NCL Noob?!?

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 12/3/2022 at 9:22 AM, cw2go said:

A little about us... 55 and 58 yrs old, active and some what experienced cruisers/travelers. Love the Med, Alaska and always have a Winter Escape in the works. 

 

We have sailed Princess, RCCL, Carnival (One & Done) and Celebrity which has been our line of choice since the kids abandoned us 😁

 

I have 2 cruises booked currently with NCL ~ One is 9nt Europe on Escape and the other is 7nt Southern Caribbean on Viva. 

I chose these cruises because of a few reasons, they are both port heavy with no sea days. We often get bored with sea days on any line. So done with belly flop contests! Looking forward to some variety, new shows/entertainment to mix it up. The ships look very nice and have true balconies, Celebrity has IV class ships in the itineraries we are looking for. 

I always pre book our dining and always end up in some specialties, on all lines. So I thought NCL would be a good fit in this regard. 

 

Now I am reading and probably over thinking 🤯

 

But could those of you who have traveled with multiple lines share what I should expect differently? I have heard uncountable times that NCL food has a lot to be desired and this has me concerned. I am not a Michelin 5* Girl...  BUT ... I do like to Eat and I Eat good! My hips are proof of that! 😂

 

My booking includes 2 meals, should I add a Specialty Dining package? I see they have a special for another 2 meals at $70 pp including grats in my planner. And if so how does the booking process work? With Celebrity, I never do the packages because you can then only book on board and many of the dining venues/times are super limited at that point. I book pre cruise for the Specialty of choice on my preferred day/time. I'm also confused by the ale'cart on some and cover charges on others, how does a pre paid meal package covers those? I also never book them for ever night, we also go to the MDR but from what I've read on that board (as you can imagine) is that I'll starve if I don't book Specialties For All My Meals! 

 

For the entertainment, I have never pre booked for shows or comedy acts. Is this required on NCL or just suggested? For me I find this to be anything but "Freestyle" 

 

The VIBE area is also bookable in my planner, really curious for some input about this area? We won't be on board all day, on any day but when we are we do like to lounge and enjoy an adult bevi. But I also see there isn't a pool so how hot is this area? 

 

I'd appreciate any input to help wrap my head around the NCL way of cruise planning,

Patty 

 

 

 

 

As a regular Celebrity cruiser (who has also sailed NCL a bunch), it's good to set realistic expectations re: dining.

 

If you think the MDR food on Celebrity is reasonable quality and well-flavored, you're going to be disappointed with the MDR food on NCL. I've always framed NCL MDR food as having a "banquet at the old Holiday Inn by the airport" quality to it. Celebrity MDRs use higher quality proteins, and the flavors, preparation and presentations are more creative than what you'll find on NCL. From our experience, the specialty dining on NCL is closest to what you'd find in the MDR on Celebrity. (Celebrity speciality dining is another step up from that)

 

When we sail NCL, we've almost always purchased a speciality dining package to make up the nights we don't have included as a free promo. If you google "NCL dining packages" it will take you to the page where you can price this out. When you use one of these dining package meals, ignore the a-la-carte pricing in the restaurant: you get apps, a main and dessert.

 

Some other thoughts: 

 

You will have to pre-book stuff on NCL, including shows and meals. "Freestyle" is more marketing than any anything else at this point. With restaurants, don't worry if you can't book online in advance, they hold a chunk for booking onboard. 

 

If you're a pool-deck person who likes a chair, you might want to consider Vibe passes. Celebrity pool decks tend to be huge, resort-style setups, but NCL's are a lot smaller (space is taken over by the Haven). Booking Vibe guarantees a space (and bar) that isn't completely mobbed. If you're doing lots of port days, this may be less of an issue.

 

Be prepared for the balconies on NCL (specifically the Escape) to feel *tiny* compared to Celebrity. A standard balcony on the Solstice is 55 sq ft... on Escape, it's 32. The staterooms on NCL also feel narrower to me.

 

Also, be prepared for some lines. NCL cruisers are very okay queuing up for shows, but also at bars: when we sailed the NCL Gem out of NY most recently, they'd removed stools from one of the pool bars and placed a queue with rope and stanchions. 

That said, NCL is a more relaxed feel than Celebrity, which is why a lot of cruisers love it. Shorts and casual wear are pretty much okay everywhere 24/7, with the exception of one MDR and the French restaurant. Coming from Celebrity, I'd encourage you to keep an open mind and give NCL a try... just be prepared for some differences and you'll be fine.

 

[cw2go]

34 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

As a regular Celebrity cruiser (who has also sailed NCL a bunch), it's good to set realistic expectations re: dining.

 

If you think the MDR food on Celebrity is reasonable quality and well-flavored, you're going to be disappointed with the MDR food on NCL. I've always framed NCL MDR food as having a "banquet at the old Holiday Inn by the airport" quality to it. Celebrity MDRs use higher quality proteins, and the flavors, preparation and presentations are more creative than what you'll find on NCL. From our experience, the specialty dining on NCL is closest to what you'd find in the MDR on Celebrity. (Celebrity speciality dining is another step up from that)

 

When we sail NCL, we've almost always purchased a speciality dining package to make up the nights we don't have included as a free promo. If you google "NCL dining packages" it will take you to the page where you can price this out. When you use one of these dining package meals, ignore the a-la-carte pricing in the restaurant: you get apps, a main and dessert.

 

Some other thoughts: 

 

You will have to pre-book stuff on NCL, including shows and meals. "Freestyle" is more marketing than any anything else at this point. With restaurants, don't worry if you can't book online in advance, they hold a chunk for booking onboard. 

 

If you're a pool-deck person who likes a chair, you might want to consider Vibe passes. Celebrity pool decks tend to be huge, resort-style setups, but NCL's are a lot smaller (space is taken over by the Haven). Booking Vibe guarantees a space (and bar) that isn't completely mobbed. If you're doing lots of port days, this may be less of an issue.

 

Be prepared for the balconies on NCL (specifically the Escape) to feel *tiny* compared to Celebrity. A standard balcony on the Solstice is 55 sq ft... on Escape, it's 32. The staterooms on NCL also feel narrower to me.

 

Also, be prepared for some lines. NCL cruisers are very okay queuing up for shows, but also at bars: when we sailed the NCL Gem out of NY most recently, they'd removed stools from one of the pool bars and placed a queue with rope and stanchions. 

That said, NCL is a more relaxed feel than Celebrity, which is why a lot of cruisers love it. Shorts and casual wear are pretty much okay everywhere 24/7, with the exception of one MDR and the French restaurant. Coming from Celebrity, I'd encourage you to keep an open mind and give NCL a try... just be prepared for some differences and you'll be fine.

 

Thank you for this detailed response. 

[phillygwm]

On 12/3/2022 at 9:22 AM, cw2go said:

Now I am reading and probably over thinking 🤯

 

But could those of you who have traveled with multiple lines share what I should expect differently? I have heard uncountable times that NCL food has a lot to be desired and this has me concerned. I am not a Michelin 5* Girl...  BUT ... I do like to Eat and I Eat good! My hips are proof of that! 😂

 

My booking includes 2 meals, should I add a Specialty Dining package? I see they have a special for another 2 meals at $70 pp including grats in my planner. And if so how does the booking process work? 

 

For the entertainment, I have never pre booked for shows or comedy acts. Is this required on NCL or just suggested? For me I find this to be anything but "Freestyle" 

 

The VIBE area is also bookable in my planner, really curious for some input about this area? We won't be on board all day, on any day but when we are we do like to lounge and enjoy an adult bevi. But I also see there isn't a pool so how hot is this area? 

Everyone will have different opinions here because the questions are so subjective.  I prefer NCL for the value.  It isn't the cheapest, it isn't the most luxe, but I always feel like it was worth the money I spent.  I'd prefer they roll up service charges/gratuities in the overall charge but I know what to expect there and can live with it.

 

Personally, I always upgrade to all specialty meals.  Others find MDR or even buffet to their liking.  But I find the quality and service in most of the specialty restaurants to be better and I don't love the huge main rooms on any ship.  NCL has other smaller restaurants (usually Taste and Savor) which are OK for breakfast or lunch.  But I'm on vacation so I'm going to upgrade.  The specialty restaurants are usually of good -- but not 5 star -- quality.  Service, at least in the specialties, is generally good to exceptional.  Can you get a bad meal?  Sure.  I haven't had too many, though, and they pay attention.  If you didn't eat a certain dish they'll ask if it was satisfactory and will go out of their way to make it right.  I'd travelled with my niece and her friend.  The friend ordered scallops.  She'd never eaten scallops and didn't care for them.  The waitstaff was so apologetic (hey, she tried it and it wasn't her thing...it wasn't a prep issue!) that we thought they'd be thrown overboard over it 🙂

 

As far as restaurant reservations go, I make mine as soon as I can, 125 days (IIRC) before sailing -- just as placeholders.  Once I'm onboard, I may not want French on the night I'd scheduled.  You can then see what else is open and change accordingly but you have a fallback if availability isn't what you like.  Some restaurants, particularly the steak house, will tend to book up at peak times.

 

I usually skip most of the entertainment.  Again, just my thing.  When I do go, I either book ahead for the big shows or show up early for those which are general admission.  I'd rather be in the casino or a bar.

 

I also spend very little time at the pool so would never book Vibe.  It's fairly costly for lounging out there occasionally.  I'd take that money and upgrade to Free at Sea Plus:  A couple extra specialty meals, Internet, the high end drink package, and better excursion credits.  But if you like lounging I've heard it's very nice.

Edited December 6, 2022 by phillygwm

[hallux]

2 hours ago, phillygwm said:

125 days (IIRC)

120 for most, Platinum status or The Haven get to book sooner (125 and 130 days)...

[phillygwm]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

120 for most, Platinum status or The Haven get to book sooner (125 and 130 days)...

OK, right for me, wrong for a noob 🙂