It was our second cruise and our first time with Norwegian. We preferred Celebrity across the board on all points but it is more expensive.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Not too tricky
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Main dining room and buffet food was very poor and the same every night. Specialty food was great. Supper Club dinner was the worst. O'Sheehans bar tenders were miserable.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Fitness center and classes weren't great, pool was crowded there is only an indoor pool for haven members. Slides were fun though
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Choir of Man was great but the other show wasn't that good and the comedian we saw was terrible. Not a lot of show options. The brewery piano guy (Justin or Josh) was awesome!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
All of the kindness and enthusiasm we experienced on other ships was present in one crew member (we call him washy-washy) none else really went out of their way to be friendly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The buffet layout is terrible, and it took us a little longer than usual to learn this ships layout there are no maps or lists in the elevator just outside it.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Good size room and balcony. Good storage, only complaint is when the boat rocks the shower water doesnt drain.
I really don't think you can or should try to compare NCL to Celebrity Line. They are two completely different approaches to cruising. NCL is much more family focused and casual with lots of activities for families. Celebrity is targeted toward an older demographic and much more formal...even structured. It's like comparing a black tie wedding to a Barbeque party. If you want to have to dress to the nines for dinner every night be told where and who to sit with and pay more for it then cruise Celebrity. I'm willing to bet you won't find pizza or hot dogs on Celebrity. And that's kind of the point. If you want to be comfortable and be active and eat what and when you want to and not pay a fortune, then cruise NCL. Simple.
Having done both NCL on the Getaway (same basic layout as Escape) and the Celebrity Equinox this year, I can appreciate each for its merits. Totally different ship designs and approaches to cruising. Overall, I loved both. I found the food good on both, but the Equinox definitely had a better buffet layout with stations, rather than the galley style of NCL. I enjoyed freestyle on NCL, which is much more casual than Celebrity. Cost was also a factor, as Celebrity is a “luxury” line. Honestly, the staff were fine on both, but you do make more of a connection by having fixed dining with the same staff. I have one cruise booked on each line in 2020; one on the Escape and one on the Celebrity Apex. Love them both.
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