NCL vs. Princess

[Denverite]

NCL vs Princess

 

We are seasoned cruisers – 22 cruises with Princess, 2 with HAL and our first with NCL. We were on the Norwegian Breakway NYC to New Orleans. We chose this cruise strictly for the itinerary.

 

Cabin:

We were in a club balcony. Hands down, NCL has a huge bathroom with double sinks and a very large shower and is far superior to Princess. The cabin itself seemed smaller than deluxe balcony or mini-suite on Princess and I did not like the placement of the closet. Princess wins on cabin. Balcony size similar on both.

 

Dining:

We dined at Cagneys, Ocean Blue, Le Bistro and La Cucina. Food at Ocean Blue and Le Bistro was excellent. Cagneys was okay, but we didn’t particularly care for La Cucina. Just as a comparison, we don’t care for Sabatini’s on Princess (similar to La Cucina). We loved O’Sheehans for lunch and thought the food was very good. The buffet was hit or miss, some items cold. I haven’t been on Princess post-Covid so not sure how the buffet now on Princess would compare. Pre-covid we liked all the choices at the Princess buffet. We ate in the dining room (Taste) several nights and was similar to Princess. There was one section of the dining room where the service was very slow. I would rate dining room food similar on both lines. We really like the International Café on Princess and there was not a comparable on NCL.

 

Beverage Package:

We opted not to take the beverage package on NCL because it did not include water or specialty coffee. Princess package does include both water and specialty coffees and teas. We did prepay for a water package ($20+) on NCL while Princess offers 12 bottles of water for $7.08.

 

Atrium:

Princess atriums are much lighter and more inviting than NCL. I did like the big screen for Trivia on NCL but other than that, we didn’t spend much time in the atrium area.

 

Staff:

We had an amazing cabin steward and all the stewards along the hallway were very friendly. We have found this, for the most part, to be true on Princess. We had no issues during the cruise so did not have to utilize other administrative staff.

 

OBC:

I was amazed that NCL refunds in cash any remaining refundable credit at the end of the cruise. With Princess, they will send you a check in 4 weeks or so after the cruise. Princess only refunds in cash if you have $25 or less. I liked this aspect of NCL’s policy.

 

Entertainment:

We saw the main shows in the theater and thought they were excellent. The sound was way too loud, but I find this true on all cruises. I take ear plugs and can still hear very well. The “Bamboozled” was a puzzle where you tried in groups to unlock a box given certain clues. I thought this was very confusing and would not do this again. I think most people found the lack of direction confusing and very few people actually solved the puzzle. We went to a couple of comedians and they were good. I liked that they were in a smaller venue than a big theater. Trivia was well attended and loved the big screen to see the questions. Comparison to Princess: We have pretty much seen all the production shows on Princess and they are good as long as the singers/dancers are good. I like the Movies Under the Stars on Princess and the movies on demand in your stateroom. I might give a slight edge to NCL on the production shows.

 

Excursions:

Normally we book private excursions. However, in these Covid times, we decided to go with ship excursions. We had $50 off one excursion for each port. In comparison, I found the excursions to be more costly than Princess and fewer selections – but this might be because of Covid precautions. I would give a slight edge to Princess because of cost and selection. We get 10% off each excursion with Princess.

 

Overall ship:

The rope course and water slides were very seldom used. Perhaps this is because there were no children on the cruise. I don’t need water slides/rope courses/go karts etc. on a cruise so I prefer Princess that better utilizes space without these amenities. This is only my opinion and I am sure families and other cruisers enjoy this.

 

The ship itself seemed darker and not as open and airy as Princess ships. The jogging track was smaller than Princess although it was sufficient for walking – you just had to go around more times! The gym was smaller and again darker. Princess has large gyms with equipment facing the large windows. Because the ship was only about 50% full, there was no problem finding chairs by the pool. However, if the ship were full, I can see where chairs in the shade would be at a premium. There seemed to be a lot of chairs available in the sun.

 

Elevators were very seldom full and were very prompt, probably because the ship was not at full capacity. Walking the stairs, I seldom saw anyone else.

 

Overall, I probably would not book a cruise on this ship if it were at full capacity. Would I sail on NCL again? Possibly if the itinerary was one that Princess did not offer. If itineraries were similar and cost was similar I would probably stay with Princess.

[MNcruisingcouple]

3 minutes ago, Denverite said:

NCL vs Princess

 

We are seasoned cruisers – 22 cruises with Princess, 2 with HAL and our first with NCL. We were on the Norwegian Breakway NYC to New Orleans. We chose this cruise strictly for the itinerary.

 

Cabin:

We were in a club balcony. Hands down, NCL has a huge bathroom with double sinks and a very large shower and is far superior to Princess. The cabin itself seemed smaller than deluxe balcony or mini-suite on Princess and I did not like the placement of the closet. Princess wins on cabin. Balcony size similar on both.

 

Dining:

We dined at Cagneys, Ocean Blue, Le Bistro and La Cucina. Food at Ocean Blue and Le Bistro was excellent. Cagneys was okay, but we didn’t particularly care for La Cucina. Just as a comparison, we don’t care for Sabatini’s on Princess (similar to La Cucina). We loved O’Sheehans for lunch and thought the food was very good. The buffet was hit or miss, some items cold. I haven’t been on Princess post-Covid so not sure how the buffet now on Princess would compare. Pre-covid we liked all the choices at the Princess buffet. We ate in the dining room (Taste) several nights and was similar to Princess. There was one section of the dining room where the service was very slow. I would rate dining room food similar on both lines. We really like the International Café on Princess and there was not a comparable on NCL.

 

Beverage Package:

We opted not to take the beverage package on NCL because it did not include water or specialty coffee. Princess package does include both water and specialty coffees and teas. We did prepay for a water package ($20+) on NCL while Princess offers 12 bottles of water for $7.08.

 

Atrium:

Princess atriums are much lighter and more inviting than NCL. I did like the big screen for Trivia on NCL but other than that, we didn’t spend much time in the atrium area.

 

Staff:

We had an amazing cabin steward and all the stewards along the hallway were very friendly. We have found this, for the most part, to be true on Princess. We had no issues during the cruise so did not have to utilize other administrative staff.

 

OBC:

I was amazed that NCL refunds in cash any remaining refundable credit at the end of the cruise. With Princess, they will send you a check in 4 weeks or so after the cruise. Princess only refunds in cash if you have $25 or less. I liked this aspect of NCL’s policy.

 

Entertainment:

We saw the main shows in the theater and thought they were excellent. The sound was way too loud, but I find this true on all cruises. I take ear plugs and can still hear very well. The “Bamboozled” was a puzzle where you tried in groups to unlock a box given certain clues. I thought this was very confusing and would not do this again. I think most people found the lack of direction confusing and very few people actually solved the puzzle. We went to a couple of comedians and they were good. I liked that they were in a smaller venue than a big theater. Trivia was well attended and loved the big screen to see the questions. Comparison to Princess: We have pretty much seen all the production shows on Princess and they are good as long as the singers/dancers are good. I like the Movies Under the Stars on Princess and the movies on demand in your stateroom. I might give a slight edge to NCL on the production shows.

 

Excursions:

Normally we book private excursions. However, in these Covid times, we decided to go with ship excursions. We had $50 off one excursion for each port. In comparison, I found the excursions to be more costly than Princess and fewer selections – but this might be because of Covid precautions. I would give a slight edge to Princess because of cost and selection. We get 10% off each excursion with Princess.

 

Overall ship:

The rope course and water slides were very seldom used. Perhaps this is because there were no children on the cruise. I don’t need water slides/rope courses/go karts etc. on a cruise so I prefer Princess that better utilizes space without these amenities. This is only my opinion and I am sure families and other cruisers enjoy this.

 

The ship itself seemed darker and not as open and airy as Princess ships. The jogging track was smaller than Princess although it was sufficient for walking – you just had to go around more times! The gym was smaller and again darker. Princess has large gyms with equipment facing the large windows. Because the ship was only about 50% full, there was no problem finding chairs by the pool. However, if the ship were full, I can see where chairs in the shade would be at a premium. There seemed to be a lot of chairs available in the sun.

 

Elevators were very seldom full and were very prompt, probably because the ship was not at full capacity. Walking the stairs, I seldom saw anyone else.

 

Overall, I probably would not book a cruise on this ship if it were at full capacity. Would I sail on NCL again? Possibly if the itinerary was one that Princess did not offer. If itineraries were similar and cost was similar I would probably stay with Princess.

 

Nice comparison of the two lines.  We've primarily cruised NCL but are considering trying other lines, so this is very helpful information.  

We enjoy listening to music in the evenings.  Does Princess have much of that available and what types of music?

[Cruising Lynne]

6 hours ago, Denverite said:

NCL vs Princess

 

We are seasoned cruisers – 22 cruises with Princess, 2 with HAL and our first with NCL. We were on the Norwegian Breakway NYC to New Orleans. We chose this cruise strictly for the itinerary.

 

Cabin:

We were in a club balcony. Hands down, NCL has a huge bathroom with double sinks and a very large shower and is far superior to Princess. The cabin itself seemed smaller than deluxe balcony or mini-suite on Princess and I did not like the placement of the closet. Princess wins on cabin. Balcony size similar on both.

 

Dining:

We dined at Cagneys, Ocean Blue, Le Bistro and La Cucina. Food at Ocean Blue and Le Bistro was excellent. Cagneys was okay, but we didn’t particularly care for La Cucina. Just as a comparison, we don’t care for Sabatini’s on Princess (similar to La Cucina). We loved O’Sheehans for lunch and thought the food was very good. The buffet was hit or miss, some items cold. I haven’t been on Princess post-Covid so not sure how the buffet now on Princess would compare. Pre-covid we liked all the choices at the Princess buffet. We ate in the dining room (Taste) several nights and was similar to Princess. There was one section of the dining room where the service was very slow. I would rate dining room food similar on both lines. We really like the International Café on Princess and there was not a comparable on NCL.

 

Beverage Package:

We opted not to take the beverage package on NCL because it did not include water or specialty coffee. Princess package does include both water and specialty coffees and teas. We did prepay for a water package ($20+) on NCL while Princess offers 12 bottles of water for $7.08.

 

Atrium:

Princess atriums are much lighter and more inviting than NCL. I did like the big screen for Trivia on NCL but other than that, we didn’t spend much time in the atrium area.

 

Staff:

We had an amazing cabin steward and all the stewards along the hallway were very friendly. We have found this, for the most part, to be true on Princess. We had no issues during the cruise so did not have to utilize other administrative staff.

 

OBC:

I was amazed that NCL refunds in cash any remaining refundable credit at the end of the cruise. With Princess, they will send you a check in 4 weeks or so after the cruise. Princess only refunds in cash if you have $25 or less. I liked this aspect of NCL’s policy.

 

Entertainment:

We saw the main shows in the theater and thought they were excellent. The sound was way too loud, but I find this true on all cruises. I take ear plugs and can still hear very well. The “Bamboozled” was a puzzle where you tried in groups to unlock a box given certain clues. I thought this was very confusing and would not do this again. I think most people found the lack of direction confusing and very few people actually solved the puzzle. We went to a couple of comedians and they were good. I liked that they were in a smaller venue than a big theater. Trivia was well attended and loved the big screen to see the questions. Comparison to Princess: We have pretty much seen all the production shows on Princess and they are good as long as the singers/dancers are good. I like the Movies Under the Stars on Princess and the movies on demand in your stateroom. I might give a slight edge to NCL on the production shows.

 

Excursions:

Normally we book private excursions. However, in these Covid times, we decided to go with ship excursions. We had $50 off one excursion for each port. In comparison, I found the excursions to be more costly than Princess and fewer selections – but this might be because of Covid precautions. I would give a slight edge to Princess because of cost and selection. We get 10% off each excursion with Princess.

 

Overall ship:

The rope course and water slides were very seldom used. Perhaps this is because there were no children on the cruise. I don’t need water slides/rope courses/go karts etc. on a cruise so I prefer Princess that better utilizes space without these amenities. This is only my opinion and I am sure families and other cruisers enjoy this.

 

The ship itself seemed darker and not as open and airy as Princess ships. The jogging track was smaller than Princess although it was sufficient for walking – you just had to go around more times! The gym was smaller and again darker. Princess has large gyms with equipment facing the large windows. Because the ship was only about 50% full, there was no problem finding chairs by the pool. However, if the ship were full, I can see where chairs in the shade would be at a premium. There seemed to be a lot of chairs available in the sun.

 

Elevators were very seldom full and were very prompt, probably because the ship was not at full capacity. Walking the stairs, I seldom saw anyone else.

 

Overall, I probably would not book a cruise on this ship if it were at full capacity. Would I sail on NCL again? Possibly if the itinerary was one that Princess did not offer. If itineraries were similar and cost was similar I would probably stay with Princess.

 

Thank you for this comparison. My local casino recently changed their free cruise giveaway to Princess from NCL. I have a voucher for a free cruise on Princess, but have been hesitating to book something. This makes me think I may give Princess a try.

I am trying to book cruises this coming year that I do not need to fly to get to the embarkation port. The voucher does not include cruises from NY, but I wonder if they will allow a change? I live in New England so I have two cruises from NY and one from Boston planned for 2022. My great cruise restart!

[Denverite]

7 hours ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

Nice comparison of the two lines.  We've primarily cruised NCL but are considering trying other lines, so this is very helpful information.  

We enjoy listening to music in the evenings.  Does Princess have much of that available and what types of music?

I am not sure how things have changed post Covid. I will know more after our January cruise on Sky Princess. Usually Princess has music nightly in the atrium. The atrium was used in the morning for exercise/dance classes. In the early evening there might be a string quartet or piano. Later music to dance to. The Vista Lounge in the back has various entertainment. The Sky Princess has Take 5 which has live jazz. It just depends upon which ship you are on. Movies under the Stars is great. Popcorn and cookies and milk served and blankets available if cold. Again, I don’t know if some of these activities have been changed because of social distancing.

[sprint180]

I  like both.  Go on NCL with my kids, love the ships, lots of activities and great entertainment.  Go on Princess with my husband.  Definately more sedate and a lot of beige.   Not a lot of active things to do.  My "old sole" child likes Princess, the others prefer NCL.