Carnival VS Norwegian

[RetiredRich]

Just got back after 8 day cruise on the Freedom. First off ALL cruises are great in my book but after 6 on Norwegian and 3 on Carnival we are going back to Norwegian for next year cruise. I think the food and entertainment is better on Norwegian. Everyone was very interested in the news about the awful sinking as we were on the cruise. I know the captain was showboating and did an awful thing but in all the reports so far only one report showed something he did that probably saved many lives. Once he realized the ship was sinking he turned around and headed toward shore and actually beached the ship. It ended up with the gash exposed and very close to shore. That had to keep a lot of people from drowning.

I wanted to say one more thing about Carnival and the safety meeting required. They seem very casual about it. You are not required to take your life preserver to the muster zone and no row call is taken. Then they show you how to use a preserver. On Norwegian they require you to take and wear your preserver during a row call. Wonder if that will change now !!!

[AmandaAnn718]

I have been on three Norwegian cruises. I have never had to bring a life jacket or have roll call taken. My last cruise on the epic, the muster drill was in the casino, I sat at the roulette table. I couldn't hear nor see the life jacket demo. After it was over, there was the worst crush of people I have ever seen.

[tulsacubfan]

I have been on one Carnival cruise and one Norwegian cruise. On both, the muster drill was at the muster station. Both required bringing the life vest. Both required a roll call.

 

I cannot really compare the cruises, as the Carnival cruise was a Mexican Riviera cruise that ended up going north instead of to Mexico (swine flu). I am much more of a warm weather vacationer, and this was early May and still cold (and rainy) in the Pacific Northwest. Could not enjoy the outside decks of the ship or the balcony. Whereas the Norwegian Cruise was to the Southern Carribean and when not in port, we spent a lot of time on the outside decks. Also, ours was the first northbound cruise of the swine flu issue, so they had not had time to plan and pick up entertainment.

 

The only thing that could be fairly compared between the two was the food. And Carnival wins that one hands down. The food on the Norwegian cruise was fine, but nothing special. Every Carnival meal was excellent.

[halos]

On all my NCL cruises we had to take the life jacket AND they took roll call.

 

However, I think like Carnival, they recently eliminated bringing the life jacket to muster. People standing in the heat on deck with them on sometimes get sick/claustrophobic/pass out...which is why all the cruise lines started implementing that they didn't have to be brought to the drill.

 

I will say however, that my most serious musters were on NCL because they took your name/cabin number...other than that they were very much similar.

 

I think all that will change and I imagine muster is going to be hell from now on....

 

One thing I do not understand is why the life jackets are not kept at the muster stations. It seems far more dangerous to me to have to return to your cabin to get the dang thing.....

[Spudder]

On all my NCL cruises we had to take the life jacket AND they took roll call.

 

However, I think like Carnival, they recently eliminated bringing the life jacket to muster. People standing in the heat on deck with them on sometimes get sick/claustrophobic/pass out...which is why all the cruise lines started implementing that they didn't have to be brought to the drill.

 

I will say however, that my most serious musters were on NCL because they took your name/cabin number...other than that they were very much similar.

 

I think all that will change and I imagine muster is going to be hell from now on....

 

One thing I do not understand is why the life jackets are not kept at the muster stations. It seems far more dangerous to me to have to return to your cabin to get the dang thing.....

 

 

I belive they are in both the lifeboats and your stateroom.

[byucougs]

Appreciate your comments. Having been on a variety of cruiselines, Carnival was not much different with muster than others. You can't judge a line based on muster. Many lines meet in lounges as has been mentioned Norwegian and Princess to name a few. Last muster on Conquest we met on deck in front of our lifeboat. Directions are on the life-vests and are not difficult to put on, even if you don't carry them to muster.

 

Being a Red Cross volunteer, I've learned the more trained you are the better you will react in a crisis. Many cruises I've been on the crew is out running the lifeboats during port days.

 

Personally, having been on most of the other lines, multiple times, we've never had a bad cruise or felt unsafe. The crews have been great. We will not hesitate to book any cruiseline, including Costa, (if the opportunity were to arise) that fit our itinerary or budget.

[leigh2205]

They changed the way they do it on Norwegian. For the last two years, we haven't had to take our life jacket. We've just been put into a restaurant (or bar, etc) for a meeting. I was on the Pearl when Costa Concordia sank and it was the talk of the ship. I believe some changes may be coming!

Just got back after 8 day cruise on the Freedom. First off ALL cruises are great in my book but after 6 on Norwegian and 3 on Carnival we are going back to Norwegian for next year cruise. I think the food and entertainment is better on Norwegian. Everyone was very interested in the news about the awful sinking as we were on the cruise. I know the captain was showboating and did an awful thing but in all the reports so far only one report showed something he did that probably saved many lives. Once he realized the ship was sinking he turned around and headed toward shore and actually beached the ship. It ended up with the gash exposed and very close to shore. That had to keep a lot of people from drowning.

I wanted to say one more thing about Carnival and the safety meeting required. They seem very casual about it. You are not required to take your life preserver to the muster zone and no row call is taken. Then they show you how to use a preserver. On Norwegian they require you to take and wear your preserver during a row call. Wonder if that will change now !!!

[James in SA]

One thing we can learn from the Costa tragedy, the PASSENGERS seemed to know what to do in an emergency better than the crew (on that particular ship). They grasped that the situation was indeed serious and were at their muster stations with their life jackets on... even though they had not had the safety briefing yet.

 

What cost lives was the delay in acknowledging there was an emergency and beginning the evacuation while it was still possible to launch the lifeboats. It was not the passengers that failed to act, they did their part and more.

 

That crew lady seen in the video telling the passengers at the muster station that 'there was no emergency and to go back to their cabins and wait' is probably responsible for causing some of the deaths. Whether she was acting on orders or on her own will probably be argued in court, but IMO any crew member should have the training not to send people to their cabins when the sip is clearly listing and taking on water.

 

The Concordia disaster teaches us that the passengers themselves acted well and knew what to do. It is that culture of keeping passengers in the dark and pretending nothing is wrong that needs to change.

[regjr13]

Carnival Magic did not require you to bring your life vest to the muster station any longer. They said people would trip on the fasteners and it just became a headache. They now have life vests at the muster stations in the event of an actual emergency. However, with this latest tragedy, I see changes coming.

[halos]

One thing we can learn from the Costa tragedy, the PASSENGERS seemed to know what to do in an emergency better than the crew (on that particular ship). They grasped that the situation was indeed serious and were at their muster stations with their life jackets on... even though they had not had the safety briefing yet.

 

What cost lives was the delay in acknowledging there was an emergency and beginning the evacuation while it was still possible to launch the lifeboats. It was not the passengers that failed to act, they did their part and more.

 

That crew lady seen in the video telling the passengers at the muster station that 'there was no emergency and to go back to their cabins and wait' is probably responsible for causing some of the deaths. Whether she was acting on orders or on her own will probably be argued in court, but IMO any crew member should have the training not to send people to their cabins when the sip is clearly listing and taking on water.

 

The Concordia disaster teaches us that the passengers themselves acted well and knew what to do. It is that culture of keeping passengers in the dark and pretending nothing is wrong that needs to change.

 

THIS is the damage out of this disaster that will be long lasting and dangerous to the industry AND to the passengers.

 

There is now going to be a total lack of trust in taking direction from the crew.

Prior to this tragedy, I wouldn't have hesitated to listen to what I was told to do...now??? You gotta be freaking kidding me....

 

How are the cruise lines going to fix a broken trust??? They have a LOT of work cut out for them....

[krissy72]

I have been on both Cruiselines. IMO... Carnival wins the food war. I like the NCL ships better because you can walk around the whole outside of the ship and they have open air seating, meaning no glass just the table the railing and the ocean. Very nice. Last year when I was on NCL the muster drill was inside in a lounge, no life jackets and no one listening.

So if I had to choose one cruiseline over the other it would be a toss up. I will go with best price.

[chill6x6]

Only time we've put on life jackets was on the Holiday in 2007. Was on the NCL Spirit in Oct 2011 and didn't put on a life jacket. I will admit that the CCL muster drills were long a drawn out where NCL took less than half the time simply because they were more organized.....