Thinking of leaving Carnival and trying NCL!?!?!?

[fergusonvt]

Its nice to be loyal to one line but I hope I love my Carnival cruise. Doesn't mean I would switch completely but it opens up a whole lot of possibilities for ships, embarkation ports and itineraries.

 

There are things I love about NCL like their future cruise credits. Buy one on board for $250 and get $100 in OBC immediately for the cruise you are on then have 4 years to book another cruise and apply the entire $250 as the deposit for your entire cabin with all occupants. When you book the next cruise the award is applied immediately as the deposit and nothing else is due until final payment.

 

I love that fact that one of the MDR's is open at embarkation so you have an option over the buffet although from what I've read it appears that Carnival has some other options for lunch also.

 

There is room in my future for more than 1 cruise line and probably more than 2.

[lizjoemom]

Its nice to be loyal to one line but I hope I love my Carnival cruise. Doesn't mean I would switch completely but it opens up a whole lot of possibilities for ships, embarkation ports and itineraries.

 

There are things I love about NCL like their future cruise credits. Buy one on board for $250 and get $100 in OBC immediately for the cruise you are on then have 4 years to book another cruise and apply the entire $250 as the deposit for your entire cabin with all occupants. When you book the next cruise the award is applied immediately as the deposit and nothing else is due until final payment.

 

I love that fact that one of the MDR's is open at embarkation so you have an option over the buffet although from what I've read it appears that Carnival has some other options for lunch also.

 

There is room in my future for more than 1 cruise line and probably more than 2.

 

Yes, I could never see locking my self into one "brand" of cruise! I have been on so many wonderful cruises with so many different lines, even NCL before Freestyle.

 

Itinerary definitely determines which cruise we take, that and departing port. Itinerary is the whole reason we tried Carnival to begin with, it fit where we wanted to go and after we decided that we really liked Carnival whereas we had never considered it before. Food, amenities etc... matter of course, but ultimately its about where you are going and getting to relax that make all the difference.

 

I cant say that I HATE NCL and dont think that anyone else should ever cruise them, just our experience with NCL turned us off to them, others can decide for themselves if they like it. Obviously if someone was giving me the option of going on a cruise, any cruise, or not, I would choose cruise every time! But if given the choice now of one or another, I would probably not go with NCL.

 

Also too, ships within lines are different, the staff, the food, decor and itineraries so you cant really paint the whole fleet with the same brush.

[vickic233]

We have been on a few Carnival and 1recent NCL...the Spirit out of New Orleans which had the same itinerary as what you are looking at. While I like both lines, there were some differences. We almost always have a balcony room and both lines are about the same setup but NCL's bathroom was a little bigger ...no deal breaker though. While some others seem to not really like the buffet food on NCL, I found they had ALOT more variety than my last Carnival cruise in January. We only ate in the MDR on NCL a couple of times but seem to remember the ship having 2 different ones and liking that we weren't tied down to dining in 1 assigned room. We also tried Cagneys Steakhouse...it was the best we have had on any cruise! My husband and son loved the 24 hr (although I don't recall if it was really 24 hr) chicken wing place. They were there ALL the time eating chicken wings and cheesecake lol. Food though is very subjective....the entertainment on both were ok...my son liked the pool area on NCL better...he said its a little less "wild" haha. If you like bingo, NCL has this hands down...I feel like on carnival, it's rush,rush to get on to the next thing scheduled...Carnivals 24 hr pizza and ice cream are GREAT and I'm not sure if NCL has changed or not but when we went there was a lady that stood at the ice cream machine fixing them for you and it was not 24 hrs (although no bacon police on NCL ;) ) all in all, I have never had a bad cruise experience and we cruise whichever line has itinerary and price that I'm looking for...I say try NCL ;)

[KatetheWanderer]

Try them all. I am something of a cruise slut. I've been on several lines and enjoyed them all. Each line has something different. I have my favorites of course. If I go on the same one back-to-back, the old been there done that feeling sometimes kicks in especially if the entertainment acts are repeated. I cannot tell you how sick I am of the NCL employees' variety show where they wear togas and spit water on each other to some Enya song. Hopefully they are over it by now. NCL is a great line with much to offer.

[halos]

Uuuh, no offense but you sailed on the Seaward in 1989....

 

That woud be the equivalent of me telling people not to sail on Carnival because we had a horrible time on the Tropicale almost 20 years ago!

 

:confused:

Pete posts that all the time just to get me to debate it LOL :D

I'm not quite sure but I don't think he's sailed Carnival in a while either....

 

OP, the only way to know what you will think of any line is to try it yourself.

For me and my Dh NCL beats CCL hands down lately. For us, they are quite different and not as 'alike' as some say, but everyone sees things differently.

Our upcoming CCL cruise will likely be our last (for a while anyway) because to us, the difference in what you get when sailing NCL is far too vast.

 

Try them all. I am something of a cruise slut. I've been on several lines and enjoyed them all..

I love that!!!

[Seago2]

Both are relaxed in terms of dress code as compared to premium lines. Both are good for families. Both are "fun". Both are reasonably priced.

 

Carnival gets the edge for a better kids club, better food, waaaaay better desserts, better waiters, better beds, better robes... I could go on.

 

NCL has better pricing, even more relaxed dress code, and (searching here) more Northeast departures. The decor is also much more restrained, although the murals on the outside decks and the hull art are awful.

 

I much prefer HAL or Princess, but with the kids, Carnival wins.

 

Just IMHO, I would think that an NCL cruiser switching to Carnival would be happier than the reverse.

[Tapi]

Why? Many people got hooked on Carnival sailing the Tropicale.

 

And I'm sure a lot of people got hooked on NCL when they cruised on the Seaward.

 

My personal experience on my first Carnival cruise aboard the Tropicale was terrible, to the point that we almost considered disembarking in St. Thomas and flying back home.

 

Had I never set foot on another Carnival cruise, I probably would still be telling people to "steer clear" of Carnival because of my experience back in 1994, just like you're telling people to steer clear from NCL because of your experience in 1989.

 

Thankfully, I DID give Carnival another try!

[fergusonvt]

Try them all. I am something of a cruise slut. I've been on several lines and enjoyed them all. Each line has something different. I have my favorites of course. If I go on the same one back-to-back, the old been there done that feeling sometimes kicks in especially if the entertainment acts are repeated. I cannot tell you how sick I am of the NCL employees' variety show where they wear togas and spit water on each other to some Enya song. Hopefully they are over it by now. NCL is a great line with much to offer.

 

LOL, Love it. I am aspiring to become a cruise slut!:D I actually think the NCL cruise crew show is fantastic with fountains being the highlight.

[fergusonvt]

Both are relaxed in terms of dress code as compared to premium lines. Both are good for families. Both are "fun". Both are reasonably priced.

 

Carnival gets the edge for a better kids club, better food, waaaaay better desserts, better waiters, better beds, better robes... I could go on.

 

NCL has better pricing, even more relaxed dress code, and (searching here) more Northeast departures. The decor is also much more restrained, although the murals on the outside decks and the hull art are awful.

 

I much prefer HAL or Princess, but with the kids, Carnival wins.

 

Just IMHO, I would think that an NCL cruiser switching to Carnival would be happier than the reverse.

 

I love the NCL hull art. Can't compare yet but the best sleep and most comfortable bed I've ever (yup ever) slept on was on my first cruise on the NCL Sun.

[MrPete]

Pete posts that all the time just to get me to debate it LOL :D

I'm not quite sure but I don't think he's sailed Carnival in a while either....

 

 

!!![/QUOte]

Well, I can't get you to drop by when you pass through the area on I95!:)

 

The switch to RCCL is just because they get me to Bermuda.

[MrPete]

And I'm sure a lot of people got hooked on NCL when they cruised on the Seaward.

 

My personal experience on my first Carnival cruise aboard the Tropicale was terrible, to the point that we almost considered disembarking in St. Thomas and flying back home.

 

Had I never set foot on another Carnival cruise, I probably would still be telling people to "steer clear" of Carnival because of my experience back in 1994, just like you're telling people to steer clear from NCL because of your experience in 1989.

 

Thankfully, I DID give Carnival another try!

 

Looks like you cruised the Tropicale when she was over 10 years old. But it certainly doesn't bother if if you decided never to try it again.

 

But I certainly don't tell people to steer clear. I just relate my decision based on one lines latest and greatest. Fool me once.

[rajones007]

I would sail NCL again in a minute.

 

My GF and I are just ordinary average people. Middle-class, blue collar, mid 40s. Down-to-earth and friendly with everybody we meet. I can only compare NCL to Princess (I haven't sailed Carnival...yet...I will soon enough) and I found NCL to be more our "style". Laid back. Relaxed. Cool.

 

I don't know if I could handle assigned dining again after enjoying the NCL way. That freestyle thing is leaps and bounds above the assigned seating that we had on Princess.

 

"Where do you want to eat?"

"I don't know...how about such-n-such place?"

"Sounds good to me, let's go."

 

It's more like home. Comfortable. Relaxing. Normal.

 

I would never hesitate to sail NCL if it was an itinerary I was interested in. The food on the Star was excellent. The ship was gorgeous. The crew were fantastic.

 

I'm thinking Carnival and NCL are very similar. That's why I'm going to try Carnival sometime within the next year or so.

[halos]

Fool me once.

Pete, c'mom...20+ years? That's totally biting your nose to spite your face.

CCL has changed drastically over the past 4-5 years...not cruising a line because of an experience you had decades ago is silly.

[sparks1093]

Pete, c'mom...20+ years? That's totally biting your nose to spite your face.

CCL has changed drastically over the past 4-5 years...not cruising a line because of an experience you had decades ago is silly.

 

I will say at the start of this post that I understand what I am about to post doesn't exactly relate, but I remember eating at Wendy's once in the mid-70's. The burger was so bad that I didn't go back to Wendy's for 15 years and then only because a roommate insisted. Of course Wendy's had changed in 15 years and I know go more frequently. So I can see if someone has such a bad first experience with a cruiseline that they would shy away from that cruiseline, especially because a cruise is a lot more than a burger;).

 

And with that said if someone advised me to not sail with a line because of something that had happened to them 20 years ago, well, I probably would try to find someone who had more recent experience to relate.

[halos]

I will say at the start of this post that I understand what I am about to post doesn't exactly relate, but I remember eating at Wendy's once in the mid-70's. The burger was so bad that I didn't go back to Wendy's for 15 years and then only because a roommate insisted. Of course Wendy's had changed in 15 years and I know go more frequently. So I can see if someone has such a bad first experience with a cruiseline that they would shy away from that cruiseline, especially because a cruise is a lot more than a burger;).

 

And with that said if someone advised me to not sail with a line because of something that had happened to them 20 years ago, well, I probably would try to find someone who had more recent experience to relate.

That makes sense, I do get your point.

I guess I've never experienced a cruise bad enough to keep me from swearing off an entire line, so that's why I have a hard time with it.

I guess it could happen.

My most disappointing cruise was on Royal but I didn't hate it enough to say I'd never cruise the line again.

The line we sailed that I felt was a 'bad fit' was Celebrity, but I wouldn't swear that line off by any means either. There may come a time when I will enjoy what I disliked about it back in 2006....which also brings me to the point that not only do cruise lines change over time (hell, they change from one sailing to the next!) but so do people. Making a decision based on something 20 years ago?....nah.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Pete, c'mom...20+ years? That's totally biting your nose to spite your face.

CCL has changed drastically over the past 4-5 years...not cruising a line because of an experience you had decades ago is silly.

 

hahaha Pete has me beat. I haven't cruised with them since 1993 because of a bad experience with our NCL cruise but I am finally booked on another one but with much trepidation.

 

We are going with friends so we are going from a port that we don't need air since there are 8 of us so we picked the Star to Bermuda from NY.

 

NY to the Bahamas just doesn't do it for me.

 

The repeating theme I repeatedly find is that the MDR is not that good so it's better to factor in some extra money for the specialty restaurants and that the suite life is awesome but that's not in our budget.

 

I could dismiss the comments about the MDR if they were from cruisers from another line but I even read about it from NCL cruisers albeit there are some that say the MDR food is perfectly fine.

 

We are going no matter what so we'll make the best of it and have an awesome cruise regardless.:)

 

Bill

[halos]

We are going no matter what so we'll make the best of it and have an awesome cruise regardless.:)

 

Bill

I wish you a great cruise and can't wait to see your thoughts when you get back!

[MrPete]

Pete, c'mom...20+ years? That's totally biting your nose to spite your face.

CCL has changed drastically over the past 4-5 years...not cruising a line because of an experience you had decades ago is silly.

 

Nope. A decision I have not regretted once. I don't miss them, and I'm sure they don't miss me. There's nothing they have that even makes me consider them, nor alters my opinion of them.

 

I will say at the start of this post that I understand what I am about to post doesn't exactly relate, but I remember eating at Wendy's once in the mid-70's. The burger was so bad that I didn't go back to Wendy's for 15 years and then only because a roommate insisted. Of course Wendy's had changed in 15 years and I know go more frequently. So I can see if someone has such a bad first experience with a cruiseline that they would shy away from that cruiseline, especially because a cruise is a lot more than a burger;).

 

And with that said if someone advised me to not sail with a line because of something that had happened to them 20 years ago, well, I probably would try to find someone who had more recent experience to relate.

 

Only difference is I'm relating my experience. I never advised anyone here what to do. I'm honored some are concerned about my decision.

 

That makes sense, I do get your point.

I guess I've never experienced a cruise bad enough to keep me from swearing off an entire line, so that's why I have a hard time with it.

I guess it could happen.

My most disappointing cruise was on Royal but I didn't hate it enough to say I'd never cruise the line again.

The line we sailed that I felt was a 'bad fit' was CelebritOy, but I wouldn't swear that line off by any means either. There may come a time when I will enjoy what I disliked about it back in 2006....which also brings me to the point that not only do cruise lines change over time (hell, they change from one sailing to the next!) but so do people. Making a decision based on something 20 years ago?....nah.

 

There's no statute of limitations when one decides something's not for them.

[MrPete]

hahaha Pete has me beat. I haven't cruised with them since 1993 because of a bad experience with our NCL cruise but I am finally booked on another one but with much trepidation.

 

We are going with friends so we are going from a port that we don't need air since there are 8 of us so we picked the Star to Bermuda from NY.

 

NY to the Bahamas just doesn't do it for me.

 

The repeating theme I repeatedly find is that the MDR is not that good so it's better to factor in some extra money for the specialty restaurants and that the suite life is awesome but that's not in our budget.

 

I could dismiss the comments about the MDR if they were from cruisers from another line but I even read about it from NCL cruisers albeit there are some that say the MDR food is perfectly fine.

 

We are going no matter what so we'll make the best of it and have an awesome cruise regardless.:)

 

Bill

 

Sorry for your loss.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Sorry for your loss.

 

roflmao. Thanks for the good laugh.:p That was funny.:)

 

Bill

[sparks1093]

Nope. A decision I have not regretted once. I don't miss them, and I'm sure they don't miss me. There's nothing they have that even makes me consider them, nor alters my opinion of them.

 

 

 

Only difference is I'm relating my experience. I never advised anyone here what to do. I'm honored some are concerned about my decision.

 

 

 

There's no statute of limitations when one decides something's not for them.

 

We can mince words if we want to, but your intent in recounting your experience of 20 years ago is to advise someone, if only tacitly, not to sail with NCL (especially if you don't point out that your experience was 20 years ago and expect the reader to pay attention to your signature line);).

[MrPete]

We can mince words if we want to, but your intent in recounting your experience of 20 years ago is to advise someone, if only tacitly, not to sail with NCL (especially if you don't point out that your experience was 20 years ago and expect the reader to pay attention to your signature line);).

 

Whether it was last week, last month, 5, 10 or 20 years ago, we came screaming back to Carnival. I never hide when my mistake was made. I turn my siggie on when applicable, and with complete transparency.

 

And how you read any of this is your interpretation.

 

Now, back to Love Boat, which I am actually watching.

[sparks1093]

Whether it was last week, last month, 5, 10 or 20 years ago, we came screaming back to Carnival. I never hide when my mistake was made. I turn my siggie on when applicable, and with complete transparency.

 

And how you read any of this is your interpretation.

 

Now, back to Love Boat, which I am actually watching.

 

My best to Captain Stubing;).

[AmberTeka]

We are doing likewise. We sail mostly on Carnival. This year we have been on The Dream, The Freedom and God Willing, The Fascination in May.

We also have the NCL Pearl booked for this fall..Nov. and The Epic booked for Valentine's Day 2013.

 

Princess was our love before I was quarantined with Norvo on a cruise before Christmas. Many on the ship were ill, the staff was ill, stage productions were cancelled due to weather..it was the cruise from hell. I will go back to Princess..I love the Trivia..the I.C. the other passengers..but for now..........NO WAY.

 

NCL..We sailed in the 70's...the Sunward and the Starward. Then The Jewel in 2006. Loved them all. So now NCL. And we loved eating at the Speciality Restaurants. The MDR food was awful. And I can eat dinner in a school cafeteria as cheerfully as the students. I am not a food smob. The Buffet...very good. Passengers..lots of Brits and Scots. Great. Shows were awesome. Good.

 

Holland America..may cancel the Epic and book on HAL. the Epic.......just too darn big maybe. I get tired of all of that walking.

The STAR gets RAVE reviews from the Retired community here. That says a lot to me.

[Jdfireman]

Try it out have fun remember your on vacation