Royal Fan want to try NCL - thoughts

[hollon]

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

[ryarger]

I've sailed several NCL ships and just got off Oasis of the Seas as my first RCCL ship.

 

I love NCL, but they have nothing that compares to the Oasis/Icon class. There are *so* many activities, nothing else compares on any cruise line.

 

That said, there are lots of fun things to do - The Breakaway Plus class are the largest, with the most options. The Prima class are a tad smaller, but still have almost all the same activities.

 

You can't go wrong with either of those classes of ships, in my opinion. Just come in thinking "Freedom Class" in terms of size and amenities.

 

On the other hand, if you can afford Haven - that's an experience that Royal does *not* match, and you will not regret it. 

[luv2kroooz]

7 minutes ago, hollon said:

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

If you enjoy the large Royal ships, then, yes, absolutely go big. If you, like me, don't enjoy a commercialized, mall-like Disney at sea experience, then you should try the smaller, older ships.

 

How do you define good entertainment?

 

[hollon]

10 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

If you enjoy the large Royal ships, then, yes, absolutely go big. If you, like me, don't enjoy a commercialized, mall-like Disney at sea experience, then you should try the smaller, older ships.

 

How do you define good entertainment?

 

I like good broadway shows - But I did not like Hairspray or Cats, But loved Grease, Mama Mia, etc. I love comedy clubs, sorry, I guess entertainment is ones opinion and varies

[luv2kroooz]

Just now, hollon said:

I like good broadway shows - But I did not like Hairspray or Cats, But loved Grease, Mama Mia, etc. I love comedy clubs, sorry, I guess entertainment is ones opinion and varies

No worries, read up on some of the entertainment thread here on these forums. NCL has said their entertainment is evolving. To date, some Broadway shows are being replaced with game shows...Deal or No Deal, Press Your Luck, Price is Right. Some ships still have one production show. I don't think they are licensing popular Broadway shows anymore on NCL.

[hollon]

6 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

No worries, read up on some of the entertainment thread here on these forums. NCL has said their entertainment is evolving. To date, some Broadway shows are being replaced with game shows...Deal or No Deal, Press Your Luck, Price is Right. Some ships still have one production show. I don't think they are licensing popular Broadway shows anymore on NCL.

that's great - I love, love game shows, the audience can make it fun

[luv2kroooz]

6 minutes ago, hollon said:

that's great - I love, love game shows, the audience can make it fun

There you go. Have a great cruise.

[elcuchio24]

all the major lines are more the same than different. We cruise everyone. I do like the larger NCL ships better, although not a huge fan of Epic which was just an odd layout.

 

We are cruising a smaller NCL ship in April, Jewel, but just for convenience out of Boston to Bermuda.

 

If you hit it right, the cost is very reasonable with the included drinks, extras, etc 

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, hollon said:

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

We are Diamond on RCCL and Diamond on NCL. 

 

NCL's bigger ships Breakaway Plus Class (Escape (2015), Joy (2017), Bliss (2018), Encore (2019)) and Breakaway Class (Breakaway (2013), Getaway (2014)) have a capacity of about 4000-4200 passengers. NCL's newest ships Prima Class (Prima (2022), Viva (2023)) have capacity of about 3000 passengers. 

 

NCL also has a collection of smaller and older ships (as does RCCL). 

 

We sail on the Breakaway Plus and Prima class ships lately. Based on your description, those would be the recommendations 

[Oakman58]

3 hours ago, hollon said:

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

 

Definitely go with the larger Breakaway class of ships.  Just keep in mind that NCL has nothing to compare to the fantastic water show and ice skating show of RCCL.

[destar]

We usually cruise on NCL and Celebrity, would like to try Royal. A few month ago I was researching a 7 days cruise on Odyssey of the seas, but was turned off by a $600 dollars per person fee to select a cabin.

[shirtboy]

5 hours ago, elcuchio24 said:

all the major lines are more the same than different. We cruise everyone. I do like the larger NCL ships better, although not a huge fan of Epic which was just an odd layout.

 

We are cruising a smaller NCL ship in April, Jewel, but just for convenience out of Boston to Bermuda.

 

If you hit it right, the cost is very reasonable with the included drinks, extras, etc 

Echoing the above comments that the mass market lines are are all very similar (Royal, NCL, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess). Since all the lines charge "about" the same per person per day, there 's only so many ways the lines can differentiate themselves given the limited amount they can spend after accounting for all the food, fuel, crew wages, and shipbuilding costs. If one cruise lines tries to differentiate themselves by innovating and is successful, then other cruise lines invariably copy the innovation (think private islands, freestyle/anytime/mytime/flexible dining, specialty restaurants, waterslides, 10-story dry slides, rock walls, ropes courses, broadway shows, ship within a ship, etc). Now that CocoCay is so popular, NCL now has to compete and spend money upgrading Great Stirrup Cay. The race to out-do and copy one another never ends.

 

Since the cruise lines are all trying to find the best product for lowest cost, invariably cruise lines will settle on similar products/items. For example I've noticed the same brand of hot water/coffee dispensers in the buffets on both Celebrity and NCL (i assume Royal would use the same thing too). The "Vitality by Nestle" buffet juice can be found on  NCL as well as Celebrity/RCCL. I wouldn't be surprised if the same massive foodservice vendors sold similar food products to all the mass market lines. The entertainers that come aboard for 1 night on the ship can be booked by any cruise line. I once looked at one of these entertainer's publicly published availability dates and based on their availability dates and location pieced together that they were performing on NCL/Oceania/Regent ships. The performer was getting off the ship in a port that had and NCL/Oceania/Regent ships docked on the same day, and then flying to another location where another  NCL Holdings branded ship was docking.

 

With bigger ships, mass market lines are better able to differentiate themselves with "wow features", so if you're used to the big ships, stick with the big ships of other lines to avoid being disappointed. The smaller ships in the 100k ton range of the mass market lines are less able to differentiate themselves since there are fewer "wow" features. Smaller ships of course focus more on the itinerary than the ship so this may be less of a concern.

 

The time of year, length of sailing, and itinerary will probably impact the ambience aboard more than the actual cruise line you choose.

 

At the end of the day, all the mass market lines are good, and they have little quirks to different themselves. It's best to just try them all and discover what fits your style and budget. 

[Wayward Son]

6 hours ago, hollon said:

I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.? 

 

We've cruised on Ovation, a Quantum class in Alaska. We enjoyed it (except for paying for the drink package). We found it very similar to NCL's Breakaway-Plus class (Encore, Bliss, Joy, Escape). They are far smaller than the Oasis class. NCL has nothing similar to the Oasis or Icon class. Try one of the BA+ ships and see what you think. Royal will always be there if NCL isn't your thing.

 

 

[hollon]

thank you for all the comments - I think I'll go with the bigger ships on NCL

[david_sobe]

Set your expectations because there is nothing like Royal and the way they built ships the last 20 years.  They have huge open spaces in the interior.  NCL's ships cant really compare because they are so different.  A good comparison is Celebrity.  In fact when NCL debuted Breakaway lots of people commented that NCL was copying Celebrity because the inside looked like a Celebrity ship.  Everyone has different tastes and likes.  Its all about finding that sweet spot.  I have not been on Icon of the Seas but I fear it would be way too much stimulation for my liking. I am not old enough for Holland of America and fear I would not like the less activities.  I think Icon of the Seas is a bit too wild for me.  I try and find that sweet spot of mixed ages but still areas to relax.  RCCL has many WOW factors on their ships. To have a great cruise you don't always need a WOW factor but that is just my opinion.  Its all about finding that sweet spot in price and likes.

[spethstation]

Definitely would recommend the Breakaway-Plus class. The Escape is a lot of fun! I have been on Harmony as well, it's the 'closest' you can get for NCL, but the experiences are going to be different for sure. 

[luv2kroooz]

3 hours ago, david_sobe said:

They have huge open spaces in the interior.  NCL's ships cant really compare because they are so different.

The last thing in the world we enjoy when on a ship is a large interior, commercialized, mall-like, open space. NCL's Waterfront offering beats the interior shopping mall experience, especially on a cruise ship. I've always said a ship should somehow feel like a ship with a connection to the ocean.

[cruiseny4life]

44 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

The last thing in the world we enjoy when on a ship is a large interior, commercialized, mall-like, open space. NCL's Waterfront offering beats the interior shopping mall experience, especially on a cruise ship. I've always said a ship should somehow feel like a ship with a connection to the ocean.

I so agree. This is one reason we chose NCL (among several others). Icon is making me look more closely at Royal, though. All those (what I call) whimsical features on the top deck look so cool to me! 

[elcuchio24]

43 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I so agree. This is one reason we chose NCL (among several others). Icon is making me look more closely at Royal, though. All those (what I call) whimsical features on the top deck look so cool to me! 

 

Love the waterfront and how its utilized for dining and bar venues 

[KKB]

23 hours ago, hollon said:

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

We have sailed the Allure on RCCL & the Breakaway & Breakaway Plus classes plus the Prima on NCL.

We like the Breakaway class ships best, then the Prima, then the Plus class.

You will find food similar, entertainment similar (tho perhaps not quite as much as the ships are a bit smaller). I think NCL does a rotten job w/ pool deck size although Prima improved with some pools on lower decks. 

Our FAVORITE thing about all these classes of ships is the Waterfront--deck 7 or 8 wraps around the whole ship with bars, seating & restaurant seating all around (and small pools & spas on Prima). Breakaway, Getaway & Prima all have Syd Norman's Pour House which I consider the best show at sea (if you are into late 70s/80s music)--it is VERY popular.

Give it a try!

[stellarose33]

I am assuming the getaway is like the breakaway? last cruise was CCL's Mardi Gras. that was a big ship (roller coaster, etc). I am hoping for a chill vibe to Bermuda on getaway. I am not bringing my college age young adult children.  need a chair, my music and my kindle.  

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, stellarose33 said:

I am assuming the getaway is like the breakaway? last cruise was CCL's Mardi Gras. that was a big ship (roller coaster, etc). I am hoping for a chill vibe to Bermuda on getaway. I am not bringing my college age young adult children.  need a chair, my music and my kindle.  

To be transparent, I have not been on Breakaway. I've been on Getaway three times (fourth coming up in February)! I've heard many folks mention how similar the two ships are so I think you'll find Getaway similar. I love the Waterfront! I'm not really a reader when on cruises, but it'll be a perfect place to grab a drink, plonk down in a chair, and cozy up with your Kindle! 

 

If you want a much more tranquil experience, check out Vibe Beach Club. I've never purchased a spot there, but many of my Cruise Critic friends won't cruise without it. Now, you may have some loud people as it's not a quiet place, per se. But, Getaway's Vibe is at the front of the ship, with gorgeous forward-facing views, a bar, couple hot tubs, and you'll always find a lounger available. Set up in a corner and enjoy the views/peacefulness of being up high. 

 

Enjoy!

[DCGuy64]

15 hours ago, KKB said:

Our FAVORITE thing about all these classes of ships is the Waterfront--deck 7 or 8 wraps around the whole ship with bars, seating & restaurant seating all around (and small pools & spas on Prima). Breakaway, Getaway & Prima all have Syd Norman's Pour House which I consider the best show at sea (if you are into late 70s/80s music)--it is VERY popular.

Give it a try!

Agree on the Waterfront, that was also my favorite part of the ship. I love that concept.

re: Syd Norman's: if you're thinking of having dinner at La Cucina (which I highly recommend, BTW), I would discourage you from sitting at the front of the restaurant around the time the line forms for Syd Norman's to open. It was right across from La Cucina and people in line get very loud. We opted to sit in the Waterfront part of the restaurant, which was much quieter and where we had a beautiful evening view of the ocean.

[CruisingSince1982]

On 7/29/2024 at 4:44 PM, ryarger said:

I've sailed several NCL ships and just got off Oasis of the Seas as my first RCCL ship.

 

I love NCL, but they have nothing that compares to the Oasis/Icon class. There are *so* many activities, nothing else compares on any cruise line.

 

That said, there are lots of fun things to do - The Breakaway Plus class are the largest, with the most options. The Prima class are a tad smaller, but still have almost all the same activities.

 

You can't go wrong with either of those classes of ships, in my opinion. Just come in thinking "Freedom Class" in terms of size and amenities.

 

On the other hand, if you can afford Haven - that's an experience that Royal does *not* match, and you will not regret it. 

I think the Oasis class ships are the best! I would forego the Haven for one. So much to do, and so much fun! I think the food is better on NCL though. 

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 7/29/2024 at 4:37 PM, hollon said:

I usually cruise royal and I do enjoy the bigger ships with the good entertainment, I love shows, trivia, pools, etc. but want to try NCL for a change of pace.  I've cruise Icon of the Seas and all the Oasis class ships.  Which ship should I try, the newer ones, etc.?  

If you are used to Royal's Oasis Class Ships, you'd probably want to try NCL's "Away Class ships.  I liked the Joy.  I hear good things about the Escape.