Norwegian Cruise Line what do people think of them

[lordbyron]

Hi all. We are thinking of going on a NCL cruise (Norwegian dawn or Norwegian Star) but wondered what peoples opinions are of the cruises? We have travelled regularly with P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and wondered how they compare. How do the cabins compare, food, entertainment etc, your comments would be much appreciated

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by lordbyron
added ships

[mjkacmom]

This thread right on this page has a lot of information.

[DCGuy64]

24 minutes ago, lordbyron said:

Hi all. We are thinking of going on a NCL cruise (Norwegian dawn or Norwegian Star) but wondered what peoples opinions are of the cruises? We have travelled regularly with P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and wondered how they compare. How do the cabins compare, food, entertainment etc, your comments would be much appreciated

 

That's a very broad question, I'm sure you know. The only one of the four you mentioned with whom we have also traveled, is Royal. Compared to NCL, I would say NCL is a bit more laid-back. I think their pricing is very competitive vis-a-vis Royal Caribbean. Depending on the itinerary and time of year, you may find a lot of families with young children. Food is decent in the MDR, but much better in the specialty restaurants. The Dawn and Star are two of the older ships, so that might make a difference in terms of size. Dawn and Star were both refurbished not long ago, in 2021. Hope that helps.

[NewPennCruiser]

Personally I think most of the mainstream cruise lines are more alike than different anymore.  We have mostly cruised Princess with a few cruises each on NCL, Celebrity and Azamara and I agree with another comment that NCL is more laid back.  I also think the passengers skew a little younger although that will probably depend on length of cruise and port of departure.  Entertainment and food can be very subjective but again I think each cruise line sort of does some things better than others but honestly to me, they are all very similar.  Our most recent cruise was out of New York on the Joy and it was by far the most casual and laid back cruise we have ever taken.  We loved it!  As I get older I'm done dressing up and just want to relax and to be honest most cruise lines are getting more casual.  I know a lot of people don't like that but we have adjusted just fine.   Dave

[www3traveler]

I have had 37 cruises with Norwegian and can not wait to sail again.  I have sailed on The Dawn and would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

A cruise is what you yourself makes it.

 

Relax and enjoy

[complawyer]

after 13 years and 25 ncl cruises, and  almost all of their fleet, im very, very satisfied with ncl and the product they offer. i think ncl gives you the best bang for your buck, pricewise and itinerary choices.

 

just got off b2b 19 days on the dawn

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, lordbyron said:

Hi all. We are thinking of going on a NCL cruise (Norwegian dawn or Norwegian Star) but wondered what peoples opinions are of the cruises? We have travelled regularly with P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and wondered how they compare. How do the cabins compare, food, entertainment etc, your comments would be much appreciated

 

NCL is a mid-level cruise line similar to Royal and Princess (I have never been on P&O other than a ferry). It is truly pointless trying to go compare features of these cruise lines side-by-side,,, they are all about the same. And rankings will be totally subjective. We sail on both NCL and Royal multiple times a year. They are about the same. Neither are Grill class suites on Cunard (which we also sail on). 

 

Food is similar. Entertainment, if you compare similar class ships, is similar (traditional production shows and guest performers).... you won't have an ice ring or aqua theater on a small ship in any fleet. 

 

Some people would like a midnight pizza from Sorentos on Royal. Some would like a 24/7 meal/snack at The Local on NCL. There is no "better", it is totally a personal preference. 

 

The Dawn and Star are the smallest and oldest ships in the NCL fleet. That being said, NCL is very good about doing complete refurbishments of their ships every 5 years.... unlike Royal. So both ships are in relatively good shape. 

[dbrown84]

I've only sailed NCL, so I can't compare for you.  but I choose NCL because of freestyle.  I was never interested in cruising because I'm not going to "dress up" on vacation, and I wasn't fond of the assigned dining.  And when I say "dress up", I'm not even interested in wearing long pants on my vacation.  I found out about freestyle and decided to give it a try.  Loved it!!  And it doesn't hurt that I get casino comps, but I've been offered comps on other lines, too.

[dexddd]

Dawn and Star are nearly identical.  Sailed a total of three times, while old, but not oldest in the fleet, I'd sail them again.

[Smitheroo]

If you read the reviews for the different ships for recent months there are a lot of people who are no longer happy with NCL. 

[Megamixer]

NCL isn't my favorite cruise line but we seem to end up sailing with them frequently.  I will say we were on the recently refurbished NCL Dawn for a Christmas cruise and the Dawn is lovely now.  Cabins were refurbished very nicely.

[Ozzieru1e]

On 8/18/2023 at 4:17 PM, NewPennCruiser said:

Personally I think most of the mainstream cruise lines are more alike than different anymore.  We have mostly cruised Princess with a few cruises each on NCL, Celebrity and Azamara and I agree with another comment that NCL is more laid back.  I also think the passengers skew a little younger although that will probably depend on length of cruise and port of departure.  Entertainment and food can be very subjective but again I think each cruise line sort of does some things better than others but honestly to me, they are all very similar.  Our most recent cruise was out of New York on the Joy and it was by far the most casual and laid back cruise we have ever taken.  We loved it!  As I get older I'm done dressing up and just want to relax and to be honest most cruise lines are getting more casual.  I know a lot of people don't like that but we have adjusted just fine.   Dave

I’m a lady of leisure so I love NCL because it’s a laid back freestyling cruise; and, I can mainly pack casual wear.  I usually bring one party outfit just in case. After checking out the whole cruise ship, I prefer relaxing in my Suite after dinner and shows. 🍷. 

[QuanK585]

Of the three mainstream cruiselines (NCL, Royal and Carnival) NCL is on average, the priciest and more upscale of the three. While i agree with most cruisers in that they are more similar than different, and different ships/itineries in the same cruiseline can differ drastically, there are some major differences in how all three market themselves.

 

NCL charges more for their rooms but have an emphasis on making their passengers spend A LOT while on board. This is backed up by data that shows an average NCL passenger spends about 50% more on board than on Carnival, which focuses on cheap fares to bring on as much passengers as possible to compensate. Both these plans work in their own way, as Carnival is the largest of the 3, but NCL being the most profitable.

 

I've never sailed on Royal, but they have always stayed somewhere in the middle of the pack for most metrics. Theirs ships, however, are the largest by far...

 

This strategy therefore attracts different crowds. Carnival cruises tend to be younger and rowdier as the cheaper fares attracts families and people on a budget (college kids), while NCLs higher prices are restrictive for some.

 

On a personal note, I love NCL! Its my first choice of cruises. I proposed to my wife in Bermuda while cruising on the Dawn! Great memories. I think the extra cost does translate to better food, better service, and a  cleaner and quieter ship. I will say that I am dismayed that NCL is getting rid of their Broadway shows and not replacing them with anything! ANYTHING at all would be nice... This and the fact that they started charging for things like mini golf on their larger ships is disappointing.

Edited August 20, 2023 by QuanK585

[PhillyTravelBug]

It’s all subjective as said before. As a loyal NCL cruiser and currently on the prima, I am debating whether to purchase a cruise next certificate or try Celebrity. NCL specialty dining is a win and leaves me quite pleased, but really want something that leaves me satisfied in the buffet and main dining rooms.

[Smitheroo]

12 hours ago, Ozzieru1e said:

I’m a lady of leisure so I love NCL because it’s a laid back freestyling cruise; and, I can mainly pack casual wear.  I usually bring one party outfit just in case. After checking out the whole cruise ship, I prefer relaxing in my Suite after dinner and shows. 🍷. 

I no other cruise line the same?  I know some have sort of freestyling. And when I was on Cunard in 2013 they did dress for dinner and have formal nights but you didnt have to take part. You were free to eat in the buffet and head to your room.  I really like the freestyle dining in the dining rooms, not just the buffet.

[Maleficent's Dad]

We love NCL for the freestyle that so many have already mentioned.  It’s definitely more chill.  Add in Spice H2O and/or a vibe pass, thermal spa, and we’re sold.

NCL’s drink package, imo, can’t really be beat - and I’m speaking about the basic package.  It’s basically included in your fare.  Entertainment on NCL has always been one of its strengths, but we’ll see what happens once they disband some of the B’way shows they currently have…

Of the four you mention, we’ve sailed on RCCL.  While I understand they’re slowly adjusting to a more relaxed atmosphere, my family couldn’t be paid to sail them again.  Dress up for dinner, set dining times, eat with strangers…. Yeah, not for us. Additionally, their drink package is a significant cost to your cruise fare if that matters - and they limit the number you can order in a day!

My family loves Disney Cruise Line, but it is expensive, and I don’t love their itineraries.  Plus, they still stick to many of the formalities . NCL checks a lot of boxes for us.  It’s not perfect, but is any vacay?

Give me the waterfront for a sunset or after dinner drink.  That’s an area where almost all other lines are lacking.

[LobsterStalker]

On 8/20/2023 at 4:59 PM, Maleficent's Dad said:

We love NCL for the freestyle that so many have already mentioned.  It’s definitely more chill.  Add in Spice H2O and/or a vibe pass, thermal spa, and we’re sold.

NCL’s drink package, imo, can’t really be beat - and I’m speaking about the basic package.  It’s basically included in your fare.  Entertainment on NCL has always been one of its strengths, but we’ll see what happens once they disband some of the B’way shows they currently have…

Of the four you mention, we’ve sailed on RCCL.  While I understand they’re slowly adjusting to a more relaxed atmosphere, my family couldn’t be paid to sail them again.  Dress up for dinner, set dining times, eat with strangers…. Yeah, not for us. Additionally, their drink package is a significant cost to your cruise fare if that matters - and they limit the number you can order in a day!

My family loves Disney Cruise Line, but it is expensive, and I don’t love their itineraries.  Plus, they still stick to many of the formalities . NCL checks a lot of boxes for us.  It’s not perfect, but is any vacay?

Give me the waterfront for a sunset or after dinner drink.  That’s an area where almost all other lines are lacking.

While clearly you are not a fan of Royal (and that's perfectly fine) , your post is filled with inaccuracies . 

You do NOT have to Dress up for Dinner! ... You do NOT have to have set dining times!... You do NOT need to eat with strangers! ... And most importantly There is NOT a limit on their drink package  ! 

Oh, and ....You should NOT be spreading such bad information 

 

Cheers though

[Maleficent's Dad]

23 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

While clearly you are not a fan of Royal (and that's perfectly fine) , your post is filled with inaccuracies . 

You do NOT have to Dress up for Dinner! ... You do NOT have to have set dining times!... You do NOT need to eat with strangers! ... And most importantly There is NOT a limit on their drink package  ! 

Oh, and ....You should NOT be spreading such bad information 

 

Cheers though

Thanks for clarifying.  
things have changed as most of those were in effect when we did sail them.  I own the drink package mistake, so apologies.

[LobsterStalker]

25 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

Thanks for clarifying.  
things have changed as most of those were in effect when we did sail them.  I own the drink package mistake, so apologies.

:)  All good 

 

Cheers!