Anyone cruised NCL and X??

[Sky Sweet]

So NCL was worse than a cardboard box? It is either that or your MIL is wrong. I vote for for a wrong MIL. You are certainly no Pollanna.

 

You and your type are the main reason that many don't like celebrity. Uptight, judgemnental, faux judges of good taste and high quality who would eat anything as long as it was served under glass and proclaim it marvelous while wearing a rented or old, ill fitting tux or gown should realize that Celebrity is the line for them. Stay there.

 

Many people who do not like NCL need to have everyone act like them, dress like them, do like them, think like them. Stepford cruisers.

 

Hi John Ritt - your comment about "stepford cruisers" made me LOL :)

 

On a more serious note, one of the best things about a cruise is that it gives you an opportunity to meet people that are very different than who you are likely to interact with in your home environment.

 

Therefore, I prefer cruises that have a diverse group of passengers.

[rolfecms]

You and your type are the main reason that many don't like celebrity. Uptight, judgemnental, faux judges of good taste and high quality who would eat anything as long as it was served under glass and proclaim it marvelous while wearing a rented or old, ill fitting tux or gown should realize that Celebrity is the line for them. Stay there.

Many people who do not like NCL need to have everyone act like them, dress like them, do like them, think like them. Stepford cruisers.

 

When we cruised NCL for an Hawaiian island cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary - we were not loyal to any particular line so we did not go with grand expectations. Having said that, our experience was so poor that it put us off NCL completely. It left such a bad taste that we did not even think of going on another ship for quite some time after that. :(

 

More power to you and all those who like NCL but you won't find us there no matter how much they drop their prices.

[mafig]

So NCL was worse than a cardboard box? It is either that or your MIL is wrong. I vote for for a wrong MIL. You are certainly no Pollanna.

 

You and your type are the main reason that many don't like celebrity. Uptight, judgemnental, faux judges of good taste and high quality who would eat anything as long as it was served under glass and proclaim it marvelous while wearing a rented or old, ill fitting tux or gown should realize that Celebrity is the line for them. Stay there.

 

Many people who do not like NCL need to have everyone act like them, dress like them, do like them, think like them. Stepford cruisers.

 

 

When I read the post you were referring to, I was left shaking my head.

Pompous is another word I'd use.

I think you nailed it pretty well.

[wolfshadow]

If you are like.....

 

Thurston Howell III and Lovey (but sleepier)......sail Celebrity.

Ginger........................................................sail Princess.

The Professor, Mary Ann, and the Skipper.........sail NCL.

Gilligan........................................................sail Carnival.

Who's the one being judgemental here? You obviously have a biased opinion of Celebrity of which you haven't mentioned if you have even experienced them. As you have pointed out that any who prefer Celebrity because we will eat anything served under glass or that we wear anything we have just to keep up with the faux judgemental people who obviously only sail Celebrity because we all expect everyone to look just like us so we all just sail Celebrity because we must feel we are so much above anyone who sail NCL. Your opinion of us is not very flattering to say the least and one has to wonder why you would truly be thinking this way. We are all definitely not Thurston Howell the third's and we are not sleepy, whatever that means. If you are that happy with NCL then indeed, stay there. But, for the ones who have sailed both, or have heard from enough close friends of their disappointments with NCL (like me) or those who just don't agree with your feelings for them, I wouldn't assume they are just snobs because you feel they just won't lower themselves to even give NCL a chance. Their reasons are just as real to them as your reasons are to you. So, you stick to your reality and we'll stick to ours. After all, the OP did ask for everyone's opinions, just not yours. :rolleyes:

[Aber]

As we have been on 3 NCL cruises and, 4 going on 5, X cruises, 1 Princess and 1 Holland America, take my word for it, NCL has the smallest staterooms.....Even the newer JEWEL, rooms are a shoebox. Balcony rooms seem to be all bed and tough to get around.

[johnritt]

Who's the one being judgemental here? You obviously have a biased opinion of Celebrity of which you haven't mentioned if you have even experienced them. As you have pointed out that any who prefer Celebrity because we will eat anything served under glass or that we wear anything we have just to keep up with the faux judgemental people who obviously only sail Celebrity because we all expect everyone to look just like us so we all just sail Celebrity because we must feel we are so much above anyone who sail NCL. Your opinion of us is not very flattering to say the least and one has to wonder why you would truly be thinking this way. We are all definitely not Thurston Howell the third's and we are not sleepy, whatever that means. If you are that happy with NCL then indeed, stay there. But, for the ones who have sailed both, or have heard from enough close friends of their disappointments with NCL (like me) or those who just don't agree with your feelings for them, I wouldn't assume they are just snobs because you feel they just won't lower themselves to even give NCL a chance. Their reasons are just as real to them as your reasons are to you. So, you stick to your reality and we'll stick to ours. After all, the OP did ask for everyone's opinions, just not yours. :rolleyes:

 

Judgemental, you bet. Everyone in this whole thread is judgemental. It is was what the OP asked for. Is my reality accurate? In my opinion, yes. For evidence, I submit your post (quoted) and the post by luv2cruise that you can find above.

[wolfshadow]

Judgemental, you bet. Everyone in this whole thread is judgemental. It is was what the OP asked for. Is my reality accurate? In my opinion, yes. For evidence, I submit your post (quoted) and the post by luv2cruise that you can find above.

Yes, maybe judgemental was the wrong word, maybe I should have used rude or petty or maybe even overly opinionated, but then that would have put me on your level and I try not to put down people when lending an opinion. Especially when I don't know them. I only repeated what you had said then gave my opinion. I believe luv2cruise was only doing the same which I repeat is what the OP asked for. Sounded to me like she gave NCL many chances to prove her first impression wrong and it obviously didn't. That does not make her a Thurston Howell the third either.

[Sky Sweet]

As we have been on 3 NCL cruises and, 4 going on 5, X cruises, 1 Princess and 1 Holland America, take my word for it, NCL has the smallest staterooms.....Even the newer JEWEL, rooms are a shoebox. Balcony rooms seem to be all bed and tough to get around.

 

Hi Aber :)

 

We will be taking our first NCL cruise to Bermuda on Dawn this June, but did notice that their balcony cabins are slightly smaller than than Celebrity's and considerably smaller than those on Holland America. However, the difference in size between Celebrity's and Holland America's balcony cabins is significantly greater than the difference between Celebrity and NCL.

 

That is why we decided to book a mini suite on NCL Dawn, which is significantly larger than Celebrity's Concierge Class cabins and slightly smaller than Celebrity's sky suites.

[mkad1109]

As we have been on 3 NCL cruises and, 4 going on 5, X cruises, 1 Princess and 1 Holland America, take my word for it, NCL has the smallest staterooms.....Even the newer JEWEL, rooms are a shoebox. Balcony rooms seem to be all bed and tough to get around.

I don't want to get in the middle of this fray, however, I really believe in documenting and clarifying misconceptions so here goes. I joined Cruisestaterooms.com which I have found to be accurate. Here's the stats in terms of size of comparable rooms:

 

NCL Balcony Rm vs. Celebrity Veranda

167 Room/38 Balcony 170 Room/38 Balcony

 

NCL Mini Suite vs. Celebrity Concierge Class

231 Room/54 Balcony 191 Room/41 Balcony

 

I think perception is a big part of the issue here, people tend to see what they want to see. Also on both lines there are the "exception cabins (e.g. Sweet Sixteens on Celebrity). Apples to Apples it is not a fair statement, actually if you compare Mini's to Concierge, NCL wins.

 

I really do believe a vacation is what you make of it. If you look for the glass to be half full it is only that much better when it is all the way full. If you are looking for problems you are bound to find them. JMHO.

 

Susan

[mkad1109]

Hi Aber :)

 

We will be taking our first NCL cruise to Bermuda on Dawn this June, but did notice that their balcony cabins are slightly smaller than than Celebrity's and considerably smaller than those on Holland America. However, the difference in size between Celebrity's and Holland America's balcony cabins is significantly greater than the difference between Celebrity and NCL.

 

That is why we decided to book a mini suite on NCL Dawn, which is significantly larger than Celebrity's Concierge Class cabins and slightly smaller than Celebrity's sky suites.

We think alike! In researching my prior post (and getting interrupted by my DD) I basically said the same thing you did. My apologies!

[Sky Sweet]

We think alike! In researching my prior post (and getting interrupted by my DD) I basically said the same thing you did. My apologies!

 

 

Hi mkad - Great minds think alike :)

 

I appreciate the fact that your post included the Sf of the cabins we both discussed.

 

BTW - I noticed that you live on Long Island. I grew up on the North Shore of LI during the fifties and sixties.

[johnritt]

Yes, maybe judgemental was the wrong word, maybe I should have used rude or petty or maybe even overly opinionated, but then that would have put me on your level and I try not to put down people when lending an opinion. Especially when I don't know them. I only repeated what you had said then gave my opinion. I believe luv2cruise was only doing the same which I repeat is what the OP asked for. Sounded to me like she gave NCL many chances to prove her first impression wrong and it obviously didn't. That does not make her a Thurston Howell the third either.

 

No, she is not Thurston Howell III. She is Lovey. Did you even read her post? It didn't insult just NCL, it insulted the cruiser who enjoys NCL. It was pompous, arrogant, and insulting.

 

As one who defends her insulting opinions of NCL cruisers, I would think you would also be honerable enough to defend my reply. It was certainly no more insulting to a X cruiser than hers was to a NCL cruiser.

 

I guess you can only be rude, petty and over opinionated if you like NCL. You can spew out any drivil you want if you like X.

[shawn&angie]

When we cruised NCL for an Hawaiian island cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary - we were not loyal to any particular line so we did not go with grand expectations. Having said that, our experience was so poor that it put us off NCL completely. It left such a bad taste that we did not even think of going on another ship for quite some time after that. :(

 

More power to you and all those who like NCL but you won't find us there no matter how much they drop their prices.

 

We have yet to sail NCL. This year we came very close as it appears to be the best choice to do Hawaii, however most of the reviews let me to what I hear your experience was so we opted Southern Caribbean this year on the Summitt.

[Xcruiser]

No, she is not Thurston Howell III. She is Lovey. Did you even read her post? It didn't insult just NCL, it insulted the cruiser who enjoys NCL. It was pompous, arrogant, and insulting.

 

As one who defends her insulting opinions of NCL cruisers, I would think you would also be honerable enough to defend my reply. It was certainly no more insulting to a X cruiser than hers was to a NCL cruiser.

 

I guess you can only be rude, petty and over opinionated if you like NCL. You can spew out any drivil you want if you like X.

 

Please indulge me as to your experiences onboard Celebrity ships that forms your judgment of those who prefer to sail on the line. Rather than saying my cruise line is better than yours, how about saying they are different products catering to different demographics with different tastes!

[Sky Sweet]

I agree with those who have verbalized that a person's preference for one cruise line over another is influenced by their personal tastes such as free style vs structure, formal vs casual, laid back vs energetic ambiance, etc.

 

On the other hand, I strongly disagree with the comments about demographics, with the exception of age. All mass market cruise lines have some passengers who are professionals, some who are well educated, some who are blue collar workers, some who are very wealthy, some who barely eke a living, etc. In reality, all mass market cruise lines have a very diverse passenger base.

 

One of my pet peeves is when people think that their favorite mass market cruise line has passengers who are more elitist than the others.

[Sky Sweet]

Just for fun - I decided to look up the ratings for Celebrity and NCL ships on Expedia.com.

 

Celebrity Millennium - four and a half stars

Celebrity Summit, Infinity and Constellation - four stars

Celebrity Mercury - four stars

Celebrity Century and Galaxy- three and a half stars

 

NCL Dawn, Pearl, and Jewel - four and a half stars

NCL Sky, Star, Spirit, and Sun - four stars

NCL Majesty - three stars

 

Yahoo travel appears to have the exact same ratings.

 

The newer ships for both cruise lines were "not yet rated"

[Eeyoregon]

When we cruised NCL for an Hawaiian island cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary - we were not loyal to any particular line so we did not go with grand expectations. Having said that, our experience was so poor that it put us off NCL completely. It left such a bad taste that we did not even think of going on another ship for quite some time after that. :(

 

More power to you and all those who like NCL but you won't find us there no matter how much they drop their prices.

 

We have yet to sail NCL. This year we came very close as it appears to be the best choice to do Hawaii, however most of the reviews let me to what I hear your experience was so we opted Southern Caribbean this year on the Summitt.

 

This is gonna sound weird, but I just want to make sure that others understand that the Hawaii "NCL" is NOT the same as the other NCL. I don't remember the logistics of it but there is a difference in ownership...the NCL experts can chime in with more specific details.

[shawn&angie]

Seems like that is what I read as well, that Hawaii is not the same as other NCL sailings. Trying NCL got us interested then reading about the Hawaii sailing scared us off.

[jnliddell]

JEDIKNIGHT - I have not cruised both lines, only NCL, so I cannot compare and contrast. I will be taking my first Celebrity cruise in March. We had narrowed down our choices to NCL & X, but in the end we decided to go with the Century. The reasons why are difficult to articulate and may not make much sense to others, but lets face it, cruising is all about personal preference. So here goes:

 

1) Freestyle dining is a great concept. But, when we cruised on the Pearl, I actually missed having the same dining companions every night. I enjoy meeting other couples and hearing about their adventures and their lives. I felt isolated on the Pearl even though we were constantly surrounded by people.

2) I enjoy a smaller ship. There will be 1000 less pax on the Century compared to the Jewel.

3) I love to feel pampered. I wanted to experience the service levels that X is known for.

 

Don't know if this helps or not. I hope to have a fantastic review to post in late March!

 

And, I agree with some of the posts here - If you have the right outlook, every cruise will be a great experience!

 

Happy Sailing!

[rolfecms]

Freestyle dining is a great concept. But, when we cruised on the Pearl, I actually missed having the same dining companions every night. I enjoy meeting other couples and hearing about their adventures and their lives. I felt isolated on the Pearl even though we were constantly surrounded by people.

 

Not sure why you would feel 'freestyle' is such a great concept when you indicated in the same sentence the exact reason why it is not - you feel like a stranger on a ship full of people: New table mates and waiters at each meal. The group experience is totally missing when everyone can do their own 'freestyle' thing.

[wolfshadow]

No, she is not Thurston Howell III. She is Lovey. Did you even read her post? It didn't insult just NCL, it insulted the cruiser who enjoys NCL. It was pompous, arrogant, and insulting.

 

As one who defends her insulting opinions of NCL cruisers, I would think you would also be honerable enough to defend my reply. It was certainly no more insulting to a X cruiser than hers was to a NCL cruiser.

 

I guess you can only be rude, petty and over opinionated if you like NCL. You can spew out any drivil you want if you like X.

Why do you have such a large chip on your shoulder about this? And now you are calling me not honorable??? All I said was that that poster has her right to her opinion, if you disagree with it that's fine but to resort to belittling someone is a little much. Why get your dander up? Like I said if you like NCL that much and dislike Celebrity, for what reasons you haven't truly explained, stick with NCL. Most of us really don't care. Have a great time!

[Eeyoregon]

Not sure why you would feel 'freestyle' is such a great concept when you indicated in the same sentence the exact reason why it is not - you feel like a stranger on a ship full of people: New table mates and waiters at each meal. The group experience is totally missing when everyone can do their own 'freestyle' thing.

 

He said that because Freestyle has NOTHING to with who you dine with. It has to do with WHEN you dine.

 

So the poster is saying he liked not having to be babysat and told when to eat and at what exact momemt. He did not enjoy not having set tablemates.

 

You can opt to share a table and if you hit it off with those folks, it is common to meet up for subsequent meals and sit together.

[mkad1109]

NCLA (NCL America) who runs the cruise ships is a different company than NCL (same corporate umbrella, different company). Only way they could get the rights to Hawaii. They hire American workers, must pay according to American law and so on. General opinion, even amongst the NCL loyalists is that it is not as good an experience.

 

As contentious as this thread has been, it has been very interesting to read. It makes me realize the main reason I have enjoyed NCL so much has really been that with a large family I dine alone (with my family) anyway so who I sit with is a non issue. I like to eat when I want to eat, not when I am told to eat (that said I am up for trying anything and am still sure we will enjoy our Celebrity experience!). We eat to live, not live to eat so w budget some of the excellent variety of specialty restaurants into at least half of our meals-with a family of 6 its a couple hundred extra, not a big deal. Something to consider for the OP.

[Sky Sweet]

He said that because Freestyle has NOTHING to with who you dine with. It has to do with WHEN you dine.

 

So the poster is saying he liked not having to be babysat and told when to eat and at what exact momemt. He did not enjoy not having set tablemates.

 

You can opt to share a table and if you hit it off with those folks, it is common to meet up for subsequent meals and sit together.

 

Hi Eeyoregon :)

 

That is essentially what we did on Royal Caribbean when we chose their anytime dining option.

 

Every night we were given a choice to either dine alone or with other people at a larger table that arrived at the same time. We always chose a table for eight so we could meet as many people as possible. After several days, we bonded with a few couples that we met this way and then decided to make arrangements to eat together as a group for the rest of the cruise.

 

If we liked a specific wait team we also had the option of asking to be seated in their area every night, as well.

 

That is why I love anytime/freestyle dining because it offers the best of both worlds.

[Shep_Proudfoot]

When we cruised NCL for an Hawaiian island cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary - we were not loyal to any particular line so we did not go with grand expectations. Having said that, our experience was so poor that it put us off NCL completely. It left such a bad taste that we did not even think of going on another ship for quite some time after that. :(

 

More power to you and all those who like NCL but you won't find us there no matter how much they drop their prices.

 

I completely agree; our experience with NCL in Hawaii was poor enough that I would likely never use them again for any itenerary. However, they ARE often the cheapest thing going, especially in Europe, and their iteneraries are pretty decent so maybe in another 3-5 years when I forget how bad Pride of America was I'll get suckered by one of those low fares or interesting iteneraries. I hope not.