Was Loyal 2 Royal, now New 2 Norwegian

[BIBPhotography]

Good morning all!
My wife and I took our first cruise in 2018, and then took 3 more in 2019.  Like a lot of folks, we had 3 booked for 2020, but alas, those did not happen.  We've taken the plunge and have booked Breakaway out of New York (bucket list check off right there) for Oct 3, 2021.  So here's the questions I have.

1) As a newbie to NCL, what are the things I should be aware of? Are there any true differences between RCCL & NCL?
2) We were able to book getting the 5 free at sea offers.  The 5th one didn't effect me as our kids are grown.  What do I need to be aware of as far as the "Open Bar" package goes, as well as the Specialty Dining?

 

Any advice, tips or suggestions when traveling out of New Pork will be appreciated as well!

 

Thanks again!

Cruising Santa Scott

[ColeThornton]

If you haven't done so already read through the Frequently Asked Questions:

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq

 

To research things to do/travel/see in NYC check out the East Coast Departures forum:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/317-east-coast-departures/

[SpainAlien]

I have sailed a few times on Royal and found them to be very similar to NCL quality wise but the entertainment is, I think, a little better on NCL. 

 

With the drinks package bear in mind that this covers drinks up to 15$ each. You can buy two drinks at a time if you wish but the drinks package does not include bottled water or speciality coffee.

 

We normally make dining and entertainment reservations once they open up online - 90 days prior to sailing

 

I hope you have a fabulous time

 

 

[JamieLogical]

I think @SpainAlien covered the bases there. Try to book entertainment and specialty dining online ahead of your sailing. But if the times/venues you want aren't available, don't panic. They leave some capacity open for onboard bookings.

 

Drink package covers soda from the bars, but not in cans. It also doesn't cover bottled/boxed water or specialty coffees. It will cover any bar/restaurant drink (virgin or alcoholic) up to $15. It's usually noted on the drink menus which wines and spirits are over $15. If you do decide to order a drink over $15, you pay the difference, plus a 20% gratuity on the difference. So a $16 drink will cost you $1.20.

 

Oh, I forgot to say that specialty dining credit will cover the full meal at places that have a single charge (Teppanyaki or Moderno, for example) and will usually cover unlimited apps and desserts and one entrée from any of the a la carte restaurants. Some servers might try to tell you you can only have one app and one dessert, but the TOS is pretty clear that the only limit is on entrées. Some items on some menus at some restaurants have an upcharge. For example, the lobster or surf-and-turf will cost you some out of pocket on top of your specialty dining credit. But those items are currently few and far between.

Edited September 28, 2020 by JamieLogical

[PelicanBill]

I have sailed Anthem of the Seas and NCL Breakway both recently.   I generally like NCL better for staff, activities, bars, and entertainment better.  Anthem was a superior ship layout, wiht multiple pools, an adult pool area, and plenty of space. My biggest complaint about the NCL Breakaway class ships is 1/3 of the top decks are reserved for Suite and similar reserved/paid uses (Vibe club).  That leaves the rest of the top decks crowded and little space around the pool.  One new ship takes even more space away for an outdoor racetrack instead of the adults only sundeck usually at the rear of the ship. Also the one and only main pool is adults only, while a very small pool next to the splash area was for kids.  That leave teens with no pool on Breakaway class ships.  I like the food choices on NCL, although Anthem's buffet was superior to Breakaway's. 

[Promisekeeper]

We are Pinnacle on RCL, but have just booked on the Jade for an 18 night itinerary from Cape Town to Dubai Jan. 2022.  Our last NCL cruise was in 1996!  However, we were still able to locate our Latitudes membership numbers and got the 15% member discount.  So pleased about that!  I will look at the FAQ's before asking any questions.  Would have loved to book the Haven but out of our price range!  So we booked the forward Penthouse Suite.  Looking forward to Cape Town, which is one of the few places still on our bucket list!

[dexddd]

1 hour ago, Promisekeeper said:

We are Pinnacle on RCL, but have just booked on the Jade for an 18 night itinerary from Cape Town to Dubai Jan. 2022.  Our last NCL cruise was in 1996!  However, we were still able to locate our Latitudes membership numbers and got the 15% member discount.  So pleased about that!  I will look at the FAQ's before asking any questions.  Would have loved to book the Haven but out of our price range!  So we booked the forward Penthouse Suite.  Looking forward to Cape Town, which is one of the few places still on our bucket list!

That discount is not a normal thing but recently an offer.  

[RocketMan275]

Question:  The 'free' specialty dining, is that one meal for a couple at one restaurant?

[AstoriaPreppy]

8 hours ago, BIBPhotography said:

Are there any true differences between RCCL & NCL?

 

Overall, Royal Caribbean is a more "traditional" line, in how they present entertainment, food and beverages. NCL is a bit looser, but still similar in many ways. 

Royal Caribbean places a much higher emphasis on the MDR experience. On most of the RCI ships, you're getting multi-floored spectacular main dining rooms that seat thousands simultaneously. This is compared to NCL, which allocates a ton of space around the ship to more intimate speciality uncharge restaurants. Even the biggest complimentary main dining room on an NCL ship would barely be a single floor of a Royal MDR. 

Service on NCL tends to be adequate but impersonal. The other mass market lines tend to place an emphasis on friendly interactions from the crew. NCL is a lot more about efficiency. For example, the last time I sailed on the Norwegian Gem out of NYC, they'd permanently removed stools from the pool bar, and installed a queue line with ropes and stanchions for people to line up for drinks. Efficient, yes, but not something you'd see on other lines.

NCL allocates a lot more of the deck space to their suite/Haven guests, where Royal is mostly open to all with a ton of pools. NCL has a reputation for feeling crowded, although I've seen a $10 sale on a Royal Promenade before which was like a scene out of Fight Club. 

The main theaters on NCL are tiny compared to Royal ships. Royal also places a big emphasis on the main theater show each night, as the "thing" to see, where NCL doesn't really have the capacity (or passengers) who want to do that. 

Broadway productions on Royal are fully-licensed shows, where on NCL they're scaled down. That means if you see Cats on Oasis of the seas, they're doing one show a night with a full intermission in a giant theater. NCL does Priscilla on the Epic, but it's a scaled-down 90 minute version with no intermission in a much more intimate venue. 

Drinks: the wines included in the NCL drinks package are pretty awful. Royal at least has a number that are drinkable without regret. 

Cabins on NCL also tend to be a bit smaller than most other mass market lines, including Royal. 

[Wannacruise81]

Be prepared for the NY/NJ clientele.  It is much different than taking a cruise out of Florida.

 

[hallux]

Something that wasn't noted - freestyle cruising.  This is primarily related to dining.  On the nights for which you visit a MDR venue, just show up, no reservation needed, no predetermined dining time to select when booking the cruise.  You probably want to try showing up expecting to wait a little bit for a table, and don't show up at 6 if you have a 7:30 show to make.  If you do have a reservation for the early show, tell your server (no matter which venue) and they will make every effort to have you out in time to get to the show.

 

Speaking of shows - in pre-COVID times on the ships the size of Breakaway, you wanted reservations in order to ensure you had a seat for the shows.  The theater opens for those with reservations at or by 7.  By 7:20 they're opening the standby line to fill the rest of the seats so you want to be there by then if you had a reservation.

[Two Wheels Only]

4 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

NCL has a reputation for feeling crowded, although I've seen a $10 sale on a Royal Promenade before which was like a scene out of Fight Club. 

 

I think that those things happen on all of the mainstream lines.....

 

 

...whether it's t-shirts, watches, hats, etc. 

 

 

[hallux]

I either avoided the areas where it was happening or never saw the sale tables set up like a flea market on NCL, I just don't recall seeing it.

[farmersfight]

13 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

NCL has a reputation for feeling crowded, although I've seen a $10 sale on a Royal Promenade before which was like a scene out of Fight Club. 

 

[Promisekeeper]

20 hours ago, dexddd said:

That discount is not a normal thing but recently an offer.  

Thanks!  Yes, I was aware that the 15% discount would go away at any time, so that is why I booked the cruise to take advantage of it while it was still good.

[JamieLogical]

16 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Question:  The 'free' specialty dining, is that one meal for a couple at one restaurant?

 

The number of meals you get is dependent on the length of the sailing. Here's the current offer:

 

Sail Length	# Of Dining Package Meals		Retail Value		20% Gratuities
3-5 Nights	1		$44.95 per person		$8.99 per package
6-8 Nights	2		$79 per person		$15.80 per package
9-10 Nights	3		$99 per person		$19.80 per package
11-14 Nights	4		$114 per person		$22.80 per package
15+ Nights	5		$129 per person		$25.80 per package

[AstoriaPreppy]

11 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I think that those things happen on all of the mainstream lines.....

Yes, but at least Princess has the good sense to shove the pandemonium into a dining room. 

[luvsboozecruises]

19 hours ago, Wannacruise81 said:

Be prepared for the NY/NJ clientele.  It is much different than taking a cruise out of Florida.

 

Please explain what you mean.....

[luvsboozecruises]

I thought floridians were mostly from NY and NJ...

[RocketMan275]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

The number of meals you get is dependent on the length of the sailing. Here's the current offer:

 

Sail Length	# Of Dining Package Meals		Retail Value		20% Gratuities
3-5 Nights	1		$44.95 per person		$8.99 per package
6-8 Nights	2		$79 per person		$15.80 per package
9-10 Nights	3		$99 per person		$19.80 per package
11-14 Nights	4		$114 per person		$22.80 per package
15+ Nights	5		$129 per person		$25.80 per package

Thanks but I still don't understand.  If I'm on a seven day cruise, does this chart mean that my cabin mate and I would each get a meal on two different nights?  Or, is that a meal for each of us, total two meals, on one night?

[JamieLogical]

8 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Thanks but I still don't understand.  If I'm on a seven day cruise, does this chart mean that my cabin mate and I would each get a meal on two different nights?  Or, is that a meal for each of us, total two meals, on one night?

 

On a 7-night cruise, you and your cabin-mate would each get two specialty dining credits. You can each use those credits as you see fit. You can do two nights in the same restaurant, two nights in different restaurants, you can eat together, or you can eat separately.

[RocketMan275]

11 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

On a 7-night cruise, you and your cabin-mate would each get two specialty dining credits. You can each use those credits as you see fit. You can do two nights in the same restaurant, two nights in different restaurants, you can eat together, or you can eat separately.

Thank you.  That's what I wanted to know.