Is Norwegian Cruise Line Better Than Royal Caribbean?
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
We have been on 37 Royal Caribbean cruises. We've been on one Norwegian cruise.
Norwegian, to be fair, Norwegian was having a Coast Guard inspection, so they were delayed, but you do go to a counter.
With Norwegian, it's called freestyle. So, they have multiple sit-down restaurants where you can just show up.
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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 methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
We’ve taken 37 Royal Caribbean cruises… but we just sailed our first Norwegian Cruise Line cruise on the Norwegian Getaway. So how did Norwegian compare to Royal Caribbean? In this video, we share our honest thoughts comparing Norwegian Cruise Line vs Royal Caribbean, using the Norwegian Getaway and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships, especially Odyssey of the Seas, as a fair comparison. We talk through the biggest differences we noticed, including embarkation, cabins, food, freestyle dining, entertainment, casino, pools, family activities, service, and overall cruise experience. If you’re trying to decide between Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, this video will help you understand where each cruise line shines — and which one might be the better fit for your next cruise vacation. We cover: Embarkation and first impressions Norwegian Getaway balcony cabin vs Royal Caribbean balcony cabin Freestyle dining on Norwegian vs Royal Caribbean dining Included food, specialty dining, buffets, and grab-and-go options Norwegian entertainment vs Royal Caribbean entertainment Casino differences, including smoking vs non-smoking areas Pool decks, adults-only areas, waterslides, bumper cars, and onboard activities Service comparison Which cruise line we would choose for couples, families, and longtime cruisers Whether we would sail Norwegian again We were honestly surprised by how much we enjoyed Norwegian Getaway. While Royal Caribbean still has advantages in certain areas, Norwegian Cruise Line absolutely impressed us — especially with dining flexibility, service, the casino setup, and some of the ship’s unique venues. If you’ve cruised both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, let us know in the comments: which cruise line do you prefer and why? Watch our full Norwegian Getaway ship tour next: https://youtu.be/RfOPqJR7X5E Our Special Cabin Tour :) https://youtu.be/0cp3YEyJlqI Thanks for watching, and welcome aboard! 00:00 Norwegian vs Royal Caribbean 00:41 Our First Norwegian Cruise 01:06 Why We’re Comparing Norwegian Getaway to Quantum Class 02:03 Embarkation & First Impressions 04:08 Cabin Comparison 06:14 Food & Freestyle Dining 09:58 Specialty Dining, Favorites & Buffet 12:08 Entertainment & Venues 15:14 Casino Comparison 16:18 Outdoor Decks, Activities & Pools 19:11 Bumper Cars, iFly, FlowRider & Family Fun 20:31 Service Comparison 21:29 Overall Thoughts 22:34 Best Cruise Line for Couples, Families & Relaxing 24:28 Would We Sail Norwegian Again? 25:20 Final Thoughts