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.

[Doug R.]

We were on the Getaway, the Breakaway's sister ship. We found the smoke from the casino easily the worst in all our cruises. Not just in the casino, but the stench carried down one deck to what passes as an atrium including the pub. During disembarkation the line to depart wound around through the casino which stunk to high heaven from the final night smokathon.

 

We agree with the comments on dining and enjoyed Cagney's and Ocean Blue. Main dining was ok but the highlight there was a lady at an adjacent table removing her teeth and drying them on her napkin before eating. 😁.

 

We had a mini-suite and enjoyed the larger bath but did not care for the closet.

 

Otherwise, we enjoyed the cruise but our hearts belong to Princess.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Doug R.

[MISTER 67]

We've sailed with most of the Mainstream cruise lines but never on NCL, every time I check on rates it seems I can always get better rates on our 2 favorites, Princess and HAL.

 

[Oceansaway17]

NCL has great entertainment.  Also have the BEST solo rooms of any cruise line.

Those rooms are on higher decks with inner hallways and mostly quiet.

Also, NCL has wonderful customer service.  I have done 4 cruises so far and I love the Thermal SPA on Escape and Bliss.

[RNRcruisers]

Thanks for the fair review. We have been on both and agree with most of your points. Also agree that, while we would consider NCL, all other things being equal we would stick with Princess. 

[eclue]

2 hours ago, RNRcruisers said:

Thanks for the fair review. We have been on both and agree with most of your points. Also agree that, while we would consider NCL, all other things being equal we would stick with Princess. 

Have been on Norwegian once and you could not pay me to take another one - Love Princess - they are the best.

[TheNightDawg]

2 minutes ago, eclue said:

Have been on Norwegian once and you could not pay me to take another one - Love Princess - they are the best.

Funny.... I was on one Princess and not interested in another!  Love NCL; they have exactly what I'm looking for in a cruise vacation.

[Buckeye10640]

We sail both Princess and NCL. Actually my favorite thing about NCL is the relaxed dress code and the fact we can comfortably go to the dining room in casual clothing (nice shorts or jeans and shirt). Now I do realize that's a negative for some folks!  Also, we will  use NCL to go to Bermuda since Princess does not sail there. 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[hllwdcruiser]

10 hours ago, TheNightDawg said:

Funny.... I was on one Princess and not interested in another!  Love NCL; they have exactly what I'm looking for in a cruise vacation.

Just curious...why then are you even bothering to visit the Princess board, let alone comment?🤔

Edited January 1, 2022 by hllwdcruiser

[hllwdcruiser]

19 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

We sail both Princess and NCL. Actually my favorite thing about NCL is the relaxed dress code and the fact we can comfortably go to the dining room in casual clothing (nice shorts or jeans and shirt). Now I do realize that's a negative for some folks!  Also, we will  use NCL to go to Bermuda since Princess does not sail there. 

If all goes as planned we will be going to Bermuda in February on the Enchanted....

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

NCL has great entertainment.  Also have the BEST solo rooms of any cruise line.

Those rooms are on higher decks with inner hallways and mostly quiet.

Also, NCL has wonderful customer service.  I have done 4 cruises so far and I love the Thermal SPA on Escape and Bliss.

NCL is far from my favorite cruise line, but I will say that the best entertainment we have ever had on any cruise ship was on NCL.

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, eclue said:

Have been on Norwegian once and you could not pay me to take another one - Love Princess - they are the best.

 

10 hours ago, TheNightDawg said:

Funny.... I was on one Princess and not interested in another!  Love NCL; they have exactly what I'm looking for in a cruise vacation.

To quote Sly and the Family Stone, "Different strokes for different folks".

[Buckeye10640]

1 hour ago, hllwdcruiser said:

If all goes as planned we will be going to Bermuda in February on the Enchanted....

Are you sure you dont mean Barbados, which is on the southern Carribean route Enchanted is sailing? Or is that a trans-Atlantic?

Edited January 1, 2022 by Buckeye10640

[hllwdcruiser]

14 minutes ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Are you sure you dont mean Barbados, which is on the southern Carribean route Enchanted is sailing? Or is that a trans-Atlantic?

I stand corrected! Must be New Year's Day brain fog.....at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! 🤣

Edited January 1, 2022 by hllwdcruiser

[nocl]

Sail most lines.  One that I would probably not sail again is NCL.

[memoak]

I took one NCL cruise and it was the smallest cabin I have ever seen. Never again

[Oxo]

1 hour ago, nocl said:

Sail most lines.  One that I would probably not sail again is NCL.

We have sailed most lines, too. There is not one that I probably would not sail again. They all have pluses n minuses.

Food subjective.

Entertainment varies based on what you like.

Some people like small ships others like big ships.

They all nickel n dine you.

Your money and it is your choice.

What did you not like about NCL?

[Oxo]

4 minutes ago, memoak said:

I took one NCL cruise and it was the smallest cabin I have ever seen. Never again

Did the cruise line assign you the cabin or your TA or did you pick it out? 

I always look at the size of a cabin when I book.

People complained when Regal and Royal came out with the size of their balconies.

Edited January 1, 2022 by Oxo

[dides]

18 minutes ago, memoak said:

I took one NCL cruise and it was the smallest cabin I have ever seen. Never again

We had a horribly tiny bathroom for a balcony cabin on one of the older NCL ships - Jade - which put us off for a while. But have since stayed in Club Balcony cabins (as mentioned by the OP) on more recent Breakaway Plus ships like Bliss and Encore.  Love the shower and bathroom size for these and would only cruise on this class on NCL - mainly for the District Brewhouse, the musical entertainment and speciality restaurants.  We tend to avoid the main dining rooms as the food falls way below Princess standards. 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by dides

[HBCcruiser]

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree with many of your observations regarding the Breakaway. I do enjoy sailing both lines for different reasons. As a suite cruiser, though, I must say that nothing beats the NCL Haven, (except perhaps Royal's Star Class on the larger ships). NCL Haven prices have skyrocketed lately, making sailing NCL unattractive for us right now. IMO Princess offers a great product at a great price. Love the Sanctuary and Adult only pool too! 😃

 

Happy cruising! 

[nocl]

22 minutes ago, Oxo said:

We have sailed most lines, too. There is not one that I probably would not sail again. They all have pluses n minuses.

Food subjective.

Entertainment varies based on what you like.

Some people like small ships others like big ships.

They all nickel n dine you.

Your money and it is your choice.

What did you not like about NCL?

The food quality was not very good, ordered meatloaf at one meal and it looked more like canned dog food.

 

NCL more than the other lines, convert more of the inside spaces of their ships into their various specialty dining venues, leaving less space for places to just sit, relax and read.  Public spaces were limited inside, tending to push everyone up to the upper outside spaces, compared to other lines. Then they cut off some of that space in designs when they added Haven.

[Oxo]

1 minute ago, nocl said:

The food quality was not very good, ordered meatloaf at one meal and it looked more like canned dog food.

 

NCL more than the other lines, convert more of the inside spaces of their ships into their various specialty dining venues, leaving less space for places to just sit, relax and read.  Public spaces were limited inside, tending to push everyone up to the upper outside spaces, compared to other lines. Then they cut off some of that space in designs when they added Haven.

Thanks for letting us know why you are not in favor of NCL. 

We are Elite on Princess with over 50 Princess cruises. We are Platinum on NCL. I could add our other levels for the other cruise lines,  but irrelevant.

Have you cruise NCL JOY or the newer ships that have the Observation Deck 15?

We just got off of the Joy. Talk about space with couches, loungers, Starbucks, dining stations and bar. Or the outside area on Deck 8, Waterfront.

Yes, NCL has a variety of Specialty Restaurants (5-7) that are outstanding when compared to Princess' two.

You have the Local/Osheehans open 24/7 for food.

I am not talking about the Haven which is a ship within a ship. I don't need a butler to unpack my clothes, escorts us to a show, etc. So, never pay for the Haven.

I am not trying to change your mind. I am just taking the time to let you know why I cruise NCL, PRINCESS, MSC, HAL, CELEBRITY, RCI. They all have pluses n minuses.

Stay Safe! 

 

[nocl]

6 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Thanks for letting us know why you are not in favor of NCL. 

We are Elite on Princess with over 50 Princess cruises. We are Platinum on NCL. I could add our other levels for the other cruise lines,  but irrelevant.

Have you cruise NCL JOY or the newer ships that have the Observation Deck 15?

We just got off of the Joy. Talk about space with couches, loungers, Starbucks, dining stations and bar. Or the outside area on Deck 8, Waterfront.

Yes, NCL has a variety of Specialty Restaurants (5-7) that are outstanding when compared to Princess' two.

You have the Local/Osheehans open 24/7 for food.

I am not talking about the Haven which is a ship within a ship. I don't need a butler to unpack my clothes, escorts us to a show, etc. So, never pay for the Haven.

I am not trying to change your mind. I am just taking the time to let you know why I cruise NCL, PRINCESS, MSC, HAL, CELEBRITY, RCI. They all have pluses n minuses.

Stay Safe! 

 

You and I will have different opinions about the quality of the specialty dining on NCL, I found them to be more like strip mall ethnic.

 

Have not had any reason to try NCL in the past few years since there is really nothing unique about their itineraries.  We mostly sail by itineraries unless our grand kids are along when we tend to RCL.

Edited January 1, 2022 by nocl

[Oxo]

14 minutes ago, nocl said:

You and I will have different opinions about the quality of the specialty dining on NCL, I found them to be more like strip mall ethnic.

 

Have not had any reason to try NCL in the past few years since there is really nothing unique about their itineraries.  We mostly sail by itineraries unless our grand kids are along when we tend to RCL.

Understand. Your money your choice! 

Happy New Year!

[nocl]

6 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Understand. Your money your choice! 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year