Oceania vs. NCL

[TERRIER1]

To provide you all with more info--our NCL cruise is 2 weeks long, booked balcony with Unlimited beverage and 6 specialty dining nights.

 

The O cruise would be inside cabin for 10 nights. We would take the $400 pp OBC.

 

It's $1k total difference. We're in our 30's and look to relax, see some local culture, and unwind.

 

Oceania cruises usually included the airfare or you can take a credit. Did you factor this in? I don't mind an inside cabin but my husband hated it.

[hypercafe]

To provide you all with more info--our NCL cruise is 2 weeks long, booked balcony with Unlimited beverage and 6 specialty dining nights.

 

The O cruise would be inside cabin for 10 nights. We would take the $400 pp OBC.

 

It's $1k total difference. We're in our 30's and look to relax, see some local culture, and unwind.

 

If you are in your 30,s you might be the youngest people on the ship. If you want to relax it might be for you. The ship is very quite, no music or activities by the pool, chamber music at cocktail time, one show around 9:30 and then goodnight. Give it a try, it's only a grand.

[auldlassie]

If someone told me to go on an NCL cruise, I'd pay them $1k just to be allowed not to go and stay home. There you are. Horses for courses.

[Mura]

We're on Nautica right now and "funeral home" decor doesn't meet my perceptions of the decor. Obviously O was not a good fit for this poster.

 

Mura

[phillygirl63]

To provide you all with more info--our NCL cruise is 2 weeks long, booked balcony with Unlimited beverage and 6 specialty dining nights.

 

The O cruise would be inside cabin for 10 nights. We would take the $400 pp OBC.

 

It's $1k total difference. We're in our 30's and look to relax, see some local culture, and unwind.

 

Since you posted here on the Oceania forum, you will naturally get more positive responses from those more loyal to Oceania. I have been on both Oceania and NCL, and have enjoyed both. Different circumstances -- other couples or kids with us on NCL and just DH and I on Oceania.

 

Let's put the cost difference aside. You said you are in your 30's and want to have a relaxing cruise. However, you have not told us which ships you are comparing and where you want to visit. For example, if you are thinking about NCL Breakaway or Getaway in the summer months, then you will definitely not get much of a relaxing atmosphere, since the ship is huge with 4000 passengers, many of which will be families with young kids. Specialty restaurants book up very quickly, as reservations can be made online in advance. You will not get that with Oceania, whose ships are nicely sized with less passengers. Everyone has guaranteed reservations in each of the 4 specialty restaurants, which are complimentary.

 

The age range for Oceania is a bit older, the average age being about 60. We are in our early 50's, but there were some (not many) couples your age on our cruise, who we enjoyed and hung out with quite a bit. There were only a few kids. Thus, it is very relaxing and quiet on the ship. You will also have more opportunity to meet a lot of well-traveled, interesting, and overall great people.

 

If you enjoy nightlife, then NCL would definitely be the better option. The shows on NCL were very good, the best being Howling at the Moon Dueling Pianos on the Breakaway. The bars stay open later with a lot of dancing and partying. Not so on Oceania.

 

Anyway, regardless of which you choose, any cruise is what you make of it.

[Lancer1568]

Dear CCers,

 

We are trying to decide between an NCL cruise that we have booked for January 17 and an equivalent Oceania cruise--same time frame. The O cruise would be $1k more for the both of us.

 

Is Oceania worth the extra 1k? If so, how and why?

If you are staying in a suite on Ncl where you get the free drink package specialty dining etc etc then although NCL will not be as nice as Oceania the suite percs there are very nice and the specialty dining is excellent.

 

Hands down Oceania has best food but as mentioned above the NCL specialty dining is good. Oceania also offers much better service with waiters around the pool etc that actually wait on you and bring you drinks frequently. Chairs around the pool are easier to find.

 

NCL will offer a much livelier ship with the Oceania being more sedate.

 

Finally cabins..this depends on which Oceania ship you are looking at. If it is one of the R ships (everything but Marina and Riviera) the basic balcony cabins are tastefully decorated etc but small and the bathroom especially the shower is just ridiculously small. On an R ship, I would want a Penthouse to get decent room.

 

It really depends on what is important to you on a cruise. If you want lively party atmosphere and water slides etc then go for one of the newer NCL ships and get a suite and enjoy all the wonderful percs. If you like fine dining and calm elegance then Oceania is the right call.

[dwgreenlee]

To provide you all with more info--our NCL cruise is 2 weeks long, booked balcony with Unlimited beverage and 6 specialty dining nights.

 

The O cruise would be inside cabin for 10 nights. We would take the $400 pp OBC.

 

It's $1k total difference. We're in our 30's and look to relax, see some local culture, and unwind.

 

NCL would be my call in the situation you detail. Balcony cabin is a lot nicer than an inside and 6 nights in the NCL specialty dining would make the food about equal to O. Better shows and nightlife on NCL as well. For info, I have over 50 nights on O and over 150 on NCL. r/Don

[rallydave]

To provide you all with more info--our NCL cruise is 2 weeks long, booked balcony with Unlimited beverage and 6 specialty dining nights.

 

The O cruise would be inside cabin for 10 nights. We would take the $400 pp OBC.

$2

It's $1k total difference. We're in our 30's and look to relax, see some local culture, and unwind.

 

Think you failed to include the difference between included air with Oceania and you have to buy air on NCL. Depending on if the departure and arrival ports are the same in which you are probably looking at a $1K per person difference and if they are different at probably $1500 to $2K difference due to it then being open jaw which is much more expensive to Europe. Only you can decide which is best for you!!

[Minoushka]

I have been on Oceania Marina ....many NCL ships ....and Cunard QM 2 and ..holland America .....that being said ...food on Marina was very nice ..we went to Tahiti ..Howver fruit was only offered at breakfast .You cannot touch food someone fills your plate .I always ordered at the frill pool side ..to be deliveted atthe back of the ship

On Marina i enjoyed all restaurants except Javques ....butter cooking or nouvelle vuisine is not for me ....frou frou chi chi ....not worth it ....hooty snotty without reason

However Asia restaurant was a treat ..loved presentation and cuisine here ....excellent .

Italian rstaurant was hohum ....as was steak place ...

On NCL you go for big ship atmosphere with noise and music and big big shows ...some are truly excellent .Specialty restaurants are really good .....equal or better thanOceania .

Truthfully my last cruise on Eurodam i found food to be excellent ..well presented and deeelicious

On QM 2 food was consistently excellent and shows very entertaining ...not hotty snotty as expected but more formal in dress ..fun if youenjoy that ...I did ...it was a fashion show

 

So basically whatis i portant to you ...entertainment ...go NCL....food ...HAL or Oceania ....small ship ...quiet subdued ..Oceania ....unique destinations due to size of ship .Oceania orsmaller HAL ships

If you choose NCL splurge get dining package ....food is verygood esp Cagneys

Enjoy whatever you choose

I enjoyed all the ones mentioned for different reasons ...focus onwhat you like ...what is important to you andenjoy your cruise

 

Michele

 

I havebeen on 46 cruises...all companies ..all different ..mostly great

Bon Voyage

[toonbear]

Having done over 68 cruises on everything from the Independent of the Seas to African Safaris yacht, trying to define NCL against Oceania is neigh on impossible. We have just done our first Oceania cruise, next one is end of September,there is no viable comparison between the two. Although our NCL trip was several years ago Oceania, as previously stated elsewhere , is light years ahead of NCL in every dimension.We are are big fans of Princess and Oceania knocked them into a cocked hat. OK there are some items which one could nit pick about but the are miniscule. I cannot drink so having coffee/pop on tap and at dinner was a big plus. Everyone else charges way too much for same. Staff were very good and polite, food was exceptional, for me . The wife is not a fan of "flashy food"i.e French cuisine but the fare in the POLO/TOSCANA was , to me, brilliant. We are away in September, 50 th wedding anniversary trip on the Insignia ,an ex R ship, including visiting Macchu Pichu , so here's to further enjoyment