Will this DCL cruisegoer regret a NCL cruise? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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OK - let me preface this by saying that the only cruise line I have ever been on is DCL and I love it! DH and I have been on 3 DCL cruises (Magic in 1998, Wonder in 2010, and Fantasy in 2012). Our DS(13), DD(13) , and DS(5) have been on the 2010 and 2012 cruises. My mother and her husband were also on the 2010 and 2012 cruises with us.
My mother and her husband are planning an Anniversary trip and we are fortunate that they will be taking our family. They tentatively booked a 7 night Western Caribbean itinerary on Norwegian Dawn (a 2002 ship renovated in 2011). None of us have ever been on NCL, and I have read mixed reviews.
My mother is alternatively considering a DCL 4 night on Dream which is not much cheaper than the NCL 7 night cruise for the time we would be going (I also found a different DCL 4 night but time frame not ideal, though it is significantly cheaper - still, a possibility). The Disney 4 night is Nassau / Castaway Cay. We all love Castaway Cay - we would stay on ship for Nassau. None of us have ever gone on a Western itinerary, which was part of the draw for my mother and husband.
My question is: will be regret the NCL cruise if we are all used to the service and, especially, the children's activities / child care on DCL At the time of the cruise. these will be our children's ages: DS(14), DD(14), DS(6). We want everyone to have a great time, of course, and we also want to feel comfortable with the safety and comfort for the children.
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We've been on 3 DCL cruises now, and have our 4th planned for this summer. The only other cruise line I've ever been on is Carnival, and I will never cruise with them again. I made that decision before their recent blunders. That being said, DMIL has cruised NCL twice with DBIL and some other family members, and they've loved it. They actually have a Med cruise planned for this May with NCL. I'd be hard pressed to cruise anything other than DCL, but if I did it would probably be NCL.
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I don't think you will be disappointed. Just don't spend too much time comparing the kids clubs! NCL is a great line with beautiful ships. Freestyle Cruising and Freestyle Dining are a great concept and there are a TON of dining options. The T Rex kids pool is a lot of fun too.
We went on the NCL Epic one year and were not a huge fan. It was nice but everything needs to be booked before hand or you wait in lines all the time. We are not big casino people so that was not a bonus for us. And the smoking onboard was an issue for us.
A few things to be aware of on NCL that is different from DCL:
You will pay an upcharge for all the restaurants except for the main dining room and casual/buffet areas. I call it FEEStyle Dining instead of Free Style Dining. Also if you do not plan ahead - Book before you get on the cruise - then the only times that are available are 4:00 to 5:00 and 9:00 and later as all the other times are booked so it is really not Freestyle.
You need tickets for shows and some cost extra ! The Blue Man Group was free but you had to prebook tickets or wait in line for the leftover times. We did Cirque de Solil but that was $50 per person including our 9 year old daughter and included dinner. People lined up 1 hour before shows to get good seats.
The rooms were much smaller as well. Our DD did not like the kids club as she was so used to the Oceaneers Club and Lab.
The staff was great, the ship was well kept, the cost was cheaper for sure but the final bill was a lot more.
I don't think you'll be disappointed. We'd been on four Disney cruises before we went with another cruise line, P&O. I was pleasantly surprised by them - the only thing that I found frustrating was having to pay for things that would be free on Disney, but apart from them, we really enjoyed the experience and more than we expected.
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Will this DCL cruisegoer regret a NCL cruise?
DH and I have been on 3 DCL cruises (Magic in 1998, Wonder in 2010, and Fantasy in 2012). Our DS(13), DD(13) , and DS(5) have been on the 2010 and 2012 cruises. My mother and her husband were also on the 2010 and 2012 cruises with us. 
They tentatively booked a 7 night Western Caribbean itinerary on Norwegian Dawn (a 2002 ship renovated in 2011). None of us have ever been on NCL, and I have read mixed reviews. 
At the time of the cruise. these will be our children's ages: DS(14), DD(14), DS(6). We want everyone to have a great time, of course, and we also want to feel comfortable with the safety and comfort for the children.
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Pixie Dust
Just don't spend too much time comparing the kids clubs! 
NCL is a great line with beautiful ships. Freestyle Cruising and Freestyle Dining are a great concept and there are a TON of dining options. The T Rex kids pool is a lot of fun too.
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