Pool Decks

[Two Wheels Only]

This is not a small point although I think your kids are too small to use any of them but maybe the yellow.

 

 

There's also a red one for the little kiddies.

[APDMOM]

We will only be on Escape in about 4 weeks, and I will gladly update my response after we return. However, based upon my research and your kids' ages, I would definitely recommend Allure for the following reasons (all free/included in the cruise fare):

 

1. Great, larger kids' water play area:

 

 

2. Dreamworks characters and ice shows:

 

 

 

3. Playground on Boardwalk (slide, climbing equipment inside this construction) It is small but goes a long way with a 2 year old...

 

4. Special minigolf area for little ones:

 

 

5. Unlimited rides on the Carousel: