Would I Like?

[London-Calling]

Hi gang, so I've cruise on Jade, Epic and Pride.  All quite different NCL ships.

 

How, do you think I would enjoy the new class?

 

I appreciate that the net is full of reviews, but in a few words (or paragraphs) what do the new ones feel like.

 

Thanks

 

(I hear the design is related to MSC Seaside and the Virgin ships, neither of which I've been on)

[DorothyB]

which NCL ship that you have cruised on do you like best? and why?  Is your itinerary in cold weather or warm weather?

[itsnotjustme]

We have mixed views on the big ships - our experience is on Escape and Joy. 

 

Positive:  Both ships had a wide variety of entertainment/bar/club/dining venues from which to choose.

 

Negative:  Escape was a nearly full ship.  Even though the elevators are large, there was not enough capacity.  This resulted in stops at every floor, with room for no one or almost no one to get on yet making the trip lake longer.  This is a vicious cycle that further reduces capacity.  

 

Negative:  The main theater requires reservations.  We initially did not know this, and when we learned it, the shows were all booked.  With a lot of effort, we managed to get in, but it was needless stress during what is supposed to be a vacation.

 

Negative: Anywhere you go about 4,000 of your shipmates go also.  I know some ports have multiple ships anyhow, but for smaller ports, 4,000 is too many on top of the land travelers who are present.

[London-Calling]

1 hour ago, DorothyB said:

which NCL ship that you have cruised on do you like best? and why?  Is your itinerary in cold weather or warm weather?

Hi Dorothy,  I'm interested to try Breakaway/Prima, whatever the itinerary.

[Middleager]

We've been on many NCL ships.  One thing we really dislike on the bigger ships (Breakaway, Epic classes) were there are only 2 sets of elevators.  By that I mean two locations, mid-front and mid-rear, rather than 3 sets (front, mid, and rear) of the ship.

 

Yes there are 8 elevators at each set (vs 4 on the smaller ships), but it's still a longer walk to get to the elevators.  Having more elevators at each location on the bigger ships, doesn't mean it's a shorter wait, because there are more people and more floors, and often the wait just seem longer.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, London-Calling said:

Hi gang, so I've cruise on Jade, Epic and Pride.  All quite different NCL ships.

 

How, do you think I would enjoy the new class?

 

I appreciate that the net is full of reviews, but in a few words (or paragraphs) what do the new ones feel like.

 

Thanks

 

(I hear the design is related to MSC Seaside and the Virgin ships, neither of which I've been on)

Similar because it is the same builder. The ships are very different. We sailed on the Viva in December and Seascape in March. From the rear, they look similar, but the interior configurations are quite different. 

 

The new class is.... well.... new. Lots of people who dislike change. Can't adapt. (Remember that the dinosaurs could not adapt... and we know what happened to them). 

 

We are older. (O.K. we are down right old). But we appreciate and embrace the evolution of cruising. We started cruising when pool loungers were hard wooden chairs that you had to rent and tip a pool attendant to set up for you. That you needed to be in a gown with heals and a tux at night. We never want to go back there again. 

 

NCL has led the industry in the evolution of cruising to meet the desires of the contemporary cruiser. The millennials that will sustain the the industry into the future. In a recent article, Royal Caribbean admitted to being behind in catering to the contemporary cruiser and that they are playing catch-up with their Icon-class ships. 

 

We have sailed on the new class ships 3 times (Prima twice and Viva once). We have enjoyed every cruise and enjoyed the new class ship. 

 

It is really up to you. Some people like to live in the "good 'ole days". That's not us (even though we could move around a lot better in the good ole days). 

[TheBeardedCruiser]

My opinion, having been on older and newer vessels... Look at what they offer, and if those things meet your desires.

 

Some ships offer a two/three story go-cart track. Others offer a ropes course. Some offer tablets to order your meals, others offer paper menus. Some offer a forward looking lounge, others reserve that space for the Haven.

 

In summary, only you know what you want to experience on your vacation. Or maybe you don't, in which case pick based on cost and ports the ship will visit.

 

Whatever to decide, I hope that you have loads of fun!!! 🎉🥳😁😀

[fredflint]

Look for some youtube video reviews then you get to see the ship yourself vs just a written review.  If you can watch the video on your TV vs phone or computer.

[Two Wheels Only]

On 7/24/2024 at 8:02 PM, London-Calling said:

(I hear the design is related to MSC Seaside and the Virgin ships, neither of which I've been on)

 

The ship's architecture is similar because they are all based on Fincantieri's Project Mille platform. The platform was designed to accommodate ship of various sizes from under 100k GT to over 170k GT. What the individual cruise lines do from there is what makes them different. One line might put the "ship within a ship" section in the front while another puts it in the aft section. 

 

Using a shared platform saves all of the cruise lines money even though the lines are different. In the automotive world, companies will often share platforms for the same reason. The Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, and Bentley Bentayga all share the same platform since they are in some way under the VW umbrella. Even competitors such as Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti will share (GLA and QX30). The experience is still different just as NCL, MSC, Virgin Voyages, Princess, etc. are similar but different.

 

[dpepper64]

prima and viva are great ships for warm weather.  Lot of open space outside to enjoy.  However if you have cold or bad weather then it gets a little crowed inside.