The Inevitable Comparison - NCL vs Disney

Norwegian Epic

                                                                              VS

Disney Fantasy

Inevitably I compared this cruise to our previous experiences on Disney Cruise Line.

Overall, in my opinion, Disney does it better in every category, but they do it at a very high premium which is not always an option. Here are the ways I think Disney does it better:


Dining: Disney has nicer restaurants, better food (to me) and much better service. They also offer free soft drinks at dinner (and all the time) so we don't have to pay for soda. I also believe they have better options for small bites and snacks, such as little wrap sandwiches and fruit plates and salads readily available.

Spa: The Rainforest on the Disney Dream and Fantasy is an excellent escape on the ship. When on the Epic we were wondering how we were bored during the sea days and realized that on the Dream/Fantasy we get Rainforest passes. We did not do this on the Epic as it was $400 for the week which is just ridiculous.

Outdoor space: The Disney Fantasy has excellent outdoor spaces for adults only as well as all four ships having a relaxing promenade deck with loungers. We missed this on the Epic.

Television: Disney offers more channels as well as free on-demand television and movies all day, every day.

Costs: While NCL is significantly less expensive than Disney, you do get what you pay for. Disney is overpriced, no matter what you think, and paying double for a cruise for free soda is stupid, but the little things add up. NCL has bowling on board, but you have to pay for it. You pay for soda, that is if you can get your server to go get you some. Pool towels are in your room on the Epic and you must exchange them at the pool deck for clean ones (if it happens to be open when you need it) while on Disney you can take as many towels as you want and there is no towel Nazi waiting to charge you for taking them. I also feel that they purposely keep the menus in the main dining on NCL minimal and the service mediocre to entice people to dine at the specialty restaurants, otherwise why would there be so many more pay restaurants than free ones?

Staff: It is undeniable that Disney is all about service. We have not had one single negative experience with crew on a Disney ship. We have had some slow service, and forgotten drink refills but it was always rectified and I never felt like it was on purpose on Disney while I did feel that on the Epic. Our room steward on the Epic was excellent, friendly and great at his job. The rest of the staff just left a little to be desired for us, including the Cruise Director who seemed just a little over the top and phony.

Disembarkation: When disembarking for shore excursions on Disney, you go to a specific spot on the ship to meet, not all passengers going to the same place, everyone is separated reducing confusion. Disney also offers a cast member who personally walks you off the ship to your local guide. When disembarking on the final day, Disney schedules breakfast so that only portions of the passengers are leaving during any given time, making it easier. We have never stood in a line to disembark off a Disney ship, while we waited over an hour in line on the Epic.


While Disney will always continue to be our number one choice for cruising, it is not always in the budget. Norwegian offers some itineraries that are not always available with Disney (Hawaii) and excellent entertainment that gives Disney a run for their money. We will definitely give Norwegian another chance in the future, after all, we did buy a future cruise certificate we won't want to waste!