NCL -vs- Royal and Celebrity

[cnmiranda]

Haven't been able to try Celebrity yet because of hubby's work schedule but am shooting for next year. But to us RCI is much, much better than NCL. With our experience on RCI, Princess, and NCL we liked Royal Caribbean the best overall. We found the same buffet problems now mentioned on the POA with the NCL Dawn. Food was the worst out of our 3 previous cruises. But, they are the only ones doing a one week Hawaii itinerary so we don't have much of a choice at this point. I'm just praying things get better on the Pride soon.....

[bpear1600]

Because of problems on our Majesty cruise last November we have a discount certificate we can apply to any future NCL cruise. Unfortunately, not a single one appeals to us. Other than our several Norway cruises in the 80's we've never liked any of their ships. RCI has some wonderful ships and our Mariner cruise last January was outstanding.

 

I'd pick RCI, HAL or Princess over NCL. We're over 50 but like to have fun too.

[Got2Cruise]

It is the same as comparing hotel chains. You can be very satisfied in a clean Holiday Inn, with tasty food and good entertainment, when it is located where you want it to be, at a reasonable price. On the otherhand, you might want to pay extra for a Hyatt. It really is personal taste. I know people who hated Celebrity because they enjoy all the silly cruiseship games, and Celebrity isn't about fun and games. Only YOU know what YOU enjoy. I have sailed NCL and Royal Caribbean and both ships cater to families looking for a good value. Hey, isn't being on a cruise, no matter which line, better than being at home?;)

[sbcs5390]

Exactly. Considering the high prices for Zenith and Horizon now, sometimes more than double that of Majesty and Crown, I'd rather spend two weeks on NCL than one on Celebrity to the same destination!

 

-Brian

[furkidsmom]

NCL is having too many problems and it may only get worse.... Why even consider them. I have cruised several ships and prefer RCCL and Princess... I am over 50... So my taste may be different than yours... good luck...

 

Unfortunately, we had no say in the choice of ships. The others in the group don't want to take the extra time to cruise from Ensenada and the plan was put together for POA while we were away :(

[Baseball fan]

Here are my thoughts:

 

I have sailed the NCL Sun and RCCL AOS. AOS had a lot more things to do with the rock wall, ice rink, inline skate track, mini golf, etc. But I have no problem finding other things to do or just relaxing with a good book.

 

The rooms I had on both were approximately the same size. On NCL Sun we had an outside cabin on deck 9 (no balcony). On AOS we had an aft balcony (deck 7). I would always try to get a balcony whenever possible. They were both regular staterooms not suites.

 

I found the food to be about the same on both. The lobster was far better on AOS (NCL served theirs over pasta). I am not a really picky eater so I expect the food to be good but not the best food I have ever eaten. With that in mind, I have to say that NCL is far better in the buffet category. The Windjammer on AOS was barely edible (except the salad bar which was fine). The main thing about dining that I particularily liked was the Freestyle on NCL. I am not concerned with dining with the same people everynight and I loved going to eat when I was hungry (not being told when to eat). The only night we had a wait (since we didn't mind sharing a table with others) was on "lobster night". We were in Cozumel until 8pm so everyone was at dinner around 9pm.

 

I particularily loved the freestyle cruising on NCL when it comes to the dress code. I am not a big fan of formal nights when I am on vacation. With NCL they have a dining room for those that want a formal night and another for those that are more dressed for a cocktail party.

 

Either way, they both have great things to offer so it just depends what you are looking for.

[newmexicoNita]

I would agree about 100% with Baseball Fan. It still depends on what appeals to you. NMNita