Hi all you experienced cruisers.

I am taking my dad next fall on a trip to Greek Isles. The itineraries on NCL and Oceania are largely the same, each one has a city I'd like to go to that the other doesn't.

I had been looking seriously at NCL, and could probably afford a minisuite there. For the same money, I can get a two for one on Oceania with free air, but with an inside room. I know the cruise lines are different but any toughts about the tradeoffs?

Depends on what you are looking for.
I would take the smaller ship ..less time trying to go ashore especially when tendering in
If you like to spend quality time with 2000 + of your closest friends take NCL
I prefer Oceania for several reasons and willing to pay the extra fare.
Less people, limited smoking, limited children (if any) good food, the cabins are not really that bad on a port intensive cruise
We have done 3 O cruises and 3 more booked.
The passengers are a bit older than NCL so it all depends on your preferences

I would think the Greek Isles would be one cruise where a balcony cabin or mini-suite would be a "must", no matter what the cost. Oceania is a premium line but I would rather have a balcony on NCL if it is a question of either/or.

Thanks to both of you. I think that the choice may come down to how often we will really be using the cabin during the day. LHT28 makes a good point that in a port intensive itinerary, the need for a balcony becomes less important probably.

Is there a lot of tendering for the Greek Isles locations? I think this might be another issue which would have an effect on our choice.

Depends on the ports .
I know Mykonos, Santorini and maybe Delos are tender ports

NCL has NEW smoking policy........casino's and staterooms or cigar bars only. No more smoking on outside of decks or promenade areas. Maybe this will help......somewhat.

Richard Dziak
Las Cruces, New Mexico USA

Seems a little backwards.
Most ships do not allow smoking in casinos or indoor spaces. http://cruise-chat.com/groupee_commo...icon_smile.gif

Here's NCL's new smoking policy.
From NCL's FAQ:

What about smoking on the ship?
We want you to be comfortable on board, so public areas throughout all NCL ships are smoke free. If you smoke cigarettes, you can do so in your stateroom, on your balcony, in the casino or Cigar Bar (where available). If you prefer pipes or cigars, you can smoke in the Cigar Bar or designated smoking lounge. Also, you can smoke cigarettes, pipes and cigars outside on open decks (just not around food venues, sport decks, kids’ pool areas and other designated non-smoking areas).

As for cabin sizes, here's NCL's standard cabins for the Gem and Pearl.
A1: 5,750 sq. ft., including balcony
A2: 1,195 sq. ft., including balcony
A3: 487 sq. ft., balcony 85 sq. ft.
A4: 380 sq. ft., balcony 60 sq. ft.
AA: 543 sq. ft., balcony 248 sq. ft.
AB: 492 sq. ft., balcony 54 sq. ft.
AC: 281 sq. ft., balcony 208 sq. ft.
AD: 287 sq. ft., balcony 100 sq. ft.
AE: 287 sq. ft., balcony 54 sq. ft.
Mini-Suites 231 sq. ft., balcony 54 sq. ft.
Balcony 167 sq. ft., balcony 38 sq. ft.
Oceanview 150 - 161 sq. ft.
Inside 138 - 143 sq. ft.

Here's Oceania's standard cabin sizes.
OS: 962 sq. ft. including balcony
VS: 786 sq. ft. including balcony
PH1: 322 sq. ft. including balcony
PH2: 322 sq. ft. including balcony
A1: 216 sq. ft. including balcony
A2: 216 sq. ft. including balcony
Oceanview: 150 - 165 sq. ft.
Inside: 160 sq. ft.

Now that you know the sq. ft. per cabin classification, you can compare fares. http://cruise-chat.com/groupee_commo...icon_smile.gif

We did the Med. cruise on Oceania last June. Have also been on NCL. The balcony cabins on Oceania was wonderful. Great linens, very comfortable but you don't spend much time in your cabin. Older, quiet group, wonderful food. Few children(we felt sorry for them as there is not much to do on the ship) Really enjoyed the small ship and will do Oceania again. We missed Mykonos, were suppose to tender but it was too rough.

Thanks Escape! We're sailing Oceania for the first time next year and have a B1 balcony and were a little concerned about the cabin size. Good report!
Mike