Help sway us to go with NCL

[OhPinchy]

My girlfriend and I are a pair of active 28 year olds looking to do our first cruise this November and will be doing a 7-night cruise in the Western Caribbean. We're very interested in scuba diving and snorkelling so it seemed that the NCL Pearl ports of call would suit us best.

 

But the RCI Mariner of the Seas is actually available for a little cheaper and RCI generally get better reviews on here than NCL, so we're a little stumped on what to do but are leaning towards NCL.

 

Pearl stops in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay. We want to do a good bit of snorkelling and diving and maybe see the Mayan ruins at Belize and these seem great ports for diving.

 

Mariner stops in Labadee Haiti, Ochos Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman sound a bit more commercialized and might not offer as good diving though I'm fully open to correction on that.

 

A Balcony on the Mariner of the seas is actually $200 cheaper than a balcony on the NCL Pearl if we go with a Balcony Guarantee so some people on here would probably think we're mad to go with the Pearl - I have another thread going to get broad opinions on that but thought I'd come to the NCL forum to see if those who know NCL well can help convince us it's the right fit for us.

 

Main concerns with NCL seem to be:

-poor quality of the food negates the advantage of flexible dining.

-they try and nickel and dime you at every opportunity which gets tiresome.

-Some negative comments about the staff on the Pearl (suggestions that auto-tipping means they're not motivated to go the extra mile).

-A couple of comments about cleanliness on the boat.

-some people think the entertainment is not as good as RCI, though that's obviously quite subjective.

 

So, are the above really valid concerns or are they being blown out of proportion by people with a lot of cruising under their belt so are naturally comparing it to other lines and jumping on any perceived differences?

 

We're actually pretty easy going though the one thing that never sits right with me is a feeling that I'm being nickel and dimed so if that's a genuine problem I'd avoid it. That said, I've no problem paying gratuities up front or the 15% service charges, and I'd avoid things like art auctions etc - outside of that is it a real problem or not (e.g. if I look for a coffee during the day will they charge me, likewise for a bottle of water etc.)?

 

As it's our first cruise I'm hoping that NCL can offer us the flexibility and itinterary that suits us without any significant sacrifice on quality - is that not realistic or is that actually the way it is (and it's just very fussy people who don't like them)?

 

Thanks!

[halos]

I cruised my first NCL last November and just got off my first ever RCI cruise this week.

My experiences were so vastly different from others on this board. I only have one cruise from each of those lines under my belt so I'm not even sure if my opinion counts for much, but here it is anyway.

Despite the horrid things I had read about NCL, our 15 day repositioning cruise on the NCL Spirit was the BEST cruise I have ever been on. The only thing that wasn't great on that cruise was the service. The crew was exceptionally friendly (I loved them all) but service (mostly in the dining venues) kinda sucked. This in NO way dampered it for us because everything else about the cruise was freaking awesome.

The food, which I had heard was horrid was very good. I think, personally, that Carnival has the best food (even better than Celebrity in my opinion) and NCL comes in second. I rank Celebrity 3rd and RCI last. The food on my RCI Explorere of The Seas cruise that I just debarked from was at best, fair.

Also, unlike folks who have said there is nothing to do on NCL, I had a vastly different experience. For the entire 15 days/nights on that ship, we were so busy and had such a ball. We came home exhausted. There was a lot to do on RCI as well, but to be honest, NCL...at least on that particular sailing had more to offer than any pervious cruise I had taken.

Our RCI cruise was excellent as well...the crew was top notch and very attentive. The ship was magnificent and we enjoyed everything about that cruise except the food.

personally, I have never had a bad cruise so either of your choices would be something I'd love to do BUT as far as itinerary goes, the Pearl wins because Roatan is a favorite of mine.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose!!

[coffeebean]

Hello OhPinchy...

 

DH and I have cruised many times on RCCL and NCL, infact we are Diamond members on RCCL. We give the edge to NCL because of the Freestyle dining options. Yes, you will pay for most of the different dining venues but you still have the option to dine in the "included" main dining rooms for no surcharge. DH and I also prefer not to dine with strangers and love the flexibility NCL's Freestyle dining option offers. Not to mention the resort casual dress code which is throughout the ship all the time.

 

The quality of food is very comarable on RCCL and NCL in their main dining rooms. Both lines have excellent surcharge restaurants but NCL has several more options to choose from.

 

It surprises me that, if you are comparing apple to apples, NCL's base cruise fare is higher than RCCL for a similar itinerary. NCL usually is priced lower than other cruise lines simply because it is more of an "ala carte" cruise line. For example...to use the facilities in the spa such as the whirlpools, warm tile loungers, suana, steam room, etc, you will pay $75.00 for a week pass for two people. This is not built into the base fare and most NCL lovers like this because they feel they are not paying for someone else to use the spa facility if they do not wish to use it. That is just one example but I'd like to add that there are many things that are included in the base fare of an NCL cruise.

 

RCCL has gorgeous ships and the Explorer of the Seas is no exception. The ice shows on the Voyager class ships which includes the Explorer, are the best at sea. NCL has very good entertainment too but can't compare to the RCCL ice shows.

 

As I said already, DH and I are Diamond on RCCL which includes access to the concierge lounge and services. We enjoy free cocktails at dinner time and love this lounge but it doesn't sway us to be completely loyal to RCCL. We still cruise on NCL, in fact we are cruising NCL next month.

 

Which ever line you decide to try for your first cruise experience, I hope you will love it. Happy cruising.

 

coffeebean

[boereseun]

My girlfriend and I are a pair of active 28 year olds looking to do our first cruise this November and will be doing a 7-night cruise in the Western Caribbean. We're very interested in scuba diving and snorkelling so it seemed that the NCL Pearl ports of call would suit us best.

 

But the RCI Mariner of the Seas is actually available for a little cheaper and RCI generally get better reviews on here than NCL, so we're a little stumped on what to do but are leaning towards NCL.

 

Pearl stops in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay. We want to do a good bit of snorkelling and diving and maybe see the Mayan ruins at Belize and these seem great ports for diving.

 

Mariner stops in Labadee Haiti, Ochos Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman sound a bit more commercialized and might not offer as good diving though I'm fully open to correction on that.

 

A Balcony on the Mariner of the seas is actually $200 cheaper than a balcony on the NCL Pearl if we go with a Balcony Guarantee so some people on here would probably think we're mad to go with the Pearl - I have another thread going to get broad opinions on that but thought I'd come to the NCL forum to see if those who know NCL well can help convince us it's the right fit for us.

 

Main concerns with NCL seem to be:

-poor quality of the food negates the advantage of flexible dining.

-they try and nickel and dime you at every opportunity which gets tiresome.

-Some negative comments about the staff on the Pearl (suggestions that auto-tipping means they're not motivated to go the extra mile).

-A couple of comments about cleanliness on the boat.

-some people think the entertainment is not as good as RCI, though that's obviously quite subjective.

 

So, are the above really valid concerns or are they being blown out of proportion by people with a lot of cruising under their belt so are naturally comparing it to other lines and jumping on any perceived differences?

 

We're actually pretty easy going though the one thing that never sits right with me is a feeling that I'm being nickel and dimed so if that's a genuine problem I'd avoid it. That said, I've no problem paying gratuities up front or the 15% service charges, and I'd avoid things like art auctions etc - outside of that is it a real problem or not (e.g. if I look for a coffee during the day will they charge me, likewise for a bottle of water etc.)?

 

As it's our first cruise I'm hoping that NCL can offer us the flexibility and itinterary that suits us without any significant sacrifice on quality - is that not realistic or is that actually the way it is (and it's just very fussy people who don't like them)?

 

Thanks!

 

hi there also pained with the choice to take pearl in feb 08 after reading the reports at the time noro virus was a big topic and freestyle dining. we finaly booked because of the 9 day itny all else was disregarded. i say this because i am a picky person and with time am learning to chill. sometimes too much info can be a burden and just serves to get one more confused. back to our cruise the only ports on your sailing that wev been to are belize a definate yes for ruins and cozumel has beautiful beaches not far from ship. both taken on our own. (no tour)

as for other points.

we booked a mini suite on the 11th deck which came to the total of US 3,962.00 for 9 days southern carib out of Miami.

Food exceeded our expectations main dinnigroom constant quality, buffet always fresh salads and food for any nationality ( we live in europe) the special rests. tried mambos twice italian food pasta cooked al dente thats what makes it good. mexican so. so. the only downside were the desserts and pastries bland and no imagination.

coffee availble all day ( when not being repaired ) and yes even genuine esspresso. no charge

water ? i drink the water thats availble from the tap and never had a problem with ice in it perfect. not a fan of walking around with a bottle in hand and swigging at intervals.

nickles n dimes ? all we paid for was the wine with our meals +- us 28.00 not vintage but drinkable no headaches. as for drinks dont need to have softdrinks i.e. coke and the likes. we had prepaid for a bar setup in our cabin with gin & vermouth as we enjoy the solitude of the balcony for our sundowners and martinis, that came to about US 100.00

staff extra mile ? all depends what your needs are. cabin crew were great. the dinning crew in main room changed with every meal because of freetsyle no big issue for us, always civil ( dont cruise to fratinize with the personel ) buffet crew smile and put the food on your plate e voila´

as for making reservations did the first day and then just arrived when we wanted to eat and always found a table no waiting ( maybe we were just fortunate) ( also because decided not to be painful and throw my weight around just because I was hungry!!!! )

cleanliness ? by whose standards ? i have read some very funny things here as to what people found in and under their beds and closets even to finding a hair in the hand basin, go figure. the cabin was made up twice a day and always spotless ( bathroom) carpets! what can one say, rip them up and put tiles down only solution. I always travel with flip flops yes even to get into the shower. the rest of the ship was clean and there was a crew member at almost evry entrance especially the restaurants with a hand sanitizer.

entertainment, the shows seen one seen em all, for me a diversion if nothing else to do. okay what do they expect, BROADWAY productions.

depending on your person is what you get out of a cruise is the bottom line.

an overall pleasant experience on NCL may return if the itnry is what suits me otherwise have to try otherers before saying that it is the ultimate cruiseline. as i mentioned before different strokes for different folks.

oops almost forgot been on the RCCL JOS and that too was a complete different cruise itny and yes enjoyed that as well, the people demgraphics on NCL were not the same as JOS that was a noticible factor. happy cruising.:cool:

[boereseun]

My girlfriend and I are a pair of active 28 year olds looking to do our first cruise this November and will be doing a 7-night cruise in the Western Caribbean. We're very interested in scuba diving and snorkelling so it seemed that the NCL Pearl ports of call would suit us best.

 

But the RCI Mariner of the Seas is actually available for a little cheaper and RCI generally get better reviews on here than NCL, so we're a little stumped on what to do but are leaning towards NCL.

 

Pearl stops in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay. We want to do a good bit of snorkelling and diving and maybe see the Mayan ruins at Belize and these seem great ports for diving.

 

Mariner stops in Labadee Haiti, Ochos Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman sound a bit more commercialized and might not offer as good diving though I'm fully open to correction on that.

 

A Balcony on the Mariner of the seas is actually $200 cheaper than a balcony on the NCL Pearl if we go with a Balcony Guarantee so some people on here would probably think we're mad to go with the Pearl - I have another thread going to get broad opinions on that but thought I'd come to the NCL forum to see if those who know NCL well can help convince us it's the right fit for us.

 

Main concerns with NCL seem to be:

-poor quality of the food negates the advantage of flexible dining.

-they try and nickel and dime you at every opportunity which gets tiresome.

-Some negative comments about the staff on the Pearl (suggestions that auto-tipping means they're not motivated to go the extra mile).

-A couple of comments about cleanliness on the boat.

-some people think the entertainment is not as good as RCI, though that's obviously quite subjective.

 

So, are the above really valid concerns or are they being blown out of proportion by people with a lot of cruising under their belt so are naturally comparing it to other lines and jumping on any perceived differences?

 

We're actually pretty easy going though the one thing that never sits right with me is a feeling that I'm being nickel and dimed so if that's a genuine problem I'd avoid it. That said, I've no problem paying gratuities up front or the 15% service charges, and I'd avoid things like art auctions etc - outside of that is it a real problem or not (e.g. if I look for a coffee during the day will they charge me, likewise for a bottle of water etc.)?

 

As it's our first cruise I'm hoping that NCL can offer us the flexibility and itinterary that suits us without any significant sacrifice on quality - is that not realistic or is that actually the way it is (and it's just very fussy people who don't like them)?

 

Thanks!

 

hi there also pained with the choice to take pearl in feb 08 after reading the reports at the time noro virus was a big topic and freestyle dining. we finaly booked because of the 9 day itny all else was disregarded. i say this because i am a picky person and with time am learning to chill. sometimes too much info can be a burden and just serves to get one more confused. back to our cruise the only ports on your sailing that wev been to are belize a definate yes for ruins and cozumel has beautiful beaches not far from ship. both taken on our own. (no tour)

as for other points.

we booked a mini suite on the 11th deck which came to the total of US 3,962.00 for 9 days southern carib out of Miami.

Food exceeded our expectations main dinnigroom constant quality, buffet always fresh salads and food for any nationality ( we live in europe) the special rests. tried mambos twice italian food pasta cooked al dente thats what makes it good. mexican so. so. the only downside were the desserts and pastries bland and no imagination.

coffee availble all day ( when not being repaired ) and yes even genuine esspresso. no charge

water ? i drink the water thats availble from the tap and never had a problem with ice in it perfect. not a fan of walking around with a bottle in hand and swigging at intervals.

nickles n dimes ? all we paid for was the wine with our meals +- us 28.00 not vintage but drinkable no headaches. as for drinks dont need to have softdrinks i.e. coke and the likes. we had prepaid for a bar setup in our cabin with gin & vermouth as we enjoy the solitude of the balcony for our sundowners and martinis, that came to about US 100.00

staff extra mile ? all depends what your needs are. cabin crew were great. the dinning crew in main room changed with every meal because of freetsyle no big issue for us, always civil ( dont cruise to fratinize with the personel ) buffet crew smile and put the food on your plate e voila´

as for making reservations did the first day and then just arrived when we wanted to eat and always found a table no waiting ( maybe we were just fortunate) ( also because decided not to be painful and throw my weight around just because I was hungry!!!! )

cleanliness ? by whose standards ? i have read some very funny things here as to what people found in and under their beds and closets even to finding a hair in the hand basin, go figure. the cabin was made up twice a day and always spotless ( bathroom) carpets! what can one say, rip them up and put tiles down only solution. I always travel with flip flops yes even to get into the shower. the rest of the ship was clean and there was a crew member at almost evry entrance especially the restaurants with a hand sanitizer.

entertainment, the shows seen one seen em all, for me a diversion if nothing else to do. okay what do they expect, BROADWAY productions.

depending on your person is what you get out of a cruise is the bottom line.

an overall pleasant experience on NCL may return if the itnry is what suits me otherwise have to try otherers before saying that it is the ultimate cruiseline. as i mentioned before different strokes for different folks.

oops almost forgot been on the RCCL JOS and that too was a complete different cruise itny and yes enjoyed that as well, the people demgraphics on NCL were not the same as JOS that was a noticible factor. happy cruising.:cool:

[newmexicoNita]

My girlfriend and I are a pair of active 28 year olds looking to do our first cruise this November and will be doing a 7-night cruise in the Western Caribbean. We're very interested in scuba diving and snorkelling so it seemed that the NCL Pearl ports of call would suit us best.

 

But the RCI Mariner of the Seas is actually available for a little cheaper and RCI generally get better reviews on here than NCL, so we're a little stumped on what to do but are leaning towards NCL.

 

Pearl stops in Roatan, Belize, Cozumel, and Great Stirrup Cay. We want to do a good bit of snorkelling and diving and maybe see the Mayan ruins at Belize and these seem great ports for diving.

 

Mariner stops in Labadee Haiti, Ochos Rios Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Ochos Rios and Grand Cayman sound a bit more commercialized and might not offer as good diving though I'm fully open to correction on that.

 

A Balcony on the Mariner of the seas is actually $200 cheaper than a balcony on the NCL Pearl if we go with a Balcony Guarantee so some people on here would probably think we're mad to go with the Pearl - I have another thread going to get broad opinions on that but thought I'd come to the NCL forum to see if those who know NCL well can help convince us it's the right fit for us.

 

Main concerns with NCL seem to be:

-poor quality of the food negates the advantage of flexible dining.

-they try and nickel and dime you at every opportunity which gets tiresome.

-Some negative comments about the staff on the Pearl (suggestions that auto-tipping means they're not motivated to go the extra mile).

-A couple of comments about cleanliness on the boat.

-some people think the entertainment is not as good as RCI, though that's obviously quite subjective.

 

So, are the above really valid concerns or are they being blown out of proportion by people with a lot of cruising under their belt so are naturally comparing it to other lines and jumping on any perceived differences?

 

We're actually pretty easy going though the one thing that never sits right with me is a feeling that I'm being nickel and dimed so if that's a genuine problem I'd avoid it. That said, I've no problem paying gratuities up front or the 15% service charges, and I'd avoid things like art auctions etc - outside of that is it a real problem or not (e.g. if I look for a coffee during the day will they charge me, likewise for a bottle of water etc.)?

 

As it's our first cruise I'm hoping that NCL can offer us the flexibility and itinterary that suits us without any significant sacrifice on quality - is that not realistic or is that actually the way it is (and it's just very fussy people who don't like them)?

 

Thanks!

there will always be negatives and RCI gets their share but you are right about NCL getting a few more, my take on this, people do not know what to expect, do not do their homework and most can be knit picky over little things:

 

For anyone who likes the diving scene, you can't beat NCL or the itinerary you are mentioning as all the ports will offer you good diving and snorkeling,well not GSC so much. I would choose NCL for that reason alone. Grand Cayman Except for good snorkeling) has nothing to offer and is very pricey, Ocho Rios does offer the Dunns River falls tour, otherwise, again, nothing and certainly Jamaica isn't the best place for under water adventures.

 

As for food, this is too subjective to get into, but I will say, NCL does some things better than any line we have cruised and others not so great!!! Service wise, we have had great service 90% of the time on NCL and the opposite on RCI, but again that is our experience, others have reported differently. One thing, for sure, the crew on NCL is friendlier...

 

Nickel and diming, this again, always blows my mind, we cruise a couple times a year, have been on all mass marketed lines and have found they all nickel and dime to some degree: certainly NCL isn't any worse, or in many cases as bad as other lines. Have you seen examples given as to where the nickel and diming is worse on NCL. I think too many people, again, not doing homework think you pay up front and there will be no other charges. The one place NCL will get you, drink prices, but even then, we are talking about, maybe 50 cents more per drink. They also charge as arm and leg for bingo: we just don't play, it is a simple as that.

 

Cleanliness; check the cdc ratings and when the last inspection was done. Both ships get good marks.

 

 

Nita

[retired rascal]

i always chuckle when i see questions like 'convince me to sail ncl.' why would anyone try to sway you. YOU make up your mind on your own and then you won't blame anyone else for your choice. if you want great snorkelling and diving, go to club med at turks/caicos if it wasn't badly damaged by the recent hurricanes. the wall off turks is one of the best in the world. there are twice daily snorkeling boats to various locations on the reef....and they are free. the rooms are fine and the food is great. if you want to cruise, pick what sounds best to you. the reality of all of this is that you will have as fabulous a time as you choose to have. it's an 'inside job,' ie. generated by you not by your surroundings. enjoy every minute of whatever you choose. :)

[Guest Anorak33]

I would really rather not attempt to sway you to book NCL.

The more cabins they sell the pricier they'll become.

 

But I won't lie to you - NCL IMHO are good value and I never had bad service, slow service maybe in the main dining rooms, bad food - never, specially recently it has become much better.

 

It's always been clean and comfortable for us or we wouldn't keep going back. We are not real cheerleaders for any line, there are always some things not perfect but NCL is as good as any mass market line and IMHO better than some.

[rsinj]

Main concerns with NCL seem to be:

-poor quality of the food negates the advantage of flexible dining.

-they try and nickel and dime you at every opportunity which gets tiresome.

-Some negative comments about the staff on the Pearl (suggestions that auto-tipping means they're not motivated to go the extra mile).

-A couple of comments about cleanliness on the boat.

-some people think the entertainment is not as good as RCI, though that's obviously quite subjective.

 

I don't view your concerns as anything more than some individuals personal opinions and not necessarily fact.

 

The food quality was fine.

 

Every cruise line tries to nickel and dime you at every opportunity.

 

As far as auto-tipping and staff motivation, I will not disagree on that as I believe it is true and have seen signs of it.

 

Entertainment - as you rightly point out - entirely subjective.

 

Bottom line - though we enjoyed our NCL cruise tremendously and would sail with them without hesitation, if you are getting a better price with RCL, I would go with that. Again, I really wouldn't place high importance on any of your issues as they are also subjective for the most part.

 

Howard

[CruisnGram]

You've gotten some great responses so far, so I will strictly address the "nickle and dime" issue.

 

I don't exactly know what you mean by being "nickle and dimed". Every cruiseline makes their money on the extra's. They want you in that casino, want you to buy those drinks in the souveneer glasses, want you to play bingo, etc. etc. However, no one forces you to do/buy any of those things. Yes, when you go to a show, the "warmup" will be the CD telling some jokes, welcoming you, etc. And during that warmup, they will try to convince you to buy the pull off tickets. They'll also tell you about Bingo and the great prizes they offer. But it last's about 10 minutes prior to the show beginning and no one forces you to buy anything. They don't get up in your face pushing the tickets. Same goes for drinks. Of course a waiter may come up to you when you sit down in the theatre or at the pool and ask you if you would like a drink. But if you tell them "no" they don't keep pestering you.

 

Personally, I have no issue with the cruise line "pushing" their extra money making items. As long as I'm not pursued constantly, it doesn't bother me one bit. I simply say "no thanks" and that's the end of it. Of course, if what I described does bother you then you may not want to cruise at all, let alone on NCL.

 

CG

[Kathylovescruises]

My experience on Mariner led me to NCL!

We are seasoned cruisers, but the Mariner almost did me in- there was a BLOODY mattress pad on our bed.( now that is just gross..) There were dirty socks in the drawers in the kids room. We ordered a DVD and got one of some other family, when I informed the people at the desk I was told to " Go to Hell" . This did not go over well with me-I later got called in to the "Principals" office after complaining about this and several other incidents, she didn't beleive me until I asked her to watch the video of the pursor speaking to me. There was no sound, but you could see what he said! I got a snippy apology and they credited me for the DVD...

 

As for diving- you will find that Cayman has really been trashed by disrespctful or just unknowing divers. The change over the past 15 years is incredible. WE have nott done any diving in Belize or Honduras yet, so I cannot comment.

 

RCL private island is nicer than NCL by a longshot.

 

But we now love NCL, so that one island day doesn't matter.

 

Decisions, decisions.....

[GiantSox]

To retired rascal--that's why the OP asked the question so that bloggers in the know would say which ones are the best in their opinion and why and that in turn will help the OP to decide for themselves?

[OhPinchy]

Decisions decisions indeed!

 

Thanks for all the opinions and yep ultimately this is a decision we're making ourselves but having the insight given by posters on this thread is helping us get a picture on what are valid concerns versus what may just be subjective items certain individuals have complained about in their review.

 

Bottom line is my gut has been telling me NCL is the right fit for our first taste of cruising both in flexibility and more interesting ports for us, and this thread has helped confirm that somewhat.

 

So, with our eyes fully open that all cruise lines have pros and cons and neither will be perfect, we're going with the NCL Pearl and to be honest I can't see us not having a great time....looking forward to it.

[Ms belp]

i always chuckle when i see questions like 'convince me to sail ncl.' why would anyone try to sway you. YOU make up your mind on your own and then you won't blame anyone else for your choice. if you want great snorkelling and diving, go to club med at turks/caicos if it wasn't badly damaged by the recent hurricanes. the wall off turks is one of the best in the world. there are twice daily snorkeling boats to various locations on the reef....and they are free. the rooms are fine and the food is great. if you want to cruise, pick what sounds best to you. the reality of all of this is that you will have as fabulous a time as you choose to have. it's an 'inside job,' ie. generated by you not by your surroundings. enjoy every minute of whatever you choose. :)

 

I agree. I just posted much the same on a similar post.

 

I just donated money to the Red Cross, who is overwhelmed right now on the Gulf Coast, as are most other emergency responders, including my partner who serves in the Guard. IF, we are still able to go on our vacation in November, we will be grateful. All these disasters are eating up paid days at work. Be grateful. She has no running water, no toilets, no showers, no A/C, only one TV station, and a bunch of grumbling, tired evacuees.

[WinnieinWA]

 

I just donated money to the Red Cross, who is overwhelmed right now on the Gulf Coast, as are most other emergency responders, including my partner who serves in the Guard. IF, we are still able to go on our vacation in November, we will be grateful. All these disasters are eating up paid days at work. Be grateful. She has no running water, no toilets, no showers, no A/C, only one TV station, and a bunch of grumbling, tired evacuees.

 

What, may I ask, does that have to do with the OP's question?:confused:

 

to the OP:

 

I have enjoyed each NCL cruise I have been on. I've only been on one RCI ship and I was very disappointed in a couple of areas. Other than these 3 points I think they are more similar than different.

 

My cabin was dirty upon embarkation with dirty mirrors, dust, makeup spilled on vanity, hair in vanity drawers. I never felt my cabin was ever really cleaned and I had a steward who was ..............lazy....and she never smiled once. No extra cash for her....just the auto tip.

On NCL I've had great stewards who have not only gotten their auto tips but an extra 20 at the end of the cruise because my cabin was always etremely clean and the stewards very nice and friendly!

 

There were no hand sanitizers on RCI and there were sanitizers outside each and every food venue on NCL. which I greatly appreciated.

 

I've never had to send back food on NCL and had to send food back twice on RCI because the meat was so tough it couldn't even be cut!

 

Those 3 reasons keep me off of RCI and on NCL although I am cruising other lines in the near future.

 

I did enjoy traditional dining times on RCI as I was seated with a bunch of other female solo's and we all hit it off and had so much fun together!

If cruising with fmily we go NCL so we can dine alone

 

Each cruise will have some who loved it and some who hated it.:rolleyes:

 

I'm sure you will enjoy whichever line you choose.:)

[michigan tim]

I've recently been on the Dawn and also have been or RCL's Adventure of the Seas and Grandeur. All 7 day cruises. I liked the Dawn enough to book it again for spring break, however, all things being equal I'd give the edge to RCL. Food was about equal, but I did like the Freestyle element. I think the level of service on RCL is just a bit tighter.

[lambs2]

Some of the very best entertainment we have EVER had on a cruise was on our NCL Jewel cruise last March. However, the entertainment on our only other NCL cruise, Pride of America, two years ago was less than memorable, but truthfully, we were so tired out each day after touring the various Hawaiian Islands that it did not bother us at all. No sea days on that cruise!

I could say the same thing comparing ships on other lines as well, so that must really depend on the ship an even the particular sailing.

LOVE that on NCL you can have embarkation lunch served to you in one of the dining rooms, whereas that is not the case of RCCL!

[pictonite]

To the OP. We have sailed on many lines, and have really enjoyed them all. With some reservations we sailed on The Pearl this past February. We loved the appearance of the ship, we thought it was always spotless. Our cabins - mini suites, were always ready for us, and our stewards were friendly. The restaurant choices were great, and the restaurant staff always accommodated us. We found the staff everywhere to be very friendly and eager to please. We enjoyed the cruise so much that we booked her again for this October - the same itinerary you are planning. We'll let you know how it goes when we return!

[Duncan28]

I only cruised on NCL once but we loved it. If you can, I would even recommend upgrading to a suite. You will get priority embarkation and debarkation which was awesome. There are many other perks too. Just another item to add to your list of decisions :)

[shawn&angie]

Some of the very best entertainment we have EVER had on a cruise was on our NCL Jewel cruise last March. However, the entertainment on our only other NCL cruise, Pride of America, two years ago was less than memorable, but truthfully, we were so tired out each day after touring the various Hawaiian Islands that it did not bother us at all. No sea days on that cruise!

I could say the same thing comparing ships on other lines as well, so that must really depend on the ship an even the particular sailing.

LOVE that on NCL you can have embarkation lunch served to you in one of the dining rooms, whereas that is not the case of RCCL!

 

Hey guys its Shawn & Angie...sure enjoyed our West Coast cruise on the Mercury with you two. We are on here condisdering our first NCL cruise. NCL seems to offer the best choice for Hawaii. We are considering taking Angie's parents which will be their first cruise..but are concerned about no sea day's to give them a break. So far by reading this great thread I less concerns about NCL.