Saturday, April 20, 2024

Royal Caribbean vs Norwegian Cruise Line NCL: 10 Major Differences Between The Lines

norwegian cruise vs royal caribbean

You won’t find strict dress codes and formal nights on a Norwegian cruise ship. With both lines, big ticket amenities tend be found on their larger and newer ships. You’ll notice standouts on RCI’s Oasis and Quantum/Quantum Ultra Classes and NCL’s Breakaway Plus and Breakaway Class ships. If any particular features are important to you, then your decision may come down to ship specific facilities rather than choosing one cruise line over the other. Both lines pride themselves on their onboard innovation, with this being a particularly strong pillar of the RCI brand.

Solo travelers

Its venue is quirky, but its presentation and themed food add to the ambiance of this specialty restaurant. While freestyle has been hugely popular with many cruise passengers, it doesn’t suit all. If you cruise with food allergies, having the same table and a consistent waiter works better. In this detailed comparison of Norwegian Vs. Royal Caribbean, you’ll discover their differences and determine the best cruise line for your next vacation at sea.

Norwegian Cruise Line vs. Royal Caribbean: Pool Deck Fun

Royal Caribbean's crowd is a mix of international travelers and those from North America, including couples, families and singles from all walks of life. You'll find night owls on Royal, too, though the crowd is a tad more upscale than Norwegian. That's partly because Royal Caribbean ships have a higher percentage of lavish, pricey suites on board and attract people who have money to spend to book them. Knowing that parents appreciate some downtime, both cruise lines have well-established programs to keep your kids happy. In The Studios, passengers traveling solo can book creatively designed inside cabins that are priced for one (a cruise rarity).

norwegian cruise vs royal caribbean

Princess Cruises

Freestyle cruising is great for those who prefer a relaxed dress code and schedule. Whether you’re older, younger or cruising with a family, Royal Caribbean has fun things to do for all of their guests. The value of the many activities and onboard attractions is a plus for Royal Caribbean. The casino onboard Norwegian cruises is large, has an enclosed smoking area (on certain ships) and even has a small buffet. There are plenty of activities, shows and a supervised kid’s club and teen club that children of all ages can enjoy. You may find the newer ships or those with more bells and whistles come with a higher price tag, and each line regularly runs different promotions which sees discounted fares or additional inclusions available.

Food and Dining

Royal Caribbean and NCL have plenty of amenities to entertain you if you’re looking for a more adult-oriented vacation. Royal Caribbean’s Solarium is an adults-only retreat featuring a pool, hot tubs, and a bar. NCL’s Spice H2O is also an adults-only place, as is the Vibe Beach Club (extra fee for this resort deck). Norwegian Cruise Line also has a range of outdoor activities, including ropes courses, rock climbing walls, and water slides. Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its Freestyle Cruising, which allows passengers to choose from various dining options and entertainment venues.

Norwegian Cruise Line Ships

With this package, you can sample the specialty restaurants onboard for one set price. Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its exceptional specialty dining venues, such as Cagney’s Steakhouse, offering succulent cuts of meat, and Le Bistro, providing a sophisticated French dining experience. Guests pay extra for these restaurant options and reservations must be made in advance. Royal Caribbean offers a traditional dining experience with assigned seating and fixed dining times. This setup enables passengers to develop a rapport with their wait staff and fellow diners over the course of the cruise. For complimentary dining, the ship will have up to three main dining rooms, the Beyond Buffet, and a variety of casual eateries.

Explorethe latest travel news, advice, updates, upcoming exclusive deals and more. Cost comparison, which was researched on the Norwegian website shows that the seven-day Caribbean cruise out of Miami in December 2022, aboard the Norwegian Bliss starts from $599 per person for an inside cabin. Morris commented, "Norwegian does a great job of 'growing' with the client as well, as they can upgrade their experience to the Haven without having to change ships in most cases." With Broadway shows like Kinky Boots, Six and Jersey Boys, cruisers are exposed to full-scale shows they might expect to see in New York City. Morris states, "Norwegian is upping their game rapidly. I saw Jersey Boys on board a Norwegian ship and was blown away at the quality."

This creates a very laid back atmosphere and allows you enjoy your cruise at your own pace. Their 180-degree observation lounge provides guests with an unobstructed view of the stunning Alaska landscape. If you choose a smaller ship, chances are, you won’t be impacted as they use the smaller docks unaffected by the landslide. With the recent landslide in Skagway, larger vessels on both lines may need to tender in Skagway or may substitute another port instead. Traveling by shuttle cuts into a port day and may factor into your decision on choosing a cruise line.

Itineraries

These two cruise lines are much different when it comes to their branding. In recent years Norwegian Cruise Line has drifted towards more modern and sleek design, ushering in an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication. Royal Caribbean’s newer ships are all about fun and excitement, and are stocked full to the brim with new and exclusive onboard activities and amenities for guests to explore. When looking at Royal Caribbean's versus Norwegian's dining options, both lines have a lot of fee-based specialty restaurants that surpass what they offer in their complimentary venues. To some cruisers, these restaurants might seem to be a money grab, but foodies don't mind paying for the upgrade in meals.

All this can make it confusing to understand what sets them apart, but you don’t need to worry about that because we have compiled together a list of certain factors that can be used to draw a difference. These things can be kept in mind whenever you plan to make your next vacation and have to choose between Norwegian or Royal Caribbean. Norwegian has a fleet size of only 19 ships, but they still offer itineraries with destinations all across the world. Norwegian ships also hold a lot of people, although not quite as many as Royal Caribbean.

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Similar to food, if given the choice, I would say for the best nightlife variety onboard a Norwegian ship I would choose a newer vessel from the fleet. While even many of Royal Caribbean’s older ships have some great and entertaining nightlife. From industry leading entertainment, unique activities, and so much more, both lines do a great job at offering plenty for guests to do while onboard. Their newer ships are so large and have so many onboard activities that you sometimes need a full sea day or two just to take in everything that they have to offer. Both cruise lines offer various drink options, including a la carte pricing, drink packages, and happy hour specials. It’s important for passengers to know their drinking habits and preferences to choose the best option for their budget.

NCL already has pushed more into luxury cruising with The Haven on its ships. But future ships seem to be focused even more on offering a high-end experience. The cruise line’s Norwegian Prima, Viva and Aqua are the first three of six new ships in its new Prima class, which debuted in 2022. These vessels look and are designed differently from the rest of the fleet. Norwegian — after making huge strides in this area with ships like Norwegian Bliss, Joy, and Encore — is taking a different track.

This island does not have the plethora of activities that CocoCay does, however if you are someone looking forward to a beautiful beach day on your cruise vacation, Great Stirrup Cay is the perfect place. There are plenty of complimentary lounge chairs and spots to get your feet into the sand. Additionally guests can try out zip lining for an additional cost, or rent some floating chairs and other beach gear should they so choose.

It is common among both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line that these two brands will often utilize their older ships to sail some of the most unique itineraries. For this reason I always say, never rule out sailing on an older cruise ship. Because these older vessels may have some of the best itineraries at affordable prices. Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have great themed parties onboard many of their ships. I have been able to experience quite a few of these themed parties onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships, they are quite fun and I definitely recommend checking out at least one during a cruise sailing.

Cost comparison researched on the Carnival website shows a seven-day Caribbean cruise out of Miami in December 2022, aboard the Carnival Celebration from $519 per person for an inside cabin. In that vein, one can book a short, weekend trip with the intent to party all weekend long, or choose a longer, more sophisticated itinerary on one of Carnival's newest ships. When I was younger, my parents would have trouble getting me to leave the kids club since it was so much fun.

For those guests looking to experience and do a lot onboard, I would recommend considering a newer ship for your upcoming cruise vacation onboard either Norwegian Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean. While Norwegian Cruise Line might be interested in coming out with new onboard activities, Royal Caribbean can often be seen expanding and enhancing its proven-popular onboard activities. With more than enough activities to explore and see, Royal Caribbean often creates ships that need to be visited multiple times in order to see and do everything onboard. From ship areas such as Central Park to great activities such as Escape Rooms, there is often so much onboard Royal Caribbean ships that it could be impossible to see everything in just one sailing. In recent years, with the addition of the Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Cruise Line has pivoted in their style and offerings. While still a family friendly cruise line, it seems that there is more to do onboard for adults rather than kids aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships.

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