Rhapsody vs. Norwegian Sea

[aruss]

We are sailing in a couple of weeks on the Serenade and already thinking about booking our next cruise while on board. We are thinking of leaving out of Galveston or Houston ports so we don't have to fly. The Norwegain Sea is quite a bit less expensive than the Rhapsody even with the credit we will recieve. Has anyone cruised on both ships and do you really get what you pay for or is this a matter of RCI not rebating anymore and TA's can get a better price for NCL? I don't want to be disappointed but I'm willing to try another line if the price is right. Thanks

[Smooth Sailing]

Rhapsodsy is a newer, larger, and nicer ship - NCL Sea has a better 4 port itinerary and much better price. I have been on the NCL Sea twice this year - it's still well maintained, good food, no problems. I personally would choose the Sea and have already done so twice as mentioned.

[just4kixx]

We (extended family of 13) sailed Norwegian Sea several years ago and had a "so-so" cruise. Frankly, I wasn't impressed enough. On the other hand, we sailed the Rhapsody this summer, and loved it so much more that we booked 2 more RCCL cruises while on board!

 

Things that stand out in particular: Norwegian Sea cabins were dramatically smaller, service was only ok, food was ok (Freestyle seating was convenient), staff was ok, itinerary was ok, clientele (85% NewYorkers...)...:rolleyes: . Overall opinion after debarking C... afterall, we were together and on a cruise... :)

 

Rhapsody cabin size was good, service & staff was excellent, food was ok, itinerary was good, impressive ship, clientele (85% texan) very friendly ;) . Overall opinion after debarking B+

 

I'm sure others will disagree, but I believe you get what you pay for... and for us, that was certainly true for our cruises

 

A

[NiniB]

this is NO contest ,,,, the Rhapsody beats the Sea hands down...... i have been on both,,, and i would never even consider going on another Norwegian cruise because of the horrid experience i had on the Sea.... :eek: it almost took me away from cruising for GOOD.... i dont know what was worst,,, the food, the service,, unhappy/miserable staff,,, THE BEDBUGS,,, YES i said BEDBUGS,,, missed ports,,, NEED i go on???? :( let me just say this was the WORST vacation,, cruise or otherwise i have ever been a part of....

the flip side,,, the Rhapsody was a wonderful cruise,, good food,, GREAT staff,, everthing went smoothly....... :D i would and plan on going on the Rhapsody many more times in the future.... :)

IMO,,,, with the Sea,,,,,,,, you get what you pay for,,, and much LESS..

[Smooth Sailing]

Hey NiniB

I totally and completely disagree with you - I have been on RCCL, Carnival, Princess, and NCL - I find the food to be the same on all - the service is also about equal - the crew and staff on the Sea were happy, friendly, and very helpful - same as on the others - better than Carnival I believe - Bedbugs - get real - I don't think so - maybe you brought some sand fleas back from the beach. We had 3 rooms on the Sea in September - Yes, the rooms are small but they are clean and comfortable. I do agree and have already said the Rhapsody is a newer and nicer ship - if this is what you want - that's fine - we all have our own opinions - but don't dump on another ship and Cruise Line with such venom.

[brn2crz]

I have not been on the Sea,but I have been on a similar NCl ,formerly the Starward.It was great for my first trip at 18,in 1982...but I can't see myself getting back on the Sea now.UNLESS she changed her itinerary..Now I don't know where the Bay Islands are...but the whole Cancun,Belize Honduras itin.does not appeal to me at all.I prefer the Key West,Grand Cayman (if you get to go ) Coz itin. much better.with more Seadays.

 

Also,there are no Balconies,other than suites on the Sea,which plays a big part of my choice also.

 

You will definitly get a more "nautical" feel at times on the Sea,as it is more closed in.At times you get to feeling like you are in "hotel" on Rhapsody.

But she can not be beat for her (and RCI"S)many other features.More pool and deck area,georgeous views from the entire Windjammer cafe,and the Shall we Dance Lounge.Coming into port from your balcony,or way up top on the Viking Lounge.The beautiful and relaxing Solarium and "wave" pool.

The Rhapsody is suppossed to be fitted with a Ben & Jerrys & Seattles Best.

 

The price on the Sea is good.But you can also get pretty good prices on Rhapsody if you watch..( Sis booked an inside last year,for Sept 04 for 389)

And I have already seen some comparable prices for next year.

Also,if you have kids...The AO can't be beat.

Also,after your first sailing on RCI,you are in the Crown & Anchor..and will get coupons for discounts on future cruises,onboard discounts and a gift on your next sailing.. :)

Good Luck in whatever you choose,and have fun. :D

[aruss]

Thanks everyone. Brn2crz-thanks especially for the thought on the AO since more than likely I will take our two young children, also I didn't realize being C&A would bring me any benefits after just one cruise.

 

Any other comments from anyone who's done one or the other or both cruises would be much appreciated!

[reggierail]

As has been said by several other posters on this thread that have sailed both ships, There really is no choice. The Rhapsody wins hands down. I just got off the Rhapsody several weeks ago and had a wonderful cruise. The cabins are much larger than those on the Sea and the service by the cabin attendant was much better on the Rhapsody. The team concept for the stewards on the Sea is a joke, they start at one end and work down to the other end and there is no way to get to know who's doing what. They couldn't even figure out how to put the beds together.:mad:

 

The food was not spectacular on the Rhapsody, but it was much better than on the Sea. The buffet on the Sea brought back fond memories of my military time in the chow hall.:eek:

 

The drinks at the bars were even smaller on the Sea. I know that because I have glasses from both ships and I would say the glasses from the Sea are about 15-20% smaller.:(

 

It also seemed that the announcements on the Sea were never ending and I got the distinct impression that someone was always trying to separate me from my money every time I turned around.

 

I did enjoy the Pasta Cafe on the Sea for dinner several nights, mainly because I found the food and service in the dining room to be poor.

The BarBq's by the pool on the Sea was the only thing I found to be better than the Rhapsody. They had huge kettle grill's and several afternoon's on the cruise they had steak, chicken and salmon fresh off the grill.:)

 

Overall I would rate the Rhapsody an 8 overall and the Sea as a 4.

 

Reggie:D

[NiniB]

i was answering the OP's question,,, and everything in my post is true and accurate.... i have several letters from the Customer Service Mgr. in FL. regarding the issues that arose during this HORRID CRUISE... some of those i did not even mention here...... :eek: and let me also say that when i was at the Pursers desk I HAD TO WAIT IN LINE,,, because of the ammount of people there complaining,,, and it was there we found out about the BEDBUGS not sandfleas..... :eek: there were several other pax that had the same little bite marks on their legs & body,,, we had to have our rooms/beds cleaned...... :mad:

 

NOW these are the FACTS if you dont believe them,,, or if you think they are harsh,,,, or as was stated venomous,,, you should have been there....... :eek:

ALSO you can keep sailing the SEA all you want,,,, i will stay FAR,, FAR,, AWAY......... i learned my lesson the hard way..... :(

[Firefighterhoop]

I have not been on the sea, but my co worker who is right here has.

 

The Sea is a 1988 ship, the Rhapsody is a 1997 (9 years newer)

 

The sea is about 670ft long, Rhapsody is 915

 

He has been on both and he says it is like night and day, there are much more options on the Rhapsody for things to do, eat, and swim.

 

He votes on the Rhapsody!

 

I was also on the Rhapsody and had a GREAT time!

 

Scott

[cpayne]

Have to agree with the other posters.....RCL wins hands down over NCL Sea. We've cruised 8 times and of these the NCL cruise was our least favorite. While we did not have an awful experience on the Sea as did other posters, it was still by far our least favorite cruise and we would not sail this ship again. We live in Houston and the convenience of a Houston or Galveston departure is wonderful for us and we still would pay more to fly to another port in order to not sail on NCL Sea.

 

Just my opinion....

[garyw]

I've also traveled on both Rhapsody and Norwegian Sea. Hands down, I would sail again on Rhapsody. The cabins are much nicer and a little bigger. Overall, Rhapsody was a much more elegant ship.

 

Here's a link to a friends website that has pictures of both our Norwegian Sea cruise and Rhapsody cruise.

 

https://webspace.utexas.edu/philipg/www/vacations.html

 

Good luck on your choice. The price on RCCL is more than Norwegian, but I would be willing to pay the difference.

 

This is not to say that I would not Sail the Norwegian Sea again, if there were a group of friends going together and the price is right, I would, but I would be longing to be on Rhapsody instead.

[wallie5446]

Did not read any of the other post.

 

We have been on both and would go on Rhapsody even in dry dock before going on the SEA again. It was ok, but any other choice would have been much better.

[Smooth Sailing]

Looks like I've been outvoted - so goes life - Just made reservations on the Rhapsody.

[Artemis]

aruss,

 

We've cruised both ships with our kids. I was going to defend the Sea as being a perfectly fine option esp. considering her itinerary and pricing, but when you mentioned bringing the kids, I joined the "go Rhapsody" team. That ship has better facilities for the kids' program and other activities of interest to kids. Also, while it's a very subjective thing, out of 10 mass market cruises on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess & Celebrity, our kids rate Royal Caribbean #1, hands down.

 

Enjoy the Serenade! We were on her maiden voyage. What a beauty!

[joycemh]

I have sailed on both the Rhapsody and the Sea. The Rhapsody wins hands down. If the Sea had been my first cruise I probably would never have cruised again.

 

The Rhapsody crew was much friendler, food was better, the kids program was far superior, and we hated free style. I like having the same waiter every night.

 

Joyce