Thinking of booking a Norwegian cruise over Royal Caribbean

[pabrett46]

Hello there,

So I have pretty much exclusively booked Royal Caribbean in the past.  I thought I'd like to try something else for a change.   So.. I find it kind of hard to figure out what comes with your cruise and what doesn't.   So if you've cruised both lines can you tell me the difference?   We are looking at NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans.  I've mostly cruised the Oasis class ships with Royal Caribbean.

I have a teenager come with us... so I'm looking for something that offers things for her to do.   What is included with the cost of the cruise?  What would I have to pay extra for?  Ie drink packages, both alcohol and non alcohol, shows, meals etc.

Thanks in advance.

Debbie

[dwp1127]

1 hour ago, pabrett46 said:

Hello there,

So I have pretty much exclusively booked Royal Caribbean in the past.  I thought I'd like to try something else for a change.   So.. I find it kind of hard to figure out what comes with your cruise and what doesn't.   So if you've cruised both lines can you tell me the difference?   We are looking at NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans.  I've mostly cruised the Oasis class ships with Royal Caribbean.

I have a teenager come with us... so I'm looking for something that offers things for her to do.   What is included with the cost of the cruise?  What would I have to pay extra for?  Ie drink packages, both alcohol and non alcohol, shows, meals etc.

Thanks in advance.

Debbie

We have traditionally been NCL and Celebrity cruisers in the past (along with 3 Disney Cruises over the years when the kids were younger).   We just got off RCL Ovation of the Seas from Seattle -> Alaska last week (our first RCL cruise), and while I won't say we "hated" it, we definitely came to the realization that RCL (or at least the Ovation) isn't for us.   I'm 47, Wife is 44, boys are 13/11.  We've cruised 9+ times, so have some basis of comparison.  We've sailed Haven on NCL, non-haven, etc.

 

To RCL's credit, I thought our Wait Staff in the main dining room was hands down, the BEST wait staff we've ever had on 9+ cruises with different lines.  They were truly excellent.

 

What we didn't like about RCL (or at least the Ovation):

1. WAY too many people crammed into the ship with limited options on Day 1.   Embarkation itself wasn't bad, but once we got on the ship it was a complete mess.  15-20+ minute waits for the elevators, and the only thing really open/available was windjammer (buffet) at that point.   Once you got up there, it was just a sea of humanity and good luck finding a table.   On NCL, we feel there are more things "open" and available on embarkation day.   Even after the first day, it just always felt crowded.  Never have felt that way on NCL.  We met a couple who had been on Oasis and they felt it was design flaw with Ovation, saying that Oasis felt much more "roomy", so perhaps it was just the ship.

 

2. VERY limited dining options.   We had a 5:15 Main dining seating (we were with my in-laws).   By 9pm I wanted a snack. I don't do Pizza.  I was pretty much out of any real options at that point.   NCL I feel like there's always SOMETHING available with some variety.  I never felt like I had to hunt things out on an NCL ship.

 

3. Internet was AWFUL compared to NCL.   We were in the Med last year on Epic and I was literally facetiming my kids crystal clear, as well as doing some stuff for work.  On RCL (Ovation), it (no exaggeration) took my wife 6 hours to upload 20 pictures to Facebook (and we did have the streaming package).

 

4. VERY limited entertainment.  Again, I'm hearing this may have been more of an Ovation of the Seas issue vs. RCL overall, but we were not impressed at all with the night time entertainment.

 

5. I felt like EVERYTHING was an upcharge on Ovation.  Granted, most cruise lines are heading this way, but I never felt like I was being nickle and dimed on NCL.

 

To RCL's credit, my boys (13/11) LOVED Seaplex.  They practically lived up there between Bumper Cars, Basketball, Xbox, etc.   My 11 y/o had ZERO interest in the kids club (we stopped by after registering him to drop him off, and even my wife and I said "no way".. they had a bunch of 10-12 year olds literally just sitting like it was a Kindergarten class room with not much activity.  Beyond Seaplex, my boys said the cruise was "boring" compared to other cruises we've done.

 

Hope this helps... I know it's just my personal opinion, but I really don't see us doing RCL again.  We're already booked for NCL Encore next summer, and we're all looking forward to it.

 

[cincicruisers]

We are Diamond on RCCL.  We tried NCL a few years ago.  We were hooked.  The lines are more alike than different.  Two things that stand out on NCL is the dining options and the entertainment.  There are more choices (pay and free) for food on NCL.  The shows are really good although I hear the shows on Oasis and Quantum are good.  NCL runs promos for Specialty Dining and Beverage packages which makes them economical.  I don’t have any info on kids programs.  For us we stay with NCL for the food, entertainment, and the overall experience. 

[Deeliteful]

Dwp1127 I think the internet issue was probably down to the fact you were cruising in Alaska rather than it being a RCL issue.

i did my first NCL cruise in June on the Breakaway, (usually cruise with RCL, Celebrity or P&O) and I was pleasantly surprised.

i am sailing on the Getaway in December so for OP I think you would definitely enjoy it. Younger demographic than X and plenty for kids to do.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Deeliteful

[FLAHAM]

I have had great cruises on both NCL and RCCL.  For your teenager, note that (in my opinion) RCCL's "freestyle" soda machines are tons better than the limited soda selections only available from NCL's bar staff.  

[pabrett46]

1 hour ago, dwp1127 said:

We have traditionally been NCL and Celebrity cruisers in the past (along with 3 Disney Cruises over the years when the kids were younger).   We just got off RCL Ovation of the Seas from Seattle -> Alaska last week (our first RCL cruise), and while I won't say we "hated" it, we definitely came to the realization that RCL (or at least the Ovation) isn't for us.   I'm 47, Wife is 44, boys are 13/11.  We've cruised 9+ times, so have some basis of comparison.  We've sailed Haven on NCL, non-haven, etc.

 

To RCL's credit, I thought our Wait Staff in the main dining room was hands down, the BEST wait staff we've ever had on 9+ cruises with different lines.  They were truly excellent.

 

What we didn't like about RCL (or at least the Ovation):

1. WAY too many people crammed into the ship with limited options on Day 1.   Embarkation itself wasn't bad, but once we got on the ship it was a complete mess.  15-20+ minute waits for the elevators, and the only thing really open/available was windjammer (buffet) at that point.   Once you got up there, it was just a sea of humanity and good luck finding a table.   On NCL, we feel there are more things "open" and available on embarkation day.   Even after the first day, it just always felt crowded.  Never have felt that way on NCL.  We met a couple who had been on Oasis and they felt it was design flaw with Ovation, saying that Oasis felt much more "roomy", so perhaps it was just the ship.

 

2. VERY limited dining options.   We had a 5:15 Main dining seating (we were with my in-laws).   By 9pm I wanted a snack. I don't do Pizza.  I was pretty much out of any real options at that point.   NCL I feel like there's always SOMETHING available with some variety.  I never felt like I had to hunt things out on an NCL ship.

 

3. Internet was AWFUL compared to NCL.   We were in the Med last year on Epic and I was literally facetiming my kids crystal clear, as well as doing some stuff for work.  On RCL (Ovation), it (no exaggeration) took my wife 6 hours to upload 20 pictures to Facebook (and we did have the streaming package).

 

4. VERY limited entertainment.  Again, I'm hearing this may have been more of an Ovation of the Seas issue vs. RCL overall, but we were not impressed at all with the night time entertainment.

 

5. I felt like EVERYTHING was an upcharge on Ovation.  Granted, most cruise lines are heading this way, but I never felt like I was being nickle and dimed on NCL.

 

To RCL's credit, my boys (13/11) LOVED Seaplex.  They practically lived up there between Bumper Cars, Basketball, Xbox, etc.   My 11 y/o had ZERO interest in the kids club (we stopped by after registering him to drop him off, and even my wife and I said "no way".. they had a bunch of 10-12 year olds literally just sitting like it was a Kindergarten class room with not much activity.  Beyond Seaplex, my boys said the cruise was "boring" compared to other cruises we've done.

 

Hope this helps... I know it's just my personal opinion, but I really don't see us doing RCL again.  We're already booked for NCL Encore next summer, and we're all looking forward to it.

 

Hello

Thank you for your feed back.  It helps alot.   I do know what you mean by the crowds on embarkation day.  We found it to be crowded as well.  We did find that once the rooms were ready it seemed to help ease the crowds somewhat. 

 

I appreciate the comments.

[pabrett46]

49 minutes ago, cincicruisers said:

We are Diamond on RCCL.  We tried NCL a few years ago.  We were hooked.  The lines are more alike than different.  Two things that stand out on NCL is the dining options and the entertainment.  There are more choices (pay and free) for food on NCL.  The shows are really good although I hear the shows on Oasis and Quantum are good.  NCL runs promos for Specialty Dining and Beverage packages which makes them economical.  I don’t have any info on kids programs.  For us we stay with NCL for the food, entertainment, and the overall experience. 

Thank you..  so you don't have to pay for shows do you?  I thought I saw something about that somewhere.

[pabrett46]

17 minutes ago, Deeliteful said:

Dwp1127 I think the internet issue was probably down to the fact you were cruising in Alaska rather than it being a RCL issue.

i did my first NCL cruise in June on the Breakaway, (usually cruise with RCL, Celebrity or P&O) and I was pleasantly surprised.

i am sailing on the Getaway in December so for OP I think you would definitely enjoy it. Younger demographic than X and plenty for kids to do.

Thank you

[Sauer-kraut]

The show you MIGHT pay for is a dinner show, not in the dining room.  So that is the only  show that requires payment.  There are several upcharge restaurants on NCL, but there are also 2-3 main dining rooms, a 24 hour pub food pub, the buffet and usually an "auxiliary buffet" area as well that are no charge.  Sometimes (on some ships) there is a deck bbq, and in the casino late night there might be a finger food (savory and sweet) area set up to appease those late night cookie cravings. 

Everything that requires an extra charge will be noted in the Freestyle Daily newsletter so there is no worry about wandering into a place and being expected to pay by mistake.

You will find there are two different alcohol packages, one includes top shelf liquor and specialty coffees and the basic one doesn't.

[pabrett46]

Ok thank you that is good information. 

[pabrett46]

51 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

I have had great cruises on both NCL and RCCL.  For your teenager, note that (in my opinion) RCCL's "freestyle" soda machines are tons better than the limited soda selections only available from NCL's bar staff.  

Ok thank you.  

[CruisingNole]

I cruise the “big 3” lines and I find NCL to be equivalent to Carnival but the food isn’t as good. It’s a good time, but not anything to write home about. The food in particular is awful. Similar “clientele.”

 

Royal’s Oasis class ships can’t be compared to NCL because there is no comparison. The entertainment, food, service, everything makes NCL inferior in comparison.

[cincicruisers]

1 hour ago, pabrett46 said:

Thank you..  so you don't have to pay for shows do you?  I thought I saw something about that somewhere.

There is no charge for the two main y do have “dinner shows” that come with a price.

[mugtech]

We found the entertainment to be very good on both NCL and RCCL.  The best show we ever saw at sea was We Will Rock You on Anthem OTS.  We have not done an Oasis class ship yet, but we found the Anthem the best in overall food, entertainment  and layout of the ship.  We would pick it or her sister ships, of which Quantum is one, over the Breakaway, which we have sailed.

[swmichigan cruiser]

Just my opinion and I am Diamond Plus on Royal and Platinum Plus on NCL our last 4 cruises have been on NCL and I have six more cruises booked right now five on NCL and one on Royal. Th one on Royal was only booked because I can get off the Royal ship and walk down to get on the Encore. I especially like the entertainment on NCL compared to Royal. Both lines are good but NCL is my choice.

[smplybcause]

40 minutes ago, cincicruisers said:

There is no charge for the two main y do have “dinner shows” that come with a price.

 

Because there are a few options that combine food/show for a fee. Like Wine Lovers The Musical. I don't recall if you can use your dining package for them or not since I've never had one. I think there's a few similar lunch/dinner shows that charge a fee on other NCL ships. 

[Sailing12Away]

It's funny how opinions can vary so widely. I was literally on the RCC website a few mins ago trying to find a cruise to replace our currently booked Jan 2020 one, but gave up. I can never get a full, accurate price as you can't add on drink packages or dining options until after you book. With NCL and their current 'take all 5' promo, everything is included in your price so there's no guessing.

 

Drinks up to $15 included, anything exceeding that price you pay the difference. Free specialty dining for a few nights of your cruise, with plenty of other free options for dining at any time day/night that you want a snack. Main entertainment shows are included for free, with tons of other smaller options depending upon the ship (comedians, musicians/bands, game shows, educational seminars).

 

Comparing NCL to Carnival and calling them equivalent is a low blow.... not even close. NCL and RCC are very similar in terms of clientele, but I tend to associate RCC with more of a family oriented ship with lots more kids things (completely dependent upon the ship though, as the newer NCL ones are a tough competitor).

 

We've been wanting to try one of RCC newer ships with the penthouse suite, but again, I find it nearly impossible to find a cruise that has these rooms available and always just end up giving up. My best suggestion is to look through some of the trip reports for the ship you're interested in, and see if people have posted pictures of the daily newsletters. That will tell you exactly what type of entertainment is on your ship and your teen can see if anything catches their eye.

[Sailing12Away]

18 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Because there are a few options that combine food/show for a fee. Like Wine Lovers The Musical. I don't recall if you can use your dining package for them or not since I've never had one. I think there's a few similar lunch/dinner shows that charge a fee on other NCL ships. 

The Epic has a cirqe de solei type of dinner show that costs extra. The other big headliner shows are free.

[aimish]

I had a similar experience to DWP1127, except that I was on Quantum with my family (4 kids who were then 4, 8, 10 and 12).  Here is a little comparison: Full disclosure...Quantum was brand new at the time, so I assume RCCL has fixed some of our issues.

 

1. CROWDS:

RCCL - The crowds were outrageous and there were huge lines for everything. The pool area was mobbed and the wait for elevators was crazy.  Definitely the worst on Day 1, but the lines were awful the entire time.

NCL- We have never experienced that on NCL and have been on NCL ships  of varying sizes.

 

2. DINING-

RCCL-The Quantum tried to perfect "anytime dining" and it was awful. We had 8:30 reservations at Chops one night and they didn't seat us until almost 9:30! Long waits were the norm for meals the whole cruise. On a positive...I thought the buffet on RCCL was substantially better than NCL's.

NCL - has many more dining options and a much better reservation system. I love that you can see which restaurants have short wait times or no wait times. Cirque du soleil on NCL is a great experience. Like others have said, NCL seems to have more flexible times to eat.

 

3. EMBARKATION-

RCCL - The day before we were boarding we received an email telling us to come an hour later. We did and it still took over two-and-a-half hours to get through the check-in line. Nightmarish! I don't know if that was just the NJ port or if RCCL has that issue elsewhere, but it sucked, lol.

NCL- Never had issues checking-in. I have been in regular balcony cabins and the Haven and either way, never had more than one or two families in front of me on line.

 

4. ENTERTAINMENT- (Nothing beats DCL for kids club experience)

RCCL - I actually loved the entertainment on board. Thought it was better than NCLs. The shows were comparable, but the entertainment for the kids was better on RCCL than most of the NCL ships we've been on. My kids loved the bumper cars and arcade, and my oldest loved the wave rider. We didn't participate in as many things as we wanted, because of the vast crowds. My kids did hate their kids' club though, but they don't love NCL's either.

NCL- Great shows, including the comedy shows and Howl at the Moon. Love bowling and the painting classes you can sign-up for and the water slides on NCL can't be beat (depending on the ship). Burn the Floor is one of my favs.

 

5. CREW-

RCCL- Other than the neverending lines (and their losing my luggage for a day) my biggest gripe with RCCL was how completely miserable the crew members were. They were just awful and so unapproachable. Many passengers were talking about it, so I think it may have been an anomaly, but seriously the most miserable crew we have ever encountered.

NCL - Not quite up there with Disney Cruise Line's cheerfulness, but have only had pleasant encounters with them.

 

6. CABINS-

Hard to compare since they only had cabins that could sleep two available, so my family stayed in three cabins. We used to stay in adjoining balconies on NCL and now stay in a two-bedroom Haven. NCL's Haven obviously blows RCCL's cabins away, but I have never stayed in RCCL's suites, so it is not a fair comparison.

 

All in all, we prefer NCL over our one RCCL experience. I really want to try the Oasis class ships since everyone says they are fabulous, but I have a stubborn husband who refuses to give RCCL another chance since he loves NCL. My honest opinion is that if you go on Breakaway or one of NCL's even never ships, you will have a fabulous time. They have much more to do for kids and grownups than some of NCL's older ships.

 

Good luck!

 

[maggieq]

After many years of being loyal to Rccl and a few celebrity cruises, we booked the Encore TA.   We are excited about cruising on a brand new ship - did the same itin on the Quantum.  I have heard the entertainment is terrific on these NCL ships so looking forward to that for sure.  One negative off the bat - no bottled water with the drink package ?   On Rccl and celebrity it is included on in addition to specialty coffees.  Not a deal breaker but disappointed. 

Edited August 10, 2019 by maggieq

[LoraJ]

10 minutes ago, maggieq said:

After many years of being loyal to Rccl and a few celebrity cruise , we booked the Encore TA.   We are excited about cruising on a brand new ship - did the same itin on the Quantum.  I have heard the entertainment is terrific on these NCL ships so looking forward to that for sure.  One negative off the bat - no bottled water with the drink package ?   On Rccl and celebrity it is included on in addition to specialty coffees.  Not a deal breaker but disappointed. 

 

 

I plan on bringing a refillable bottle or 2.  Although, I cannot remember if they are weird about using your own bottles at the buffet. 

[maggieq]

37 minutes ago, LoraJ said:

 

 

I plan on bringing a refillable bottle or 2.  Although, I cannot remember if they are weird about using your own bottles at the buffet. 

I will buy the bottled water no problem. Just shocked it’s not included when every other cruise line includes it in their drink package...I think?

[pabrett46]

15 hours ago, CruisingNole said:

I cruise the “big 3” lines and I find NCL to be equivalent to Carnival but the food isn’t as good. It’s a good time, but not anything to write home about. The food in particular is awful. Similar “clientele.”

 

Royal’s Oasis class ships can’t be compared to NCL because there is no comparison. The entertainment, food, service, everything makes NCL inferior in comparison.

THank you for your feedback

[pabrett46]

15 hours ago, cincicruisers said:

There is no charge for the two main y do have “dinner shows” that come with a price.

THank you

[pabrett46]

Thank you everyone for your input.  Lots of comments both pro and con.   I think with the booking now there appears to be a drink package included? ??  But I think I will call them and clarify a few things.   

 

 

I think I will do a bit more research for sure.   I love RCI for sure.  I can't say enough good things about the OASIS class ships.  I honestly have not cruised anything smaller.  But my husband wants to try something else.  He's Norwegian so I'm not sure if he's hoping they will reward him for his heritage and give him free tshirt or what..🤣  (not really).  I think the thought of going through New Orleans is also tempting.   I do agree that I think NCL and RCI are similar in alot of ways.    The airfare for us as we are from Canada is higher going to New Orleans.. but if we don't have to pay for a drink package that would make up the difference.   But I definitely have to clarify that.

 

Thanks again everyone I really appreciate the feedback and it's nice to get honest feed back that is not bashing if you know what I mean.   

Debbie