I tried Royal Caribbean and NCL — one was better than the other

Name: I tried Royal Caribbean and NCL — one was better than the other
Uploaded: 2026-02-14T00:00:00+00:00
Duration: 8 min 4 s
Channel: Cruise Blog
Description: I've cruised on both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, but there were 7 things I liked more about one cruise line than the other. After trying both, here's how I thought the two cruise lines compared. Which one do you prefer? Learn more about cruising: https://cruise.blog/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecruiseblog

Cruise Blog

🏅Authority

👁️ 4K views📅 2 months ago⏱️ 8:04

Royal Caribbean Group

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Aqua

Icon of the Seas

What This Creator Said

1½ Happy Bacon

Creator RecommendsShip Comparison🏅Authority Creator

Veteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

Royal Caribbean consistently delivers highquality entertainment.

Royal Caribbean's rewards feel far more substantial.

Royal Caribbean has more included attractions than Norwegian.

Royal Caribbean does a better job at crowd management than Norwegian.

Creator's Tips & Advice

✓Consider the value of bundled packages when choosing a cruise line.

✓Check if adult-only decks are included or require an extra fee.

✓Book reservations for popular shows to avoid standing during performances.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhich cruise line is better between Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line?

QWhat are the key differences in experiences between the two cruise lines?

Topics Covered

Port Destination4 Happy BaconEntertainment Shows3½ Happy BaconLoyalty Program3 Happy BaconEntertainment Activities2½ Happy BaconCrowd Capacity2½ Happy BaconValue Pricing2 Happy BaconDining Bars Drinks1½ Sad Bacon

Port Highlights

Coco K4 Happy Bacon

Great Stirrup Key2 Happy Bacon

How to read the Trip Bacon Score

Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect

Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this

Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology

Full Consensus

See what all creators think about Norwegian Aqua

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YouTube Video Description↓

I've cruised on both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, but there were 7 things I liked more about one cruise line than the other. After trying both, here's how I thought the two cruise lines compared. Which one do you prefer? Learn more about cruising: https://cruise.blog/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecruiseblog