Royal Caribbean vs. Norwegian

[vaschroeder]

We have been on several Royal Caribbean cruises and love this line.  Now that we have grandkids I see the ads for Norwegian offering the perks of kids cruise free and free beverage packages.  We would love to take our kids and grandkids on a cruise.  Norwegian would make this dream more affordable, but I do not want to be miserable for a week on a cruise.  How does RCCL compare to Norwegian?  How does the food, entertainment, organization, staff, and amenities compare?  Thank you for your honest opinion. 

[Sccrkeepr]

I am a loyal Royal cruiser, but i have been on NCL in the last 6 months and I must say I enjoyed myself. I think the food and service is pretty even, though I think that Royal is more creative and innovative with their pay restaurants. NCL has some new ships out that have great perks, but so does RCCL. I enjoyed all of NCL's entertainment, from "Priscilla queen of the dessert" to their comedians. Royal's entertainment i have been dissapointed as of late. I did NOT like their take on "grease" and I thought their entertainers were kinds of lazy. Are you diamond or above on RCCL? Are you planning on a suite? if so I would go with Royal, i think their rooms are better, especially their suites and balconies. I also like their butler service over NCL's haven staff. 

 

 

[Clarea]

Typical RC vs NCL threads:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2595086-rccl-v-ncl/?do=findComment&comment=55973498

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2581938-ncl-vs-rc-food/?do=findComment&comment=55661801

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2528915-best-food-royal-vs-ncl/?do=findComment&comment=54492168

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2573835-loyal-royals-try-norwegian/?do=findComment&comment=55489884

 

 

 

[mugtech]

Being platinum plus on NCL and not a drinker I get more out of the loyalty program which includes 2 dinners for 2 at specialty restaurants.  For entertainment found Royal to be better, especially on Anthem.  The overall differences are minimal, both have plenty for the kids.  We choose based on itinerary and total cost for what we want.  Going on NCL out of Singapore in March, have 2 Royal cruises booked in May and August out of Florida and Amsterdam based on ports and cost.

[Colorado Babe]

WE have sailed on NCL two times. It's been a while but I would say pretty comparable. Yes, NCL is usually much cheaper.  

[SAmome]

Just cruise NCL Getaway or newer and you'll probably enjoy the change of pace.  Double check kids activities b/c you may like NCL Escape over NCL Bliss even tho Bliss is newer, Escape may be better with kids.

[davy jones]

They are similar.  Be sure to compare large ships to large ships and smaller ships to smaller ships.  

 

If you like RCI, you should not be "miserable" on NCL

 

Here are some of my general thoughts. Your tastes and preferences may differ.

 

RCI has traditional dining (if that is important to you).  NCL is freestyle only, but RCI offers the MTD option.  You can make reservations on both MTD and freestyle.

NCL ships seem to be a bit more crowded.  RCI seems to distribute the crowds better.

RCI solarium better than NCL Spice H2O

NCL has the advantage on included dining options on quality, availability, and variety.  (RCI food has slipped recently)

RCI mega ships have a few more daytime options than NCL.

Entertainment is good on both, subject to individual tastes.  I'll call this a tie.

Service is good on both, but recently a bit stressed in MDRs on both.

RCI allows personal quantities of soft drinks and wine to be carried on board.  NCL does not.

 

 

You will have a good time on either.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

18 hours ago, vaschroeder said:

We have been on several Royal Caribbean cruises and love this line.  Now that we have grandkids I see the ads for Norwegian offering the perks of kids cruise free and free beverage packages.

just so you know, the price for the cabin itself is higher if you pick the rate with the "free perks". The perks are not really free. You still pay for them, and then a 20% gratuity daily for the drink package. You really-really have to compare all the prices.

 

We did go on Norwegian twice last year - it was cheaper to buy a guarantee cabin for the 3 of us (a 7 yo DS) and actually pay for all three people than it was to get a cabin with the perk of a 3rd person free. Once you chose a cabin with the 3rd person free, the price of the cabin per person 1 and 2 went up, so the total price for the same cabin was now higher, even though the perk was "free". Norwegian makes you think you get something for free. You do not.

 

Other than that, if you pick a newer ship (Breakaway/Getaway and newer), they will have lovely activities for kids to enjoy outside the kid's club. If you pick an older ship, like Jade, there will be nothing to do for the kids.

 

Other people covered the other comparisons.

[rimmit]

NCL has kids sail free available on about the same Days RCI does so its equivalent. NCL tends to run their promo continously where as RCI runs the KSF promo about 4-5 months out of the year so you have to catch it.  

 

NCL is not any cheaper imo than RCI and if you do the rooms with perks it is actually more expensive by quite a bit.  You really have to compare on a case by case basis,  but i have found the bottom line price tends to be about the same or cheaper on RCI.  The rooms with perks tend to run 1000 more many times at least.  You really just end up paying for the perks.  It’s just marketing smoke and mirrors.

 

NCL has nice ships,  but their kids entertainment is really based outdoors on the Breakaway class ships.  If it’s inclement weather and they shut down the outside decks you are hoses as the indoor spaces can not accommodate without outside spaces.  There is also nothing indoors to do for kids except the kids program,  unlike RCI typically has the seaport on the quantum ships or ice skating rinks on the other ships that are not vision or radiance class.

 

overall,  we like RCI better but NCL is good if you have good weather.

[cementhands]

18 hours ago, vaschroeder said:

We have been on several Royal Caribbean cruises and love this line.  Now that we have grandkids I see the ads for Norwegian offering the perks of kids cruise free and free beverage packages.  We would love to take our kids and grandkids on a cruise.  Norwegian would make this dream more affordable, but I do not want to be miserable for a week on a cruise.  How does RCCL compare to Norwegian?  How does the food, entertainment, organization, staff, and amenities compare?  Thank you for your honest opinion. 

NCL has great ships with lots of innovative activities. We’ve been on a bunch. Epic Spirit and Dawn 3 Times, the others I can’t remember. NCL use to have second city comedy but sadly no longer. Shows are very good. Food and service good and sometimes great. Search reviews for the ships you are considering. Beyondships has lots of info and pictures although a bit dated.

Years ago we took our 3 kids at age 5, 7, and 9 for free on Carnival. We had a guaranteed room but no info until we got to the ship. The staff checking us in said “ You got a great cabin, Bossman”.    I thought he was busting me, as I didn’t pay much.

Turns out we had 1 of 10 veranda suites on the ship. 

Best cabin we ever got.

Only our second cruise.

 We our loyal customer for RCL and Celebrity but continue to cruise Ncl when the Price is Right.

The newest ships have go carts on top deck. White hot party is great. Quest adult game great. Shenanigans Pub hot wings and comfort food around the clock included.

Price the cheapest room and compare to the up charge cost of room with drinks package. There is additional tips charge. 

Free drinks come at a cost. When you are on an island it’s out of pocket.

[Joebucks]

They are both great options with lots of similarities. If you like one, chances are you won't hate the other. 

 

Don't get roped into something because it is "free". Compare what your bottom line price would be. You may very well save money. You might pay more money.

[debgreg]

Here in the UK NCL costs much more than RCI.  

[clean1owner]

I have sailed almost as many RCCL as NCL, and found them to be very similar with respect to food, entertainment, lodging, amenities. They both do things I like, and they both do things I like not so much.  

 

I used to give RCCL a small edge because they still offer Traditional dining, but on my most recent Enchantment cruise, it was almost a hindrance, due to the way things are scheduled. 

 

To me, NCL seems to have better suite perks, and loyalty perks, but not by a lot.

 

Any more, when choosing a cruise, I look at both RCCL and NCL, and then make my final decision based on itinerary and price.

[bearette]

I have done both, and I will say, each line does certain things better. Personally, I thought NCL's buffet, shows, and the kids club was better, and you can get the drink package cheaper.  RCCL has better food/service in the dinning room, on board activities, and just had a nicer atmosphere.

 

These things are so subjective that you will find you don't agree with me (or others), but I don't think you will regret trying something different.  

[ilovetotravel1977]

NCL's pool decks are not great. One adult pool for everyone to share!

[rimmit]

5 minutes ago, ilovetotravel1977 said:

NCL's pool decks are not great. One adult pool for everyone to share!

Also on breakaway class ships no indoor pool unless in a suite.

[Aquahound]

On 1/16/2019 at 4:04 PM, vaschroeder said:

We have been on several Royal Caribbean cruises and love this line.  Now that we have grandkids I see the ads for Norwegian offering the perks of kids cruise free and free beverage packages.  We would love to take our kids and grandkids on a cruise.  Norwegian would make this dream more affordable, but I do not want to be miserable for a week on a cruise.  How does RCCL compare to Norwegian?  How does the food, entertainment, organization, staff, and amenities compare?  Thank you for your honest opinion. 

 

Some might disagree with me but my recommendation is to avoid ships older than Breakaway.  I cruised Sky and Dawn and they were 2 of my all time worst cruises.  

 

That said, I cruised Escape and for the most part, it was great.  Entertainment was really good.  I'd rate NCL second to RCI in that field.  Service was good.  We loved the outdoor dining in the specialty restaurants.  My biggest complaints, though, were the crowding and the very small pool deck.  Escape was, by far, the most crowded and chaotic ship I've ever sailed.  

 

You just need to know that "free" beverage package isn't actually free.  First, that package isn't included in the lowest fares for each stateroom category.  You have to pay, sometimes, a few hundred more per person to get those benefits.  Two, they tack on a service charge.  It comes out to about $100 per person on a 7 night cruise.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Aquahound

[rimmit]

29 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

Escape was, by far, the most crowded and chaotic ship I've ever sailed.  

 

Try the Breakaway in cold weather...

[flarad]

9 hours ago, rimmit said:

 

Try the Breakaway in cold weather...

We had the same experience on the Getaway but to be fair it was July 4 week. It was awful. The fact that there is only one pool was horrific that week. I've never seen a pool like that one. We really like NCL but that cruise made me choose RCI for our cruise in June. Can't wait to try the Symphony.

That being said the biggest difference I would say between the two lines is NCL's ships seem to emphasize the sea while RCI emphasizes the inside boardwalk area.  We love the outside boardwalk area on the newer NCL ships. The large sea side promenade is really special. I'd definitely sail again, off season.

[wayne_trisha]

We went on the Getaway  in December 2017 before Christmas and had a great cruise. We took our adult children and their spouses as a Christmas present to them. Lucked into a great sale and upgraded all of us from oceanview and interior cabins to balconies for next to nothing. Everyone received the specialty dining and beverage package and we enjoyed the dinners and drinks. This cruise was way cheaper than RCCL when you look at the included packages. RCCL wants $891 for the beverage package on out June HOTS cruise. I would not hesitate to go back on NCL on their newer ships. Not sure about their older one but then again, I don't look at older RCCL ships either.

[CRUIS4ME]

We are almost top tier on both lines and fine them very very similar in entertain,ent, food, and service.  I really like NCL having cool wash cloths and water as we reboard from being at a port.  RCCL has done this sometimes.   NCL has a better system for MyTime Dining...they make it really no or little hassle whereas RCCL just can’t figure it out.   Maybe they have by now as it has been a couple years since our last RCCL cruise.   But last time we went on RCCL the my time dining was not user friend,y if you didn’t have reservations and the folks that seated us were really unable to manage this aspect easily.   We took the NCL Escape out of NYC/NJ and I won’t be going on the that ship again as, although it was gorgeously appointed, the cruiseline installed Jumbotron movies screens in the main atrium, the adult pool, and so many TVs In The sports bar that it was very hard to escape the constant barrage of noise and visual entities...I think they were trying to appeal to the folks who need audio and visual stimulation all day long.   Not for me!   I must admit I absolutely Despise the marketing while on board NCL as they have this slogan about things you are FREE to do with free styling cruising.....as they charge for everything much like Royal....  irk!

 

So so I guess it comes down to the ship and itinerary...and value for the money.   But all in all, we have found them to be comparable in value and services.    

[Tatka]

We sailed on RCCL a little bit more than NCL, and have higher status, so ... Diamond lounge :). I’d compare ships , not whole lines. Ships are different.

For example we enjoy 90k tons ships of NCL , but didn’t like Breakaway. We didn’t feel she has adequate pool space. We also don’t understand why NCL assigns ships to sail year around out of Northeast and doesnt add indoor pools to them. 

 

Food is subjective. Neither line has great food, but it is good overall.

 

Entertaiment again.. depends on the ship. For scheduled shows on larger ships we enjoyed RCCL more, but on 90k ships we loved quality of production shows more on NCL. This summer on Star they were quite amazing! I’d seriously pay to see Paradis or Las Vegas.

 

We find bathroom amenities to be better on NCL for regular accommodations. For example NCL had shampoo, conditioner and soap dispensers, while Royal has shampoo (really bad) and piece of soap. In most cases I do bring my own anyway, but it’s nice to have better variety.

 

NCL does have “Free at sea” promotions, but if you take them you usually pay more for your cabin (although this summer our cabin with drink package was priced the same as without promos) . NCL drinking package doesn’t include juices, water, coffee if this is important, but if it is a promo, than you only pay 20% as gratuities on $99 a day.

 

Breakaway class has coffee pots in state rooms.

[Btj301]

I've been on NCL Getaway and Escape few years back.  Love the dining choices and service from crew was always excellent.  Staterooms are nicely appointed.  Entertainment is good.  Enjoyed Legally Blonde (broadway musical) and comedians.  Pools are very small, but luckily I was able to secure access to vibe beach club on both sailings- which requires you to rush to ship and be first aboard to get in line for access. Did not enjoy that rush, but think Vibe is essential to enjoying time on deck as the pool areas are way too crowded.  Spice H20 at back seems ok, but just a water feature no pool.  In Vibe (still no pool, just water feature and hot tubs), you got amazing service from bar staff, and was able to make friends from other people in Vibe throughout the week.  

 

I did feel like NCL was cheaper than RCCL when they combine the perks, vs booking on RCCL and buying drink/ dining packages separately.  This is why went back to NCL a second time, pricing overall won.  

 

I've been on some older RCCL ships, so not a fair comparison to NCL's newest, but I think the lines are far more similar than different, and if you enjoy one you'll enjoy the other.  

 

One thing RCCL excels at is in their ship design, and wow spaces which push the entire industry forward.  I'm excited to finally try an Oasis class on Harmony in a few months.  As one who appreciates interesting architecture and design, RCCL (and Celebrity) have no peers.  NCL builds nice ships, but they  seem like nice public rooms built into the generic box ship, vs as as RCCL's ships seem designed especially for the grand spaces   Think ten deck atriums, three and four deck dining rooms, expansive mall like multi deck promenades, and Central Park and Boardwalk built into the widest hull with a split superstructure of several decks cabins above.  It is really amazing how they designed the Oasis Class, which has still has no peer in the industry over ten years later.