Help-Norwegian Dawn or Princess Ruby

[RN1986]

I have 2 cruises booked for spring break (Mar 09). My final payment is Monday. I ahve 2 girls ages 13 and 17 and we have 2 rooms booked on bothe ships (balcony and inside), so rooms are comparable. The cost difference is 700 more for the Ruby. Both have 4 ports and one is Eastern and one is Western. I ahve some concerns about the reviews of food on the NCL line. Also, there is only 1 pool on the Dawn vs 4 on the Ruby. Also, the Ruby has MUTS.

 

I am hoping that somebody will say something to help me decide which boat!!!

[hunter954]

Last month i sailed on the inaugural Celebrity Solstice and really missed NCL. The whole cruise i kept thinking i had been transported back to the 90's. Do people still go to dinner at a set time and sit at the same table the whole cruise? Freestyle cruising is so wonderful and the variety of the restaurants is such a great feature i cant ever imagine going on any other line. NCL commercials with the tag line "some cruise lines tell you when, where, and with who to eat" rang VERY true on the Solstice. We requested a table for two. The table next to us was separated from ours by only two inch's. Those people might as well have been sitting in our laps.....go to dinner when you want, eat where you want, go to shows when you want.....I know i went a little off topic but could not resist........

[Planer's Edge]

I would say by your last two sentences you have your mind made up. Or do you really want some input?

 

Nobody is going to convince you that the food is better one or the other. Food is incredibly subjective. As for the pool count, you have to decide if that means much to you.

 

Besides it appears as though you have spent most of your time researching Princess here at CC.

 

PE

[ddakrt]

I;ve personally never had a problem with NCL food, some people make it sound like the food on NCL's ships are inedible, which it obviously is not true.

 

Not everything will be your cup of tea, but I really find it hard to believe that someone won't find anything they like on the menu.

 

Another big thing for me is NCL's soft serve ice cream, they always have a Taylor machine working 24 hours a day (actually I'm not sure if it was on during breakfast), which I don't believe Princess have.

 

I actually don't mind not having MUTS, I like to swim and go to the hottubs at night, without MUTS only means there are less people around the pool when I want to go swimming. :D

[Suni99]

I have 2 cruises booked for spring break (Mar 09). My final payment is Monday. I ahve 2 girls ages 13 and 17 and we have 2 rooms booked on bothe ships (balcony and inside), so rooms are comparable. The cost difference is 700 more for the Ruby. Both have 4 ports and one is Eastern and one is Western. I ahve some concerns about the reviews of food on the NCL line. Also, there is only 1 pool on the Dawn vs 4 on the Ruby. Also, the Ruby has MUTS.

 

I am hoping that somebody will say something to help me decide which boat!!!

 

 

I would save the 700$, go for the dawn (which i have read great reviews about). The Ruby is brand new so your paying more for that, wait awhile on her the price will drop. I personally think the kids would be better off with the Freestyle aproach on NCL......

make sure you let us know how your trip goes with a review when you get back.....:)

happy sailing

[elruth]

What is MUTS??

[Planer's Edge]

What is MUTS??

 

Movies Under The Stars or Sky.

 

PE

[newmexicoNita]

I have 2 cruises booked for spring break (Mar 09). My final payment is Monday. I ahve 2 girls ages 13 and 17 and we have 2 rooms booked on bothe ships (balcony and inside), so rooms are comparable. The cost difference is 700 more for the Ruby. Both have 4 ports and one is Eastern and one is Western. I ahve some concerns about the reviews of food on the NCL line. Also, there is only 1 pool on the Dawn vs 4 on the Ruby. Also, the Ruby has MUTS.

 

I am hoping that somebody will say something to help me decide which boat!!!

I will start this by saying, I am an NCL loyalist as most know, but I will alos add, the Ruby is a brand new ship, versus a ship 6 years old. That being said,

 

Food wise, entrees are better on Princess (my opinion only, mind you) the rest of the food is equal, with NCL winning for some thing, Princess others

 

Cabins, NCL has better designed cabins even though the sq footage is similar

 

We prefer the way Freestyle works compared to "personal choice but they are similar.

 

Entertainment, almost the same

 

Service, this just depends, we have had better on NCL but this is not always the case.

 

Casino: Princess hands down.

 

Kids program, from review, proabably NCL would get the thumbs up.

 

I will add, it sounds like, from your comments you want someone to tell you <NCL will blow you away, this isn't the case. Food is subjective and certainly is not bad on NCL. MUTS would not even be a consideration for us, but it is a nice featue, certainly not something that would make or break a cruise, anymore than a glass of chanpange upon embarkation would make a big differnce.

 

Nita

[mmceachn]

I like Princess and NCL.

 

Recently sailed on the Crown Princess, and on the NCL Dawn in 2002 and 2005

Both ships are nice.

 

The Princess ships have three pools, and the NCL Dawn only has one

Princess has movies under the stars, NCL Dawn has an indoor movie theater.

Food is good on both...but I give a slight edge to Princess for selection and quality.

 

Princess has more activities such as Ceramics at Sea, Horse racing, etc..

Also..Princess's soda card is cheaper than NCL's...I think it was 35.00

for the week, while NCL's is up over 50.00

 

The on board stores on the Princess ships are MUCH better than the NCL shops for price, selection and variety.

 

It was very easy to get a cola or ice tea in the buffet on the Crown Princess

with the soda card.

 

Good luck with your decision