Norwegian vs. Royal Caribbean...

[micmacmissy]

New to this forum after only cruising on Celebrity and RCCL in the past.

 

Is the dining truly "freestyle" in that we can eat at any time without a reservation? RCCL says you can do that, but in reality you need to book ahead of time or else eat in the main dining room - or else wait and wait.

 

Also, I keep reading about Vibe passes- what is that?

 

Also, what is the space to passenger ratio on NCL? One thing we've enjoyed about Celebrity and RCCL is that the ships don't feel packed crowded. Even the Allure on spring break (6,000 people with 1,900 of them kids) didn't feel crowded.

[EmeraldCoastCruisers]

New to this forum after only cruising on Celebrity and RCCL in the past.

 

 

 

Is the dining truly "freestyle" in that we can eat at any time without a reservation? RCCL says you can do that, but in reality you need to book ahead of time or else eat in the main dining room - or else wait and wait.

 

Also, what is the space to passenger ratio on NCL? One thing we've enjoyed about Celebrity and RCCL is that the ships don't feel packed crowded.

 

 

I can answer a couple of these. We were brand new to NCL last November. Had no crowding feel for us at all.

 

As for the freestyle dining, we were so used to RCI and Carnival I had booked all my reservations before leaving. I cancelled most of them as it was easier to just go down and wait the few minutes or book them same day.

 

 

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[qoap24]

Royal Pro's:

Food in MDR much better

Crew members very friendly (for the most part)

Beverage Package seems to be a better deal and includes bottled water

 

Royal Con's:

Although MDR food was better, not much options for free lunch (mostly buffet)

Stayed in a Suite and that was a JOKE! Their Perks are NOTHING like NCL

Ship was not in the best condition

Never made it through a show. Very disappointing.

 

IF I ever choose to cruise on Royal again, it would have to be an amazing deal.

 

NCL Pro's:

If staying in a suite-Perks are the best

Ships rarely feel crowded (but I have only cruised on the smaller ships)

Entertainment is the best

Lots of food choices through out the day

Buffet selections are endless

Ships well taken care of

Although smaller, the cabins feel more spacious and more storage options

 

NCL Con's:

MDR servers not the friendliest (IMHO)

MDR food not the best

Drink package does not include bottled water (yes I know, some are ok with drinking the ship's water, but I am not. :o)

Can no longer bring water or soda on board ship.

[dacsmom]

I go back and forth between RCI and NCL, with an occasional Carnival in there. I really like both lines, but as a solo cruiser many times, NCL often provides a better value. The Oasis class ships on RCI are something to be experienced at least once. If you book excursions through the ship, and sometimes I still do, NCL prices are much higher than RCI. You cannot make a bad choice between the two cruise lines.

[BostonGal35]

we have never felt crowded on an NCL mega ship (we've sailed BA, GA, and Epic). BUT we always sail at times when there is the least amoutn of children on board.

 

typically, tho, we prefer the smaller sized ships because we like a different theater show every night. that said, however, because we've sailed NCL so many times we've seen most of the shows at least once (just different people doing them). still fun tho.

[EmeraldCoastCruisers]

we have never felt crowded on an NCL mega ship (we've sailed BA, GA, and Epic). BUT we always sail at times when there is the least amoutn of children on board.

 

typically, tho, we prefer the smaller sized ships because we like a different theater show every night. that said, however, because we've sailed NCL so many times we've seen most of the shows at least once (just different people doing them). still fun tho.

 

 

This reminded me of another reason I prefer the smaller ships. I absolutely hated reserving the shows pre-cruise on the Allure. Some don't know this and have to wait in long lines and pray to get in.

 

 

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[mand2240]

I've been on 4 RC cruises and 1 NCL cruise (my second will be in August). I really like RC because of their amazing new ships. I have sailed on 3 Voyager class ships and 1 Freedom class ship (all when they were fairly new) and they did not disappoint. There are always things to do. My NCL experience was on the Norwegian Sun and that ship lacked quite a bit compared to my RC experiences. That being said, the Sun is an older ship and I think appeals to an older crowd. I do recall liking the food better on NCL compared to RC. I am booked on the Escape in August and I absolutely cannot wait. I do still really want to take a trip on an Oasis class ship and a Quantum class boat with RCL, but with the eye test, NCL's new ships hold their own very well against RC's.

[ksmcdonald]

Did you know that there is a search function? If you typed your title into the little search box for the forum, you'd get a BUNCH of reviews/threads that will answer your question.

 

 

When doing a search, it invariably brings up old post, with much outdated information. When a subject is re-visted by a new post, we get more up-to-date information that much more recent. We all know things change in this industry in just a couple years.

 

 

If you don't want to read a post that you have seen before, just scroll past it! Geez! Don't take the time to click on it, then proceed to make a rude comment. JUST KEEP SCROLLING!

[Tatka]

We cruised 7 times with each.

Both are not our favorites, but very enjoyable.

With Royal, just like with NCL you need to compare particular ships.

Difference between Breakaway and Jewel is huge. Difference between Royal's ships is even bigger.

 

They have very small Empress of the Seas and the largest ships on Earth - Oasis Class.

 

We enjoyed all classes of Royal although we feel that Quantum class (Anthem, Quantum, Ovation) is a little downfall from others.

 

For northern trips I'd pick Radiance class (Radiance, Brilliance, Jewel, Serenade - 90K tons) or even Vision Class (Grandeur, Vision etc - 70k tons) Or even Quantum class as they have solarium..

 

In Caribbeans you NEED to experience Oasis class (Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony). They are the most amazing ships. 90K tons ships (including on NCL) are our favorites, but Oasis class is something everybody should try. It has so much! Even ziplines and aquashow. Entertainment .. we felt .. we better than on NCL even though both are professional.

 

Freedom, Independence, Liberty are great ships too. They all have beautiful inside promenades and many innovations.

 

I like cabins setup better on Royal ships.

 

Food. Well, non of them is famous for it. We always found enjoyable food on both too. :)

[Travel R]

I enjoyed reading this thread.

 

We will be on our first NCL cruise, but have been on a few sailings with RCI.

 

Although someone stated above that most cruise lines are more similar than different, I am not sure I completely agree. We did not enjoy our last cruise on Carnival (had a great vacation, more due to our attitudes, than the ship). Sometimes it is the little things that matter most.

 

However, until we try NCL for ourselves, we will never know for sure. [And I do hope I made the right choice for my upcoming cruise.]

[Arzeena]

How many of you have done both cruise lines? Pros, cons...which did you like better and why?

 

I've only been on Norwegian (5 cruises)

 

Thanks,

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,

 

We have done both. And we like both. Itinerary and price drives the decision.

 

Royal's Diamond plus balcony plus discount and on board perks are very nice. NCL's food, entertainment, spa is far better in my opinion.

[Tatka]

I enjoyed reading this thread.

 

We will be on our first NCL cruise, but have been on a few sailings with RCI.

 

Although someone stated above that most cruise lines are more similar than different, I am not sure I completely agree. We did not enjoy our last cruise on Carnival (had a great vacation, more due to our attitudes, than the ship). Sometimes it is the little things that matter most.

 

However, until we try NCL for ourselves, we will never know for sure. [And I do hope I made the right choice for my upcoming cruise.]

I agree, lines are very different in activities, quality of services, food and atmosphere.

NCL was weaker in terms of food quality. Weaker than Royal, which is weaker than Princess and Celebrity, but we felt that NCL'S food has improved, especially in MDR.

 

We didn't enjoy our three Carnival's cruises. I think mostly due it's ambiance.

 

We feel than Royal and NCL are very close in many regards. We like both.

[StlGal]

DH and I have been on many RCCL cruises (small to mega ships) and just finished our first NCL cruise on the Escape. We have stayed in a grand suite on RCCL Harmony and stayed in the Haven on the Escape. I will talk about the differences that we noticed between GS and Haven.

 

Grand Suite

 

 

 

• Access to Suite only sundeck- includes hot tub, dedicated bar, cabanas (free to first come first served)
  
• Access to Suite Lounge - FREE soda, wine and beer and snacks throughout the day & additionally free mixed drinks during the dinner hours - bartenders were extremely friendly and went out of their way to please
  
• Access to Coastal Kitchen - Suite only dining - breakfast, lunch & dinner
  
• Access/use of concierge (Raj on Harmony is best we have ever had)
  
• When at Royal's private island - access to private beach with upgraded lunch
  
• Reserved seating at all shows - no reservations required
  
• Embarkation/debarkation - Escorted on/off ship. This was especially useful when leaving on the last day where the concierge walked you down and directly to customs avoiding the long lines. they also have a luggage valet who takes care of your luggage for you. This was a nice perk.
  
• Cruise Terminal Waiting Area - This area had nice/comfy furniture and was exclusive to suite/pinnacle members - security checked everyone's set sail passes to make sure that only suite/pinnacle guests were in this area. Although they only had water available and no coffee/beverages/snacks.
  
• Cruise Terminal - Dedicated entrance for suite/pinnacle guests. There is no waiting in long lines to enter and go through security like on NCL.
  
• Free WOW Bands - wristbands that could be worn and used instead of card. This made things easy and we appreciated that.
  
• RCCL also have an adults only Solarium that is spread out over several decks with various seating (clam shells, loungers, etc) a hot tub and dedicated bar. NCL Escape has H2O with the grotto, but its still super crowded. RCCL squeaks in with a win here.
  
• Free WIFI access using VOOM technology. This allowed us to have the ability to stay connected while at sea. The internet is extremely fast.
  

 

Haven

 

• Access to Haven complex - private pool & 3 hot tubs, sauna
  
• Dedicated bar inside Haven complex - was not free have to pay or use UDP. We also found the bartenders to be extremely pretentious
  
• Fruit and snacks available throughout the day on the pool deck (fruit person in the mornings that would cut the fruit for you)
  
• Access to private restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating - this was separate from the lounge and we preferred this over Royal's Coastal Kitchen which is part of the lounge/bar/concierge area. We also found the service and food to be much better in the Haven than at Coastal Kitchen.
  
• Reserved seating at shows - although reservations were still highly recommended
  
• Access/use of concierge
  
• Butler - While we enjoyed having a butler, we felt bad by wasting the majority of the food/snacks that were brought to us. Other than snacks and bringing us dinner one night & breakfast two mornings we truly didn't use our butler and could have done without.
  
• Cruise terminal waiting area was dedicated to Haven guests, and the furniture was slightly upgraded from the normal waiting area. But the seats are stained and not very nice. Additionally, they didn't have this roped off clearly enough or have security checking people and others could just come in and sit and/or partake in the beverages/snacks. Plus for having beverages/snacks and minus for everything else.
  
• Embarkation/Debarkation - I will only speak about debarkation when we left the ship on the final day. Although you are escorted down by the Concierge, they escort you to where the luggage is. It is then up to you to find your luggage and haul it into the regular long line with all of the cruise passengers.
  
• One of the perks we chose was 250 minutes of free internet access. The internet is slow and intermittent. Nothing like using VOOM on RCCL.
  
• Free pay-per view movies in your cabin. LOVED this perk!!
  

We felt that the overall service on NCL far exceeded that of RCCL. The staff were extremely friendly and the officers were always present and interacting with the guests. It's rare that you see this kind of officer presence and/or interaction on RCCL. NCL definitely wins here!

 

 

We felt that the quality of shows on Harmony were better than Escape. Water shows, real escape room (not escape conference room), Broadway production show, ice skating, etc. RCCL wins here. However, the nighttime entertainment on Escape wins here - Howl at the Moon, Glow Party, etc.

 

 

Food quality was even - outside of Haven restaurant. Haven wins for sure. However, we wish that Escape's specialty restaurants (outside of Food Republic) were also open at lunch. Harmony offers more specialty dining at lunch which we really appreciated. RCCL wins here.

 

 

We like the decor better on Harmony - there is very interesting/unique artwork everywhere. We found the decor on Escape to be nice, but the lack of artwork made it rather dull/bland.

 

 

We loved The District and wish that RCCL would put in a real craft beer offering like the District. This is a BIG WIN for NCL!!!

 

While we did not visit the pools on Escape, just walking through it was clear that there was not enough space and people were literally crammed into every nook and cranny on the pool deck and upper sun deck. We were glad that we had the option of going to the Haven and/or Vibe to avoid the sardine effect. Harmony has 5 different pools that allow guests to spread out and have several options. They also have seating at/around the children's play area/pool. The Escape does not allow parents to sit next to the children's pool/play area. Definitely a win for RCCL.

 

 

We also liked having the various neighborhoods on Harmony. It was especially nice to stroll through Central Park with the live trees, flowers, etc.

 

We are not smokers and are therefore, sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke. With that being said, the cigarette smoke and haze from the smoke was very apparent in the Atrium area of the Escape. It was worse than walking through a casino in Vegas. We could not spend much time there because of this. The only place that smoke is really noticeable on Harmony is in the casino. Although they have a non-smoking side to the casino on Harmony, no one enforces this. RCCL wins here.

 

Even with the size of Escape and the calmness of the seas there was definitely a good deal of movement on the ship. Whereas, on the Harmony you rarely felt the ship movement. I suppose that this could be because Harmony is much wider than Escape. Harmony wins here.

 

Overall, we had a great time on our first NCL cruise. I liken this to having access to Haven and Vibe as well the friendliness of teh crew. The ship was immaculate and they were always painting, cleaning, etc. We spent the majority of our time in Vibe with the incredible staff there. Will we do it again, yes. However, we are also looking at trying MSC and Celebrity.

 

Let's face it no cruise is a bad cruise if you're doing it right. :)

Edited May 24, 2017 by StlGal

[Cuizer2]

How many of you have done both cruise lines? Pros, cons...which did you like better and why?

 

I've only been on Norwegian (5 cruises)

 

Thanks,

Lisa

 

I have been on thirteen Royal Caribbean cruises and three NCL cruises with two more booked. NCL does suites much better than Royal Caribbean. For a normal balcony cabin they are about the same. I like the bathroom set up in a normal cabin on NCL better than on Royal Caribbean because I am not a fan of Royal Caribbean's clam shell door shower. NCL tends to be lower priced than Royal Caribbean. NCL has more restaurant choices, however, most of NCL's restaurants are an extra charge. NCL has casual dress all the time while Royal Caribbean has two formal nights per one week cruise.

 

Royal Caribbean's newer ships (Freedom class, Oasis class and Quantum class) seem to offer more, but I've not been on any of NCL's newest ships (I've been on the Star, the Jade and the Pearl). I am not a fan of Freestyle Dining. Royal Caribbean has a special lounge for suite guests (NCL does not) and a special lounge for Diamond level and above. The passenger space ratio on Royal Caribbean is usually better than the passenger space ratio on NCL. The passengers on both ships are about the same.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Cuizer2

[Cuizer2]

Did you know that there is a search function? If you typed your title into the little search box for the forum, you'd get a BUNCH of reviews/threads that will answer your question.

 

That is true of most of the questions asked on Cruise Critic and Cruise Critic does not have a rule against asking questions.

[Cruiseswithfamilyornot]

I wanted to add my two cents on this post. I just took my first ever Norwegian cruise after having been on over 30 Royal cruises in the last 20 years(Diamond Plus member, more than halfway to Pinnacle). I chose Norwegian as I always wanted to travel in the Three Bedroom Garden Villa Suite....but the prices were much higher than I was willing to go. I found a more reasonable rate and chose to go on Norwegian. I have also been on at least one cruise on Carnival, Holland America, Crystal, Celebrity, Paul Gauguin, Regent, Oceania, Disney, Princess, Silver Seas and probably a few others I'm forgetting. So I've really been on a gamut of ships from "mainstream" to "luxury" and large and small ships.

 

Before I start giving my comparison, as a very experienced cruiser, here is my "expert" advice. The concept of which cruise line is better is very subjective. We all like different things on a cruise ship, and based on the time of the year that you go can have a direct impact on the crowd you have and hence your experience. Some people love the mega ships and all of the amenities they offer whereas others find them to be floating hotels and don't like them at all. So so much is personal.

 

As an example of this, when one of my kids turned 21 they wanted to go on a shorter cruise with some friends and asked my suggestion. Without a second's hesitation I told him Carnival was the line. He was flabbergasted as I told him I had been on two Carnival cruises and didn't have good things to say. I told him they were 21, and they wanted to go and party and have a good time and not be reprimanded for being too loud and be in a party atmosphere and that was a short Carnival cruise. Well, PS he went, and they had a blast. Yes, the ship was dated, furniture old, etc,, but that wasn't what this ship was about. I know someone else who is 60 who likes to take a trip with girlfriends every year and had taken one and found it be too stuffy and asked for my recommendation and I suggested the short term Carnival cruise. They have now done a 4 night Carnival cruise for 10 years and love it and thank me every year(I'm not a travel agent). Now, a short term Carnival cruise is literally the last place in the world I would ever want to be....but I'm not a partier, and the samethings I knew they would love I would hate. So it really does depend. Things like service can vary based on the people you have, and there are a lot of people working on a ship. I have had state room attendants on Royal I'd give a 10 too. I've also had some I'd give a 1 to on a scale of 1 to 10, alot more in the higher category of course!

 

I picked Royal as it was the best cruise line for my kids. There is so much to do, great night life, while at the same time appealing things for the adults. But after coming off of Norwegian, while I would tell you we will prefer Royal, Norwegian is not far behind.

 

We were on the Norwegian Pearl, so I will compare it to Royal's Jewel of The Seas as they are similarly sized ships. We also had 1 mini suite and 1 outside balcony for a total of 9 people so I will include all. I will try to be objective and offer other's opinions as well from my group.

 

My comparisons:

 

1) Rooms. We were in the 3 bedroom garden villa and had access to the Haven and a butler. I have also stayed in the Presidential Family Suite which is 4 bedrooms on Royal. They are incomparable. The 3 BR garden villa is an incredible room in a league of it's own on cruise ships. Royal does not have anything like the Haven. Yes they are trying to compete now on the larger ships with butlers and a restaurant(which Norwegian has too of course), but if you have the money for a suite, Norwegian is the clear winner here. We had a great butler and concierge too. For the outside balcony staterooms and mini suite, the nod goes to Royal as the clear winner. The rooms are more spacious and better laid out.

 

2) Food. I hate to admit this, but if you had asked me 5 years ago I would have a bet a ton of money that Royal would be the clear winner here. When Norwegian first introduced freestyle cruising, I was told by many that the free venues were terrible, and the fee ones were great. Then I heard they went to lengths to correct that situation as a lot of people were complaining. Well, they apparently succeeded, at least in our estimation. All 9 people in our party would say the "free" food was better on Norwegian, especially the buffet. In fairness, Royal's buffet has definitely gotten worst over the last few years, and I heard from another Royal loyalist they went on Carnival recently. Thought Royal was light years better, except for the food. Norwegian's buffet and O'Sheehans puts Royal to shame. O'Sheehans is their 24/7 place to get food that has all kinds of pub food including amazing(yes amazing really) wings. It was that much of a difference I'm sorry to say. For the specialty restaurants I found both to be very good. Cagney's was excellent at Norwegian, though the Teppanyaki was great too. We had more mixed reactions for La Cucina and Le Bistro, but overall most people really enjoyed their meals there. The main dining room was better on Royal. So overall, we'd say free food better on Norwegian, and specialty restaurants very similar, so edge Norwegian.

 

3) Entertainment. I am going to separate this into two categories. Nightly shows, and other entertainment on the ship.

 

Nightly shows, both are very good. The Pearl has a legends show which is essentially one of their two production shows, so the ship has 7 singers and 10 dancers, which for that sized ship is a lot. The Legends show(Tina Turner, Elton John and Elvis) was excellent. Elvis was the best I've ever seen and had us in stitches. Their other entertainers, I saw two of them on Royal ships so it's basically the same. Slight edge to Norwegian here.

 

Unfortunately, the second part is where Norwegian fell flat on their face. Royal has multiple trivias every night, game shows, and all kinds of things going on even on a Jewel class ship. Norwegian has one trivia at 5 pm(too early and not a good one), two nightly shows at 715 and 9 15, usually one thing at 8 15(changes), and then Karoake and a dance party at night. Not a lot of choices. My kids hated this and said they were bored at night and I can tell you this was their number one reason why they ultimately said they would prefer Royal. I would tell you the same was true of me and the adults too. I know they would have more on bigger ships, but Royal has more too. This was the biggest, and IMHO arguably easiest area of improvement for Norwegian. They did have some fun things, like Deal or No Deal. The cruise director and staff were good they were not the issue. It was just the lack of activities.

 

But if these things aren't important to you, then this part doesn't matter---again subjective.

 

4) Kids Clubs. My kids are older now. I will say the younger kids club was hopping on the Pearl and very crowded and the younger ones were loving it. They had one teen club for 13 to 17 year olds, too much of an age group, and not a lot of action there. Definite advantage to Royal, the kids didn't go near it as they closer to 17 and were not hanging with 13 year olds.

 

5) Decor. Clear winner is Royal here. Just a nicer looking ship inside and out. Norwegian, parts are more fun and parts "nicer" it's like the ship was done by multiple decorators and they re-did some when they dry docked and not other parts. A bit of a hodge podge.

 

6) Service. Both lines had great people and not as great people but overall very positive. Tie though I do have to give kudos to the people taking care of us in the haven who were the best we've had.

 

7) Freestyle cruising. This is not for everyone. Norwegian says dress as you want, and you can everywhere but the main dining room and Le Bistro where there is a dress code, but really resort casual type of wear. The rest of the ship, you'd be shocked at what people wear at night if you've been on other cruise ships. It was VERY casual...I'm speaking t-shirts, flip flops, etc,,. This didn't bother me at all, in fact I liked how relaxed it was, but I know some get put off with that. So this one is personal opinion. But personally I liked that about Norwegian.

 

There were some other smaller things----like no diamond lounge for experienced cruisers on Norwegian's line, which I know would bother some.

 

So I would say they were close, but I would still give the edge for me personally to Royal mostly due to the lack of night time activities and decor. But depending on the itinerary and pricing I would choose Norwegian again.

 

Let me know if any questions

[newmexicoNita]

First op: I am sure if you haven't already you can go to RCI site and ask the same question. You will get most over there saying RCI is the better line. We have been on both many more times than once and prefer NCL. But in all honesty we haven't been on RCI for quite a few years, and we certainly do not cruise in suites. We are like the poster on the first page, we are just simple cruisers. We usually get a balcony. That is fine for us. We like to take any extra funds we have to spend on whatever. everyone to his choice.

 

We like the food on NCL better than RCI, they are usually less expensive and we prefer the talent. Service wise, they are similar we have found. Really I don't think there is a lot of difference in the two lines. They are probably closer to the same than any other 2 lines.

[Cuizer2]

Before I start giving my comparison, as a very experienced cruiser, here is my "expert" advice. The concept of which cruise line is better is very subjective. We all like different things on a cruise ship, and based on the time of the year that you go can have a direct impact on the crowd you have and hence your experience. Some people love the mega ships and all of the amenities they offer whereas others find them to be floating hotels and don't like them at all. So so much is personal.

 

1) but if you have the money for a suite, Norwegian is the clear winner here.

 

2) Food. I hate to admit this, but if you had asked me 5 years ago I would have a bet a ton of money that Royal would be the clear winner here. The main dining room was better on Royal. So overall, we'd say free food better on Norwegian, and specialty restaurants very similar, so edge Norwegian.

 

3) Entertainment. I am going to separate this into two categories. Nightly shows, and other entertainment on the ship.

 

4) Kids Clubs. My kids are older now. I will say the younger kids club was hopping on the Pearl and very crowded and the younger ones were loving it.

 

5) Decor. Clear winner is Royal here.

 

6) Service. Both lines had great people and not as great people but overall very positive. Tie though I do have to give kudos to the people taking care of us in the haven who were the best we've had.

 

7) Freestyle cruising. This is not for everyone.

 

There were some other smaller things----like no diamond lounge for experienced cruisers on Norwegian's line, which I know would bother some.

 

Let me know if any questions

 

In general I agree with the the above. However, basically the bottom line is, YMMV. I see things differently from other people so I thought a little comparison would help.

 

1) I am Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean and have three cruises with NCL (two in a suite and one in a balcony) with three more booked (one in a Haven suit and two in a balcony). I have not stayed in the three bedroom villas, but I have toured it. Very nice, very big, and very expensive. I do agree, if you are in a suite, NCL is better than Royal Caribbean (I've been in two Royal Caribbean suites and have one more booked). If you are not in a suite, they are about the same.

 

2) Food in the included (free restaurants) and food in the specialty restaurants (extra cost) are about equal in my opinion. However, NCL has a bigger selection (more variety) than Royal Caribbean.

 

3 --> 5) These are not that important to me and from my experience are about equal.

 

6) In general service is good to excellent on both lines.

 

7) This statement is absolutely true. Fact is, I don't like Freestyle dining, even though about half way through my first NCL cruise I learned to make it work for me. Here again, YMMV. I prefer traditional dining. Show up on time and you know you have a chair at your table with your name on it. With Freestyle if you decide you want to eat after the early show if over you are going to have to wait in line. Want to eat at as 7pm - so do most of the people on the ship. At most of the specialty restaurants you can make reservations (if you are in a suite you can make reservations at all the specialty restaurants). The only problem is, once you make a reservation it is just like traditional dining, except you get to choose the time. Or do you. Want to see a show, you better match your reservation to the show schedule or you are going to miss one or the other.

 

Royal Caribbean does have lounges. If you want to hobnob with other experienced cruisers or other in a suite, it is great. But Royal Caribbean is having crowding issues (some popular cruises can have over 1,000 members who are Diamond or above). The lounges cannot hold everyone, and Royal Caribbean may soon limit who is allowed in.

 

So, which is better? I used to prefer Royal Caribbean over NCL. But lately Royal Caribbean has been disappointing. I like the longer cruises, which kinds of lets Carnival out. I am Platinum on Carnival and I like Carnival. So in the future I might have to do back to back cruises on Carnival. So I have given Princess a try (okay, but a little expensive) and soon I'll try NCL a few times and see which one I like the best. However, between Royal Caribbean and NCL, my suggestion is, try them both and decide which you like best. They are both good, but in different ways.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

New to this forum after only cruising on Celebrity and RCCL in the past.

 

Is the dining truly "freestyle" in that we can eat at any time without a reservation? RCCL says you can do that, but in reality you need to book ahead of time or else eat in the main dining room - or else wait and wait.

 

Also, I keep reading about Vibe passes- what is that?

 

Also, what is the space to passenger ratio on NCL? One thing we've enjoyed about Celebrity and RCCL is that the ships don't feel packed crowded. Even the Allure on spring break (6,000 people with 1,900 of them kids) didn't feel crowded.

 

Just off the Escape during spring break, full ship (or darn near to it).

 

Ship feels crowded the first day, especially after the muster drill...when everyone is trying to get on the elevators. After the first day, ship is so large, everyone just sort of finds their own space. Except for the pool deck...that always felt crowded.

 

On our pretty full ship, we never, ever had a problem getting a table in any restaurant, even when we were a large party. We tend to eat a bit later, 7:30 ish, and we were able to get tables for 6 - 10 in Taste, Savor and Manhattan just going down and checking in. (those were the three complimentary dining rooms with full menus). Mom likes to sit down for a meal and be waited on, so we also used Taste and Savor for breakfast with no wait. O'Shehans (the 24 hour irish pub themed restaurant with a pub style menu (nachos, wings, hot artichoke dip, hot dogs, burgers, Rubens, etc.) always had a table for us. Even the buffet, while it feels more crowded, always had a place for us to sit. I am a "Buffet Only In Emergency" person, but my family likes it for "first dinner" (the meal you eat between lunch and dinner).

 

We booked our specialty dining once we boarded for two of the restaurants, (the Brazilian Steakhouse the first night of cruise, and the French Restaurant for the third day), but for the third dinner included in our package, we called at 6:00p.m. the last day of the cruise to see if they could fit a party of 8 in at 8:00 p.m. and they could.

 

I do not like to make reservations for dinner: I like to decide when I am going to eat that day: based on when we ate at shore, how long we need to get ready, what shows we want to see, etc. I have never felt the wait for a table was too long on an NCL ship, even on the smaller ships.

 

Vibe passes are sold to a limited number of passengers on some ships once you board and allows adults into a small restricted area with its own bar, lounge chairs and hot tub each day. I have never purchased, and since we always sail with a balcony, I have never felt the need.

 

Best of luck to you!

[jdvmd]

I find I am both NCL and Royal equally not because I am seeing Royal out but because of the itineraries etc. That said, I think the food is MUCH better on NCL. Anyone remember the infamous ranch steak on RCCL? Dreadful.

[sprint180]

My 5 kids ( 18-29) and I have been on NCL and RCI. NCL is definitely our favorite. But maybe we chose the wrong rci ship, we went on the Allure. We hated the Allure. We liked NCL because there was enough to do to keep us busy or not, no getting reservations in advance. Although, with some research the reservations on Allure were not hard to do and we got to see what we wanted on Allure and didn't have conflicts. Basically we just liked the relaxedness of NCL. We thought the food is better then on the other lines we have been on also.

[BirdTravels]

My 5 kids ( 18-29) and I have been on NCL and RCI. NCL is definitely our favorite. But maybe we chose the wrong rci ship, we went on the Allure. We hated the Allure. We liked NCL because there was enough to do to keep us busy or not, no getting reservations in advance. Although, with some research the reservations on Allure were not hard to do and we got to see what we wanted on Allure and didn't have conflicts. Basically we just liked the relaxedness of NCL. We thought the food is better then on the other lines we have been on also.

So you need to do more of an apples-to-apples comparison. You would need to compare the Norwegian Escape (Quantum class ship) to the Allure (Oasis class ship). On the Escape, you need to book shows and meals. very similar to the Allure. And there are line for everything like the Allure.

[Tatka]

I find I am both NCL and Royal equally not because I am seeing Royal out but because of the itineraries etc. That said, I think the food is MUCH better on NCL. Anyone remember the infamous ranch steak on RCCL? Dreadful.

 

 

Ehhh, I remember long time ago. They have much more now. When that steak was discussed back then NCL food (in included restaurants) was even weaker. Both have improved in this regard

 

 

I do find that while RCCL buffets aren’t great, NCL ones are even weaker. Did they reinstate serving smoked salmon for breakfast on NCL?

[Tatka]

My 5 kids ( 18-29) and I have been on NCL and RCI. NCL is definitely our favorite. But maybe we chose the wrong rci ship, we went on the Allure. We hated the Allure. We liked NCL because there was enough to do to keep us busy or not, no getting reservations in advance. Although, with some research the reservations on Allure were not hard to do and we got to see what we wanted on Allure and didn't have conflicts. Basically we just liked the relaxedness of NCL. We thought the food is better then on the other lines we have been on also.

 

 

 

You don’t have to make reservations on NCL Jewel and RCCL Majesty, Radiance, Voyager and Freedom classes

 

You need to make reservations on NCL Breakaway and RCCL Oasis and Quantum classes.

 

Oasis class is unique and pretty spacious.

Breakaway & Quantum classes of both companies are overcrowded.

 

Breakaway class of NCL doesn’t have adequate pool space and indoor pool or Solarium which is a shame as their ships sail out of NYC during the winter.

[newmexicoNita]

Just off the Escape during spring break, full ship (or darn near to it).

 

Ship feels crowded the first day, especially after the muster drill...when everyone is trying to get on the elevators. After the first day, ship is so large, everyone just sort of finds their own space. Except for the pool deck...that always felt crowded.

 

On our pretty full ship, we never, ever had a problem getting a table in any restaurant, even when we were a large party. We tend to eat a bit later, 7:30 ish, and we were able to get tables for 6 - 10 in Taste, Savor and Manhattan just going down and checking in. (those were the three complimentary dining rooms with full menus). Mom likes to sit down for a meal and be waited on, so we also used Taste and Savor for breakfast with no wait. O'Shehans (the 24 hour irish pub themed restaurant with a pub style menu (nachos, wings, hot artichoke dip, hot dogs, burgers, Rubens, etc.) always had a table for us. Even the buffet, while it feels more crowded, always had a place for us to sit. I am a "Buffet Only In Emergency" person, but my family likes it for "first dinner" (the meal you eat between lunch and dinner).

 

We booked our specialty dining once we boarded for two of the restaurants, (the Brazilian Steakhouse the first night of cruise, and the French Restaurant for the third day), but for the third dinner included in our package, we called at 6:00p.m. the last day of the cruise to see if they could fit a party of 8 in at 8:00 p.m. and they could.

 

I do not like to make reservations for dinner: I like to decide when I am going to eat that day: based on when we ate at shore, how long we need to get ready, what shows we want to see, etc. I have never felt the wait for a table was too long on an NCL ship, even on the smaller ships.

 

Vibe passes are sold to a limited number of passengers on some ships once you board and allows adults into a small restricted area with its own bar, lounge chairs and hot tub each day. I have never purchased, and since we always sail with a balcony, I have never felt the need.

 

Best of luck to you!

yep,mega ship, full and muster drill= night mare.:rolleyes: