Just Back from Harmony of the Seas, liked NCL Better

[QuickieGlenn]

Was not impressed with the ship, it is big, but had many small spaces for so many people

Liked the Bliss much better

NCL has a more variety in the Buffet, Royal has better desserts

Needed reservations for everything, even My Time Dining, which I did not understand

[MyTMo777]

Thanks for the brief comparison. I've only ever sailed NCL, but I've been curious about RCCL, especially their biggest ships. 

[graphicguy]

10 minutes ago, QuickieGlenn said:

Was not impressed with the ship, it is big, but had many small spaces for so many people

Liked the Bliss much better

NCL has a more variety in the Buffet, Royal has better desserts

Needed reservations for everything, even My Time Dining, which I did not understand

Never could understand making reservations for My Time Dining, either.  Makes no sense.  If you decide you want to dine, you have to make reservations before showing up at the MDR?  The most recent Royal cruise I took was this past Spring on their Ovation.  Kind of the same feelings...about the spaces and the lines for the dining venues.  There was one evening where they posted a sign stating the Buffet (Windjammer) was sold out.  That was a first for me...the buffet being "sold out".

[Landl cruiser]

23 hours ago, QuickieGlenn said:

Was not impressed with the ship, it is big, but had many small spaces for so many people

Liked the Bliss much better

NCL has a more variety in the Buffet, Royal has better desserts

Needed reservations for everything, even My Time Dining, which I did not understand

I think we were on the same cruise, Oct 2-9.   I agree with your comments.  NCL is much better than Royal when it comes to dining.

 

[cruiseny4life]

23 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Never could understand making reservations for My Time Dining, either.  Makes no sense.  If you decide you want to dine, you have to make reservations before showing up at the MDR?  The most recent Royal cruise I took was this past Spring on their Ovation.  Kind of the same feelings...about the spaces and the lines for the dining venues.  There was one evening where they posted a sign stating the Buffet (Windjammer) was sold out.  That was a first for me...the buffet being "sold out".

Does My Time Dining really require reservations? Could I just stroll in and wait for a table to open up? 

 

Perhaps if the buffet sells out, My Time Dining does too. Did you ask the crew about the sold out buffet? I'd love to hear the context to it. Either way, none of that sounds very relaxing-like to me! 

[PTC DAWG]

On 10/10/2022 at 4:21 PM, MyTMo777 said:

Thanks for the brief comparison. I've only ever sailed NCL, but I've been curious about RCCL, especially their biggest ships. 

The Oasis Class Ships seem chopped up to me too…lots of things to see for sure. With younger family, I prefer NCL. 

[graphicguy]

26 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Does My Time Dining really require reservations? Could I just stroll in and wait for a table to open up? 

 

Perhaps if the buffet sells out, My Time Dining does too. Did you ask the crew about the sold out buffet? I'd love to hear the context to it. Either way, none of that sounds very relaxing-like to me! 

Yeah...you can get in line under My Time Dining.  I found it frustrating because there didn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason as to who got seated.  People got in line behind me who had My Time Dining, but were seated before me.

 

From what I understand, the MTDs were so dysfunctional, people got tired of waiting and went to the Buffet (Windjammer).  Every table was filled as a result, and the sign they put up stating "sold out".

 

I ended up going to their pizza restaurant, but the line for that was crazy long.

 

Went to a bar.  Had a liquid dinner and finally made it to the pizza place 3 hours later.  

 

Weird!

[cruiseny4life]

10 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah...you can get in line under My Time Dining.  I found it frustrating because there didn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason as to who got seated.  People got in line behind me who had My Time Dining, but were seated before me.

 

From what I understand, the MTDs were so dysfunctional, people got tired of waiting and went to the Buffet (Windjammer).  Every table was filled as a result, and the sign they put up stating "sold out".

 

I ended up going to their pizza restaurant, but the line for that was crazy long.

 

Went to a bar.  Had a liquid dinner and finally made it to the pizza place 3 hours later.  

 

Weird!

That is one hell of an experience. Thanks for the context! I'd be a very hangry customer and pretty sure no crew would want to deal with me. My husband helps keep me settled, but occasionally I go Karen-lite (I'm not one of those screaming, rip your face off karens)..which means I then have to go apologize. 

 

A recent experience in the Getaway's spa comes to mind. I demanded to pay ahead of time for my treatment and apparently did so rudely (or so says my husband). I just didn't want to deal with any payment discrepancies after the massage when I was relaxed. Yes, this happened in April when I had a massage...so after the massage when I was calm I went and apologized to the poor crew member that suffered my non-hangry wrath. Ugh, sometimes we humans are ridiculous.

 

I'm also not sure how that has anything to do with the topic at hand, but eh....

[Travelling2Some]

We recently sailed on the Oasis of the Seas kind of just for the heck of it.  This is the total opposite of what we normally do.  Usually we travel for the itinerary and the ship is very secondary.  However, we were pandemic weary and the ship was out of our home port and we were sick and tired of driving to second rate places.  Well, not sure what happened but the Oasis class used to be our favorite ships and we came home saying "never again".  We found the ship very LOUD and I realized either (1) we are getting old or (2) it's a design flaw because of the open space in the middle of the ship.  Agree that NCL's deserts are not great but I don't eat deserts so I don't care.  Indian food is important to me and NCL excels there.

[PATRLR]

19 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm also not sure how that has anything to do with the topic at hand, but eh....

LOL.  🙂  I'm glad you said it because I sure was thinking it. 😉

 

[MsTabbyKats]

"Sold out" buffet?????

 

RCCL wouldn't be for me.  Thanks for the "heads up".

[Travelling2Some]

I have never seen a sold out buffet on any cruise and the idea is pretty disturbing.  I'm picturing the Soup *** from Seinfeld saying, "No food for you!"

[Sailing12Away]

Haven't tried the big ships, but last year around this time we were on their smaller Jewel of the Seas. It was still early after Covid reopening, but the buffet wasn't open at all outside of breakfast and lunch. So your only option for dinner was MDR or specialty dining. We definitely missed our O'Sheehans on that trip.

We didn't have a problem just walking in for MDR, but we only had 2 in our party, the ship was only about 40% capacity, and we tend to eat later than normal.

[maggieq]

I haven’t been on a ncl ship during hot weather. However, I have heard that the oasis class has far more outside pool deck space including the solarium than the encore or same class?

 

true?

[blueslily]

1 hour ago, maggieq said:

I haven’t been on a ncl ship during hot weather. However, I have heard that the oasis class has far more outside pool deck space including the solarium than the encore or same class?

 

true?

 

True. Encore has limited open,  outdoor deck space. I was really disappointed saling on the Encore earlier this year. That ship is off my list. 

[bluesea777]

Earlier this year we went on the Joy with our DS and his girlfriend. It was her first NCL cruise, previously been on Oasis/Allure and Freedom. She loved the Joy and said NCL blew RCI out of the water. She said the Oasis/Allure was just too big, and loved the buffet on NCL.

 

 

[mianmike]

We find the two cruise lines to be more similar, than dissimilar.  We prefer NCL's dining: "eat when you want, where you want" vibe.  We have been cruising Royal more only because we've been finding more value vs NCL.  Additionally, we probably won't be cruising on NCL Alaska cruises as we love stopping at Ketchikan and hate NCL's replacement, Ward Cove.   

[graphicguy]

18 hours ago, Landl cruiser said:

I think we were on the same cruise, Oct 2-9.   I agree with your comments.  NCL is much better than Royal when it comes to dining.

 

Howdy.

 

The entertainment in 270 was little more than rehearsals, until there was a full performance the last day of the cruise.  And, it was unannounced.  

 

You know, aside from the foibles, I had a good time.  I have sailed Royal at other times and enjoyed them, also.  But, some people say tomato….others say tomawto.   Certainly plenty of people who like Royal.

 

This was well after the start up, otherwise I would have chalked it up to knocking off the rust by Royal.

 

At the end of the day, a cruise is what you make it.  But, when I shop for a cruise, Royal is pretty far down the list of ones I check these days.

 

 

[graphicguy]

14 hours ago, maggieq said:

I haven’t been on a ncl ship during hot weather. However, I have heard that the oasis class has far more outside pool deck space including the solarium than the encore or same class?

 

true?

I don’t know if they have more pool deck space.  But, their pools are bigger than NCL’s.

 

THe solarium on the Oasis class ships is a great place.  It’s been awhile but I sailed Allure.  IIRC, the Solarium had lots of windows but it wasn’t open to the outside.  Could be wrong on that count.

[graphicguy]

This is a pic of the line to get into the buffet before I was told it was “sold out”.

Edited October 12, 2022 by graphicguy