Royal vs Norwegian

Item: Norwegian Escape
Rating: 1
Author: jeffjoslin

Norwegian Escape Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

jeffjoslin

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 41

Overall rating:

1 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 25, 2017

Ship: Norwegian Escape

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10118

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

First off my wife smokes and I don't. I've always cruised Royal, but since had some good package incentives we decided to give Norwegian a shot. Bad mistake since CO didn't explain the smoking policy and areas to us and the dining specialty package was only for three nights. Royal has always treated smokers with the same respect and service as a non-smoker. They pay the same for the cruise but Norwegian forces smokers to the 17th level at the bar with bar stools and does not provide any lounge areas for smokers. The H2O lounge has three sofa style chairs but obviously are taken up quickly. So most smokers are force to sit on a bar stool or stand while they smoke and the areas that they put smokers in are in direct sunlight during the day the majority of the cruise. Royal has an entire pool level area/side, shaded for smokers. Norwegian's guest services, two of them, incorrectly told my wife she could smoke on the pool deck beneath the TV screens. She was removed after she was told that the information given her was wrong. We'll never cruise Norwegian again since they discriminate against smokers and treat them as sub-par guest. It's funny that Norwegian will sell cigarettes on board but treat smokers like second class steerage. The casino was calling smokers out of the intercom saying you have to be gambling to smoke in the casino. The layout of the casino is terrible. Broken up into several sections. The entire layout of the ship is like a maze and makes in seem very crowded. We'll stick with Royal and probably even try Carnival as some guest told us they have a smoking policy similar to Royal.