Thinking of cruising NCL next year...anyone have any compararisons?

[breakingd_awn]

I would like to do a 7 day next year. NCL is cheaper than DCL. Has anyone cruised with NCL before, and what did you think of it?

 

[LKFan]

We cruised NCL to Alaska. It is tough to compare an Alaskan cruise with a Carribean cruise because the focus of the trip is different. IMO, Alaska is more about the scenery and ports and less about the ship.

Some things that I remember -
The spa on the Pearl was great. The services were just so so but the spa pass included hot tubs, warm tiled seats, cushioned lounge chairs, saunas, etc. The spa was at the front of the ship with floor to ceiling view of the sights. It was well worth the money, especially on a cold Alaskan cruise. I don't know who filmed this but this video will give you an idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3woC6eES1Q

Buffet - was much larger than that on the Wonder and very crowded. I thought most of the food was poor quality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ruQjCK0II will give you an idea of the size. After a few days, we learned what to eat and what not to eat and to bring our food into other dining areas where it wasn't so crowded.

Kids club (kids were 9 and 6 at the time) was fine. Our kids complained going in but were happy when they came out.

Service (restaurants, room stewards, etc) was much worse than on Disney and I remember it being very difficult to understand some of the staff with strong accents.

Shows were okay. Nothing that wowed us but we are easily entertained. What we didn't like was what felt like the constant sales pitch for gold by the inch, bingo, drinks, etc.

The ship had a rock climbing wall but it was closed most of the trip because of wind and rain. There was also a large wii but it was only available for play during certain hours and there was often a line. At other times, the room where the wii was located was used for meetings and presentations.

 

[Laura24]

Cruised NCL to Bermuda on the Dawn. Beautiful ship, stateroom was very nice, ok food, boring activities, (line dancing and Karaoke every night) hard sell on alcohol, free style dining was the same menus every night unless you paid a nominal fee to dine in the premier restaurants and getting into the "free" restaurants was challenging because most people tend to eat at the same time. Ditto on the shows as PP mentioned. Baliwood and a magician that did card tricks. Also, on our cruise smoking was allowed in the staterooms....rendering our verandah useless. Loved Bermuda!! Good luck!

 

[akluss]

NCL was always trying to sell you a lot of extras like drinks and the specialty restaurants. I found this annoying. I do buy drinks and spend a lot of extra money on DCL, but it seems like DCL just shows you a great time and the extra spending just flows. NCL is always in your face with it. The NCL cabins are also smaller. The food was good on NCL and we never had a problem with the service, we just missed having the same waiter every night and getting to know them.

 

[carole88]

Cruised on the new Epic last summer and was very impressed! We stayed in a courtyard villa. The staff was spectacular, food was very good (we did eat in the premier restaurants most of the evenings) and entertainment was good. Legends and Blue Man Group performed. Both of my girls liked the teen club. Three pool slides were lots of fun and barely had any wait. We will probably cruise with them again.

 

[mousejunkie98]

We cruised NCL, on the Jade, in the Med in 2009 (before DCL was there), and while we had a great time and really enjoyed all the ports, it couldn't hold a candle to DCL.

The service on DCL is head and shoulders above NCL. The food on NCL was okay, but the best food was in the restaurants that had an extra charge. My kids enjoyed the kids club, but the they were nowhere near as impressive as DCL and they felt more like a daycare or preschool. We had an oceanview stateroom and it was much, much smaller than the oceanview we had on DCL (seriously smaller). No bathtub, so we had to give our 2-year-old showers (he screamed the entire time, not fun, but it was a 12-day cruise!).

We'd probably cruise NCL again, but not until the kids are much older. We all just have a much better time on DCL!

 

[tojam]

My wife and I did the transatlantic Jewel from Miami to Dover in 2009. NCL has "freestyle" cruising which loosly translated means that their staff get lazy with less things to do throughout the day.

The food service was terrible. Different servers at every meal...no incentive to provide quality service as tips go into a pool for servers in the dining room.

I was not impressed but the cruise per person was $ 299. That said, at that price you can put up with a lot. I use a site called vacationstogo.com. Great last minute prices on cruises if you don't have to have a great deal of advance notice.

Good luck. Any day on a cruise is better than on snow blowing or mowing the yard!

 

[DisneyBride'03]

We cruised NCL Pearl last June to Alaska....
I love everything Disney...but for this cruise it was my DH's 50th, wanted this itinerary and friends were already on this cruise.
NCL is cheaper...and we enjoyed a 2 bdr penthouse suite w/butler and concierge...trust me that will spoil you.
I missed the Disney theme....
However...
The freestyle dining suited our family better...(DD4, DD13 and DS16)..and my DD4 loved the kids club...fun activities and she always wanted to be there.
(Yes I was shocked! lol..)
It truly it tough to compare in my opinion...while I enjoy the suite life on NCL that is more affordable...I love Disney....but we do have both a NCL and DCL cruise planned in the next 2 yrs....
Make a list of what YOU want out of a cruise vacation And then compare....itineraries...price...etc

 

[justmestace]

We cruised NCL Pearl last June to Alaska....
I love everything Disney...but for this cruise it was my DH's 50th, wanted this itinerary and friends were already on this cruise.
NCL is cheaper...and we enjoyed a 2 bdr penthouse suite w/butler and concierge...trust me that will spoil you.
I missed the Disney theme....
However...
The freestyle dining suited our family better...(DD4, DD13 and DS16)..and my DD4 loved the kids club...fun activities and she always wanted to be there.
(Yes I was shocked! lol..)
It truly it tough to compare in my opinion...while I enjoy the suite life on NCL that is more affordable...I love Disney....but we do have both a NCL and DCL cruise planned in the next 2 yrs....
Make a list of what YOU want out of a cruise vacation And then compare....itineraries...price...etc

Great advice...and I agree.

I was one of the friends that was on this cruise with DisneyBride.
We had a courtyard villa for a lot less money than a suite (even just a Cat 3) on Disney, and it was sooooo awesome. I would love to go back and have one of these rooms for a Caribbean cruise.

My son, DisneyBride's son and another friend's daughter loved the bowling....and seemed to be having a blast going to as many game shows and trivia-type games and winning all the time.

I thought there were a lot more activities for adults during the day, and I loved the public spaces.

I don't even REMEMBER anyone trying to sell us a wine package, or soda or anything of the type. I DO remember that on every Disney cruise, on the first day, I have to wave off at least 3 or 4 CM's wanting to show me the wine package.....so don't think that type of "sale" is non-existant on Disney.

The ship was spotless...and on each of our Norwegian cruises (Alaska was the third) the officers really made a point to get out and about and meet people....not just a one-night-stand-in-line-to-take-a-picture-with-the-captain deal....which I hate because the Captains on DCL look like they're barely putting up with the nonsense.

Three NCL cruises, and I haven't felt that the food was any better or any worse than Disney. The buffet on the Pearl was much more spread out and had more offerings than the Magic and Wonder (I've heard the Dream is more like what the other cruise lines offer now) ....in fact, my husband, who loves a sit-down meal, said if he'd had to, he would have been happy eating at the buffet every night.


The things to consider are:
Itinerary
Value
Departure Port

If these work for you, whether it's NCL or Disney...then you've found your match.

By the way, we also had other friends along who were not in any kind of suite, and they had just as great a time as those of us who were in suites.

 

[chris31997]

We did NCL Hawaii last year, the food was okay, freestyle dining was not for us. We did not want to pay for the special restraunts The boat was okay, the room steward was great. The kids program was okay, but not all day like DCL. Hawaiian Amasadors were great.

Just know that it is not DCL. We spent our entire cruise comparing the two.

 

[justmestace]

Also, on our cruise smoking was allowed in the staterooms....rendering our verandah useless.

Why did smoking in the staterooms have any effect on your use of the verandah?

Smoking IS allowed on the verandahs on almost every cruise line, including Disney....and I think now that all of the NCL ships are only allowing smoking in outdoor designated areas, just like Disney.

 

[woody73]

I enjoyed sailing through the Panama Canal on the Norwegian Pearl, and wrote this in 2009, shortly after the cruise:

What I liked about our 14-night cruise on the Norwegian Pearl:

* Freestyle dining. We never waited more than five minutes for a table, and that only happened once or twice. (Tip: go early, go late, or make a reservation -- just like at home.)

* Overall food quality was fine. While some dishes on NCL are better than on DCL, the food overall on DCL is slightly better.

* Having so many dining choices. There are 13 different restaurants. Five are free, and you could spend an entire cruise at these restaurants alone. Eight are specialty restaurants, and we paid as little as $5 pp at the Italian and Tex-Mex restaurants. I find that on any ship, the food is better (the quality, preparation, presentation) when it's made to order in a small kitchen.

* The best buffet layout I have seen. It's large, open and spacious, and you can go right to any food station. So if you just want pasta, you don't have to stand in line cafeteria style.

* Four omlette stations at the breakfast buffet.

* A made-to-order dessert crepe station at the dinner buffet.

* Hand scooped ice cream (eight flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, cinnamon, butter pecan, pistachio, pineapple-coconut) with toppings, plus soft serve.

* Newness of the ship (2006). It has plenty of public areas, a rock climbing wall, bowling alley, 2-story Wii. There were few children on our cruise, so they let adults use the 720 degree waterslide.

* In the main theatre, good shows and entertainers each night. Live musicians instead of pre-recorded tracks. The production shows on Disney are better, unless you've seen them too many times.

* In our cabin, a refrigerator that actually kept things cold.

* A real library with floor to ceiling windows, a very good selection of books, comfy chairs, sofas, and tables.

* An excellent future cruise program. Pay $250 for a Future Cruise Reward Deposit, and immediately get a $100 SBC on your current cruise, so you can use it right away. Deposit is good for four years and is transferable. No need to pick a "dummy date."

* No rush to leave at disembarkation. The pools, whirlpools, bowling and Wii are open in the morning. We went for breakfast then returned to the cabin to relax. We were able to stay in the cabin until 10:30 AM.
​

This was written in 2009, before the recent decline in food and service on DCL.

I've been on four Panama Canal cruises (DCL x2, Celebrity x1, NCL x1). NCL was by far the least expensive -- $899 pp for 14-nights in an ocean view -- which was far less than what we paid DCL for Panama Canal cruises in a Cat. 9 oceanview.

YMMV

Woody

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Great advice...and I agree.

I was one of the friends that was on this cruise with DisneyBride.
We had a courtyard villa for a lot less money than a suite (even just a Cat 3) on Disney, and it was sooooo awesome. I would love to go back and have one of these rooms for a Caribbean cruise.

My son, DisneyBride's son and another friend's daughter loved the bowling....and seemed to be having a blast going to as many game shows and trivia-type games and winning all the time.

I thought there were a lot more activities for adults during the day, and I loved the public spaces.

I don't even REMEMBER anyone trying to sell us a wine package, or soda or anything of the type. I DO remember that on every Disney cruise, on the first day, I have to wave off at least 3 or 4 CM's wanting to show me the wine package.....so don't think that type of "sale" is non-existant on Disney.

The ship was spotless...and on each of our Norwegian cruises (Alaska was the third) the officers really made a point to get out and about and meet people....not just a one-night-stand-in-line-to-take-a-picture-with-the-captain deal....which I hate because the Captains on DCL look like they're barely putting up with the nonsense.

Three NCL cruises, and I haven't felt that the food was any better or any worse than Disney. The buffet on the Pearl was much more spread out and had more offerings than the Magic and Wonder (I've heard the Dream is more like what the other cruise lines offer now) ....in fact, my husband, who loves a sit-down meal, said if he'd had to, he would have been happy eating at the buffet every night.


The things to consider are:
Itinerary
Value
Departure Port

If these work for you, whether it's NCL or Disney...then you've found your match.

By the way, we also had other friends along who were not in any kind of suite, and they had just as great a time as those of us who were in suites.

I enjoyed sailing through the Panama Canal on the Norwegian Pearl, and wrote this in 2009, shortly after the cruise:

What I liked about our 14-night cruise on the Norwegian Pearl:

* Freestyle dining. We never waited more than five minutes for a table, and that only happened once or twice. (Tip: go early, go late, or make a reservation -- just like at home.)

* Overall food quality was fine. While some dishes on NCL are better than on DCL, the food overall on DCL is slightly better.

* Having so many dining choices. There are 13 different restaurants. Five are free, and you could spend an entire cruise at these restaurants alone. Eight are specialty restaurants, and we paid as little as $5 pp at the Italian and Tex-Mex restaurants. I find that on any ship, the food is better (the quality, preparation, presentation) when it's made to order in a small kitchen.

* The best buffet layout I have seen. It's large, open and spacious, and you can go right to any food station. So if you just want pasta, you don't have to stand in line cafeteria style.

* Four omlette stations at the breakfast buffet.

* A made-to-order dessert crepe station at the dinner buffet.

* Hand scooped ice cream (eight flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, cinnamon, butter pecan, pistachio, pineapple-coconut) with toppings, plus soft serve.

* Newness of the ship (2006). It has plenty of public areas, a rock climbing wall, bowling alley, 2-story Wii. There were few children on our cruise, so they let adults use the 720 degree waterslide.

* In the main theatre, good shows and entertainers each night. Live musicians instead of pre-recorded tracks. The production shows on Disney are better, unless you've seen them too many times.

* In our cabin, a refrigerator that actually kept things cold.

* A real library with floor to ceiling windows, a very good selection of books, comfy chairs, sofas, and tables.

* An excellent future cruise program. Pay $250 for a Future Cruise Reward Deposit, and immediately get a $100 SBC on your current cruise, so you can use it right away. Deposit is good for four years and is transferable. No need to pick a "dummy date."

* No rush to leave at disembarkation. The pools, whirlpools, bowling and Wii are open in the morning. We went for breakfast then returned to the cabin to relax. We were able to stay in the cabin until 10:30 AM.
​

This was written in 2009, before the recent decline in food and service on DCL.

I've been on four Panama Canal cruises (DCL x2, Celebrity x1, NCL x1). NCL was by far the least expensive -- $899 pp for 14-nights in an ocean view -- which was far less than what we paid DCL for Panama Canal cruises in a Cat. 9 oceanview.

YMMV

Woody

Above posters...very good reviews!! The Cruise Rewards program is the best...NCL allowed me to use the reward for a deposit for my family for an upcoming 7 day W Caribbean...in a suite on the Star!
And as justmestace said...the crew was great..there was a meet and greet via CC roll call thread....I spoke with one of the crew in regards to an issue in one of the cabins our friends/family were in...they had been unsuccessful getting it remedied by calling their steward...this officer took care of the issue immediately...checked back with me later....and continued to check in with us.
My son was with justmestace's family more than mine! He is in ALL their photos from the cruise!

 

[LKFan]

to the hand scooped ice cream

to the coffee (our opinion, of course)

disappointed in the fact that there was an additional cost for bowling

My husband keeps joking about how the servers would say things like "Is this to your liking?" Not rude by any means but, they just didn't have a good command of English.

My kids keep joking about the constant announcements of, IT'S BINGO TIME!"

I don't know much about the Pearl's history but the meeting places seemed to be built for optium viewing of scenery. When cruising through Glacier Bay, there were many places where people could comfortably sit and view the scenery.

 

[Edd]

I what lines do you find anyone that has a command of English. They all speak a foreign language as their primary language.

 

[breakingd_awn]

Thanks for all the great info. The cruise rewards program does sound like a good deal. I've got alot of research to do

 

[cliffy97]

Have not been on DCL yet (booked on the WBTA in Sept tho) I have however been on 8 other cruises with Carnival/Costa/RCI and always had a great time.

However we are just back from the NCL Jade on a Canaries cruise and found the service to be quite poor. The staff for the most part did not seem to care and we had quite possibly the worst service in the MDR, but the food was good.


I wont say it was the worst cruise we have been on, but by far certainly not the best. But like everything each person will have their own experience, I am sure if you ask other people on our cruise it was great!

If you have any questions, I am happy to answer them.

Dan

 

[LKFan]

I what lines do you find anyone that has a command of English. They all speak a foreign language as their primary language.

Please don't take offense by this. It probably came across sounding worse than I meant. The OP asked for what we felt was different about NCL, compared to Disney, the staff's level of fluency was one area where I noticed a difference.

On DCL, our asst server was from Italy. He wanted to work his way up to serving in Palo but had to memorize the menu and work on his English (lessening his accent). He told us about the tests that he had to pass before being moved up to server and then again to move up to Palo. Other ships might have similar tests but we didn't get to know our servers well enough to hear about them.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Our extended family cruised NCL Hawaii just after 1/3 of the staff walked off in a labor dispute. Don't get me started on everything else that went wrong. Our travel agent is one of the top cruise agents and she refuses to book with NCL now, and has "encouraged" several other agents to boycott them as well.

We've sailed with DCL three times and have loved every one of them.

 

[justmestace]

Our extended family cruised NCL Hawaii just after 1/3 of the staff walked off in a labor dispute. Don't get me started on everything else that went wrong. Our travel agent is one of the top cruise agents and she refuses to book with NCL now, and has "encouraged" several other agents to boycott them as well.

We've sailed with DCL three times and have loved every one of them.

One bad cruise and now a TA won't book with them at all??

Reminds me of the saying "Cutting off your nose to spite your face". That TA will lose a bit of business doing that.