Just off NCL... And my kids liked their clubs better!!!!!

[dsdeleon]

I broke the NCL news to my kids for the 2017 Alaskan cruise with pics of Glacier Bay. They seem really excited. I have been talking up the benefits to the kids clubs, so thanks for more info! My youngest will be 9 so will not have sign out abilities on NCL but I am figuring Alaska is the attraction, we will be doing more excursions so they will be tired earlier and they won't need to be in the kids clubs constantly like they do on DCL. I am so excited for the more relaxed dining and my company is offering 10% off so hey, all signs are pointing to NCL!

 

[Tasmen]

On my first NCL cruise on the Getaway last September, on the first sea day I found myself in a moment feeling very wistful and wishing I was on a Disney ship. I put a stop to that right away, though. It was the first day of something unfamiliar to me and out of my comfort zone. I was wishing more for what I knew than anything specific to Disney. I made the conscious decision to not go there, to enjoy and make the most of everything that I was going to discover. I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of new experiences and sought things I could really appreciate for what they were vs. what they were not.

Don't let yourself be drowned in a mindset of everything you'll miss. No other ship but a Disney ship will ever be a Disney ship. I REALLY enjoyed the Getaway. Both cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons. Both have a lot to offer. I would've missed so much if I'd spent that week looking for all the Disney that was never on a NCL ship.

Oh I'll definitely try to have that mindset when onboard. I imagine, once we are there, we'll have fun. I'm super excited for our 2 bedroom suite and the Haven. The idea of a butler just seems so... decadent.

 

[Quellman]

But their ships are sooo ugly

I made the comment to my wife that we need to start sailing other lines, just so we can see the Disney ships while in port. Looking out at the milk cartons isn't so serene.

 

[Pens Fan]

On my first NCL cruise on the Getaway last September, on the first sea day I found myself in a moment feeling very wistful and wishing I was on a Disney ship. I put a stop to that right away, though. It was the first day of something unfamiliar to me and out of my comfort zone. I was wishing more for what I knew than anything specific to Disney. I made the conscious decision to not go there, to enjoy and make the most of everything that I was going to discover. I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of new experiences and sought things I could really appreciate for what they were vs. what they were not.

Don't let yourself be drowned in a mindset of everything you'll miss. No other ship but a Disney ship will ever be a Disney ship. I REALLY enjoyed the Getaway. Both cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons. Both have a lot to offer. I would've missed so much if I'd spent that week looking for all the Disney that was never on a NCL ship.

I love your attitude! We are booked on the NCL Sun in 2017. It leaves on a Monday and if Disney holds true to the past, they normally leave for their Alaska sailings on Monday as well. So I'm sure we will have a "oh, man - there's the Wonder" moment on the first day. But I refuse to let it influence our fun on NCL. For us, we really had no choice. We've done Disney in Alaska and loved it, but have no desire to just lather, rinse, and repeat. We wanted Glacier Bay and a one way itinerary so that we can spend a week in the interior of Alaska as well. It wasn't even about the money. We opted to upgrade to an aft suite on NCL, so when you factor in all that comes with that (UPB, SDP, free wifi, shore excursion credits (though I doubt we use the credits) we probably will come out about the same as we would have in a balcony on Disney and paying for all those other things separately. It's about doing something different. Life's too short to do the same trip over and over. We want to try new things. I'm really looking forward to trying freestyle dining on NCL - eat what you want, when you want - what a concept! Who knows? We may like NCL so much, we will try them for other cruises. We may not. But either way, we will be in Alaska and together on vacation. How can that not be a good thing??? We are looking forward to our upcoming Disney cruise in October, and I'm sure there will be others in the future, but my hope is that we find Disney doesn't have to be the "one and only" cruise line for our family. Their itineraries are really getting pretty tired except for Europe and we simply can't afford the airfare every summer for the trip across the pond. Hopefully when the new ships come online that will change a bit, but that's a long time away.

 

[DCLDVC1]

Thanks for the info. The Haven really intrigues me but I'm hesitant to book because my kids love DCL.

 

[Hundredacre]

My kids (aged 5 and 7) have sailed three times on Disney but for our most recent family trip we were priced out of Disney so we decided to try Norwegian. Overall we had a great time and there were some things we liked better on Norwegian as well as others we missed from Disney. But our biggest surprise? The kids LOVED the kids clubs! When we signed them up we weren't too sure because they were quite bare and plain looking compared to Oceaneers. But the quality of the programming was amazing! The counsellor to kid ratio seemed way better and there were no screens or kids just wandering aimlessly. Every session was themed (cowboys, circus games, jungle, etc) and the area was redecorated each time. The ages were also divided into 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12 which worried me initially since my almost six year old was apart from my barely seven year old a lot of the time, but in the end it was a huge plus. My super social daughter found it easy to connect with other girls her age, which never seemed to happen on Disney, and my quiet kindergartener wasn't overwhelmed by much older kids.

There were some other differences some might not like. The clubs were closed from 12-2 and 5-7 on sea days, 12-1 and 5-6 port days and you had to sign up and pay after 1030pm. This didn't affect us much since we eat all our meals together and don't stay out late. There also wasn't a lot of choice, no one activity here and another there with a bunch of kids wandering around or playing on their own. If your kid is a lone wolf type who doesn't like being told what to do it might not work. But, if your kids love group activities, being part of a team and lots of attention, it's even better than Disney. After three Disney cruises, this was the first time my kids begged to go to the clubs or didn't want to leave if I came by before closing.

So if you're considering Norwegian and worry your kids will be disappointed by the clubs, don't! I'm actually worried my kids won't want to go back to Disney!

Hopefully the people on ncl were nicer than the dcl folks on the disboards! We are doing the same thing as you this upcoming year on two separate non disney cruise lines and are very excited. We did not go up to suite level but did get the cruises for half the price. Kind of a no brainer. As much as I like Disney, it's also nice to get out there and live a bit.

 

[deanimal]

We loved Breakaway, but there is no way this is true for comparable itineraries at the same time of year. Maybe an inside during peak time is the same as Haven suite in non-peak, but apples to apples, no way. Those Haven Suites are $8-9k for a family of 4 at this time of year. No way you would have that cost for an inside on DCL right now for a 7 day Bahamas cruise.

Actually, it is apples to apples, at least for Canadians! The full cost for four of us in the least expensive Haven suite that fit four was $7522 Canadian, booked in November 2014 when the dollar was just below par. The best I could find on the Fantasy that week was $6400 US dollars. At the time I paid off the balance in Dec 2015 it would have cost me just under $10 000 Cdn for that inside! But even if it was a straight $7500 to $6400 comparison it was a great deal. Maybe I just lucked out.

 

[robinb]

My DD really enjoyed the teen club on NCL too.

 

[Cwusinbunny]

We were on the Dawn last summer - and I am close to saying no more NCL for me - my reasons why:

1. besides the lack of a decent kids area on the deck (its totally aft, and is TILED - so many kids were slipping I was terrified someone was going to fall and break their head open) plus there was no where for a parent to sit and watch their child ....

2. A totally non kid friendly menu - even on a cruise I do not want my kids eating hot dogs and mac and cheese every night. I want a balanced meal to end the day - no veggies - no kids portions of meats. I asked for half portion of the adult - and I still got a full portion, leaving it to me to try and break it down. I found this wasteful - I don't like ordering food and throwing half away. In addition, little kids get overwhelmed when they see a large plate of food in front of them, and no matter what I asked, I still got the same thing. Even spoke to the Maitre'D - and got no where. You would think I was asking for the moon. I did not want to eat at the buffet at night. Sure, my choice, but NCL really does not get families.

3. The kids programs shut down, and there were times we were turned away due to overcrowding. So not okay.

4. Back to the food - I used to love NCL - had 6 cruises with them pre children....but the food was just lackluster, as was the service.

5. Nickel and diming - I don't know but you pay a good amount of money for a small cabin. I've been pricing them out and I am paying 800 more for a balcony on the Fantasy then on the Getaway. And, I am not getting charged for a meal or snack here or there - room service...the beverage package is not quite free - you still pay th gratuities....oh and if you bring the kids to one of many pay restaurants, there is no kids menu - they pay full price.

6. Shows - way more family friendly on Disney -

7. Way too many people - no place to sit on deck. We had three sea days and on no days could we even get near the pool.

Just my opinion - having kids maybe changed what I expect for my cruise dollars. To each their own, and honestly it is a first world problem - maybe when my kids are older we will try princess, (our other favorite line) but for now - Disney is just miles above....if it means I take a cruise every four years, and totally enjoy myself and not get aggrevated....that is fine for me.

 

[TXDCLfan]

Yeah.....I never liked the black humps and scribbling all over the bows. It looks like some kid with spray paint was set loose on the hull.


But to each thier own.

AKK

Not an art fan.....?????....We love Guy Harvey's works (also a big Calder fan)....But to each their own.

 

[deanimal]

Interesting info on the Norwegian Dawn. I wonder if the older ships are a big step down. The public areas on the Getaway seemed pretty crowded at times but still felt less crowded than the Dream or Wonder when we've been on. Never had an issue with clubs either; I'd be pretty choked if we got turned away! One of the youth workers told me that she had worked for Ncl a few years ago and they had called her up a few weeks ago and offered to fly her out for just two weeks because they'd had more kids than they expected during spring break so it sounded to me like they were trying to actively manage capacity. Maybe on the old ships it's a big space issue.

Totally agree about the entertainment and blah kids menu though. I went up to the buffet and brought fruit and carrot sticks to our room every day for snacks and then just sort of looked the other way at the junky meals. Would it kill them to put some peas or broccoli on the plate now and then and maybe a simple chicken or salmon entree along with the fried options?

Thanks for the info. I'll keep it in mind when I make my next booking.

 

[Ofinn]

Never hurts to try something new! In this case the new NCL clubs seems to fit your family.

We are trying celebrity in Sept 2017 (our 40th anny) to.Hawai and staying a week at Aulani.
DCL only.seems to.do.rou d trip.to.and.from Hawaii and Celebrity does a one way.

AKK

We just did a "one way" on DCL to Hawaii in Sept.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We just did a "one way" on DCL to Hawaii in Sept.

But the Hawaii cruises on DCL haven't really been very many. The first two (Apr & Oct 2012) were round trips, and the last two (last year) were both one way (Vancouver/Hawaii & Hawaii/Vancouver).

No way of knowing what DCL will do for Hawaii, if anything in 2017.

 

[Ofinn]

But the Hawaii cruises on DCL haven't really been very many. The first two (Apr & Oct 2012) were round trips, and the last two (last year) were both one way (Vancouver/Hawaii & Hawaii/Vancouver).

No way of knowing what DCL will do for Hawaii, if anything in 2017.

I already know all that. I do keep up with what's going on.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I already know all that. I do keep up with what's going on.

Sorry, your original comment, with the shrugging smilie, made it seem like you didn't understand the comment about DCL not doing one ways. I was just clearing it up that the one way cruises aren't "standard". At least, not yet.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We were on the Dawn last summer - and I am close to saying no more NCL for me - my reasons why:

1. besides the lack of a decent kids area on the deck (its totally aft, and is TILED - so many kids were slipping I was terrified someone was going to fall and break their head open) plus there was no where for a parent to sit and watch their child ....

2. A totally non kid friendly menu - even on a cruise I do not want my kids eating hot dogs and mac and cheese every night. I want a balanced meal to end the day - no veggies - no kids portions of meats. I asked for half portion of the adult - and I still got a full portion, leaving it to me to try and break it down. I found this wasteful - I don't like ordering food and throwing half away. In addition, little kids get overwhelmed when they see a large plate of food in front of them, and no matter what I asked, I still got the same thing. Even spoke to the Maitre'D - and got no where. You would think I was asking for the moon. I did not want to eat at the buffet at night. Sure, my choice, but NCL really does not get families.

3. The kids programs shut down, and there were times we were turned away due to overcrowding. So not okay.

4. Back to the food - I used to love NCL - had 6 cruises with them pre children....but the food was just lackluster, as was the service.

5. Nickel and diming - I don't know but you pay a good amount of money for a small cabin. I've been pricing them out and I am paying 800 more for a balcony on the Fantasy then on the Getaway. And, I am not getting charged for a meal or snack here or there - room service...the beverage package is not quite free - you still pay th gratuities....oh and if you bring the kids to one of many pay restaurants, there is no kids menu - they pay full price.

6. Shows - way more family friendly on Disney -

7. Way too many people - no place to sit on deck. We had three sea days and on no days could we even get near the pool.

Just my opinion - having kids maybe changed what I expect for my cruise dollars. To each their own, and honestly it is a first world problem - maybe when my kids are older we will try princess, (our other favorite line) but for now - Disney is just miles above....if it means I take a cruise every four years, and totally enjoy myself and not get aggrevated....that is fine for me.

This May my family of 4 are sailing in a balcony stateroom on the NCL Escape back to back. Even after paying the service fees for the "free" dining & beverage packages, adding on soda & dining for my sons, paying for additional upcharges for dinner show & 1 meal, and all excursions for both cruises I'm still just under what 1 week on the Fantasy would've cost us sans any upcharge dining, excursions, etc. I'm getting 2 weeks on Escape all-out for less than just 1 week base fare on Fantasy.

My boys are both aged-out of youth programming. I think if they were younger Disney would be a much more obvious fit. We had a blast on our many DCL cruises but the family's needs/wants evolved. There's a lot more to offer an 18 & 20 yro on a ship like Escape than Disney's vessels can. It's not just cost that sways us nowadays. It's what fits better.

Ultimately, our Escape plans were the choice of my 18 yro. As a homeschool family, we let each of the boys choose a vaca to graduate on. My oldest graduated on Gatun Lake on the WBPC on the Wonder last May. When asked the first request my younger son had was "Please nothing Disney." Kinda threw me for a loop. This one definitely marches to his own drum. He's graduating in the 5 O'clock Somewhere bar then having a beer to celebrate.