Just back from Western Med. with some comparisons of Carnival and NCL

[arf2005]

I have this on the NCL board but thought I would also put it here since I am going to make some comparisons of NCL to Carnival as I go along. If it shouldn't be here too I will remove it (or a moderator can).


Flew into Rome on September 8/9 via JFK on Delta. The flight was excellent if you can call that long a flight excellent. They certainly go out of their way with food, drink, and entertainment (movies,etc) to make the time pass as easily as possible. We had reservations with romeinlimo to pick us up at the airport and as soon as we had exchanged some money and collected our luggage we found them waiting for us directly outside the baggage claim. They took us directly to our hotel, Al Viminale Hill Inn and Hotel located in downtown Rome passing many landmarks along the way. Our driver was very knowledgeable about the history of his city and it was so exciting to get an overview on the way to the hotel.

Our room was large by European standards, but nothing to write home about. Would we stay there again? Yes. The location was great and the price was right as well as the room being clean. Also, the bathrooms were newly remodeled and the showers were wonderful! The hotel is in what they called a 19th century remodeled palace. I don't know if that's true, but the hotel did have character, from the old fashioned "lift" to the beautiful doors on all the rooms. If booking here one must keep in mind that there isn't a desk clerk on duty after 8 pm.

Our time in Rome:

Vatican - Tomb of St. Peter - Great tour - but you must arrange it through the Vatican ahead of time. You have to walk to the far side of the Vatican to the excavation office. We got to meet some of the Swiss guards up close and personal. They greet you with bonjourno! Yes, they actually speak to you!

With that tour you get to enter the bascillica directly afterwards past all the lines. Amazing - just amazing - the tour of the tombs and the church afterwards. The tombs are extremely humid but unbelievable what has been uncovered. The tour ends with the tomb of St. Peter.

Had lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes there directly across from the church. Had tickets for 1:00 for the Sistine chapel and Vatican museums but they allowed us in early. The artwork is, of course, amazing. Walked through the Sistine chapel. Again amazing. Very small. Was surprised at how many were taking pictures when specifically asked not to.

Walked this on our own. Several large tour groups thought nothing of taking up the entire space and not allowing others to go through in a timely manner. That was the only negative. They should either limit the size of tour groups or have separate areas for them, or they should periodically move to the side to let singles move past them.

All of the streets in Rome that we walked on were brick and very uneven. This makes walking difficult for even the most fit. Good shoes are a must! Interesting seeing smart cars and scooters parked several deep at many sites. Also interesting seeing men in suits driving the scooters all around!

Don't hesitate to ask directions when walking somewhere. We had to several times and found the shopkeepers very friendly and more than willing to help. More than a few had delightful senses of humor!

The Trevi fountain was packed as were the Spanish steps. We had tickets for the mass viewing with the pope on Wednesday morning but decided not to go after seeing how large the crowds had been the day before. Just thought we might be late for our transportation that was scheduled for the trip to the port and didn't want to risk it. A bit bummed about missing it but knew it was a chance going in. A reason to go back! Also knew it would give us some extra time on the ship while others were in the city.

Found out on our last train ride (of course) that you can change the language from Italian to English when buying your ticket by clicking on (I think) the green ticket. It cost 1 euro plus 50 cents euro to ride the subway around Rome (single ride). You can also buy a day pass but I don't know what that cost. I'm sure we should have done it! Again, don't hesitate to ask if you are unclear as to which line you should be on. They were very helpful.

Went to dinner a few blocks from our hotel at a place called alessio ristorante, [url]www.ristorantealessio.it[/url]. This was a place where you walked in and immediately down a flight of steps. Almost like an old 50's or 60's jazz club. The initial dining room held about 30 people and a back room sat a few more. The food was excellent and the prices very reasonable. Two of us had the lasagne, one the ravioli and one a seafood pasta dish. They got very busy after we arrived and were late bringing us our check, so they brought all our of us a very large shot of limoncello (along with some for another table). They also said they have another location in Rome. The web address for it is [url]www.anticocaffedelmoro.net[/url]. I would highly recommend this place.

We then walked down from the hotel for gelato! Awesome! The amount of flavors was mindblowing. 2 euros for a small heaping dish - which was more than enough. (There were two places close to the hotel and we found they weren't created equal-walking an extra block was worth it for choices in flavors and taste!)

More on our hotel. Advertised as having a/c. This is misleading. Only had it on the second level (we had what was called a loft room). It turned out to be ok as it cooled down in the evening but it was quite humid during the day and if we had been in the room then it would have been miserable in the room during this time. The bathroom shower was amazing - rain shower type head. Also had fish tank mirror over the sink with real fish in it. The bed on the first level was ok, the one on the second level was better. The first level bed was actually a sofa bed. The big draw of this hotel was price and location. Very close to transportation hubs as well as centrally located and fairly close to most points of interest. People who worked here were very kind and helpful. Our key didn't work on several occasions and they would have to come help us! Btw, the keys are the old fashioned kind - really cool and unique. They don't have 24 hour desk service so you also get a key to the massive front door. This hotel is in what they call a 19th century palace - and it looks it from the front door! They advertise digital safes but we didn't see them - but also didn't ask. I would stay here again. More in a bit

[arf2005]

Used Rome in limo for transportation to the port. A little pricy but well worth the door to door service and the valuable information you get along the way. The trip took about an hour and 15 minutes. When we arrived our driver unloaded our luggage directly to a porter who took it inside. We never had to touch it! Check in was the quickest and easiest of any cruise I've been on. Took maybe five minutes. Filled out the health paper. Moved on to the desk for credit card info and we were moving towards the ship! We were told our rooms wouldn't be ready until 1 so we went upstairs to eat lunch. It was about 11:30. We then explored the ship a little and decided to see if the room was ready early and it was! Not too long after our luggage arrived. We spent the rest of the day getting to know the ship, hanging out in the hot tubs on the back of the ship and just relaxing! Th Epic is a beautiful ship and as we found out throughout the week it holds thousands of people without anyone feeling crowded.

As those who went into Rome began to return a common theme became apparent - we had made an excellent decision to start our cruise in Rome and spend several days there. No one who went on an excursion from the ship (that we spoke to) seemed to have enjoyed it. Just too much to see and do in one day. Roman death march is a good term for this day if you are going in from the cruise ship for just the day!

Thursday, Cinque Terre - 5 towns on the Italian Rivera. Up ready to leave at 7:15 and left my good camera - kind of a bad start to the day! Really excited about this tour. It's received 5 star reviews. About an hour and one half bus ride from Livorno but well worth it. We decided to skip Pisa and Florence and do this instead. We did get to see the Leaning tower from a distance and really - getting to say I say it was enough for me. The Cinque Terre lived up to all the reviews - one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I've ever seen. The tour is pricey but well worth every penny. The only downside was having to wait on the train and then being packed into the train (reminded me of pictures I've seen of India). But it was for a short distance so no big deal really. We ate literally, the best seafood ever in one of the little seaside cafes there and got to taste the local wine. Just a wonderful day!
White hot party was that evening. Fun party especially for the younger crowd but even the older folks were enjoying themselves. It was a little cool outside once the ship started moving so you really needed a jacket. Not everyone was dressed in white so don't let that concern you if you don't have an all white outfit.

Marseilles, France. Arrived about 7/8 am. Our tour wasn't until the afternoon so we just hung out on the ship during the morning. Actually laid out for awhile. Several played on the water slides. Took a bus tour of the city that was to last 4 hours. Having never been here we wanted to see the major points of interest. We went to the basilica on the hill, the old port - each place allowing about 45 minutes of "free time" and then drove by the palais de long champ. I am glad I got to see this old and quite beautiful city, but I would choose a different way of doing it next time - over half of our time was spent on the bus in bumper to bumper traffic just trying to get from one point to another. I understand traffic is always a problem. If thats the case then this tour should never have been scheduled on a Friday afternoon during rush hour. Very poor planning.

Friday evening. Ate at Manhattans. Food was ok, service was not ok. Our waiter was not very personable. We are use to waiters on our cruises who are very friendly - this one was not at all. It took forever to get our food and then the order was wrong on one order. Since it had taken so long we decided to just go with it. A manager did come over at that point and sent a round of drinks to the table.

The food at the buffet is ok, just doesn't seem to be as much variety as I've seen before. I think they really want you to spend your money in the specialty restaurants and there are certainly plenty of them to chose from. I'm very old school when it comes to this. I've already paid for my cruise - food included and I'm not willing to pay for my food again.

Went to Dancing with the Stars. Very cute. Entertaining.

A note on the very thorough hand cleansing routine followed on this line. There are stations literally everywhere for you to use. They are taking this very seriously. Hand sanitizer on either side of the doors to eating establishments as well as most public venues. They also have a person standing there with a bottle to squirt into your hand. I've never been on a ship that took it this seriously (it's been 14 months since my last cruise) but if people are washing their hands on top of the sanitizers, this should make a huge difference.

Bowling. We bowled the first day on board. Five dollars per person per game. The lanes were a little weird feeling. All of our scores were silly low. But it was fun and weird to think you were bowling on a cruise ship!

Mallorca, Spain. Arrival 1pm on Saturday. Could tell early that morning that we had come south because it was much warmer on the balcony. The shuttle for unlimited trips in to the old town from the port was 12 dollars so we did that. Walked around the town and looked at the church, the old Town, laid out on the beach for awhile and then returned to the ship. If you have children with you just be aware that the beach is a clothing optional beach. Purchased a few pieces of name art from a local vendor that painted them as we watched for our grandchildren. They are beautiful.

Went to Taste for dinner. Difference in night and day between Manhattan the night before. Food and service was wonderful. Sunset was absolutely beautiful but missed getting pictures because we were still at dinner. We were able to enjoy it through the windows though.

Up early Sunday morning for our tour in Barcelona. Did Monserrat and Barcelona highlights. Started with a beautiful park with unbelievable architecture and tiling. Moved on to the monastery where traffic and crowds were horrific. Probably should have started here. One of my goals was to hear the children's choir. No luck. The church is beyond beautiful but our time was limited due to the crowds. The drive up to and down from the monastery was gorgeous Back to town to see the basilica and the Olympic stadium as well as Barcelona as a whole. What a beautiful city. Love all the balconies. Didn't have time for any food or shopping which was a bit disappointing but stuff happens. Did get to have a glass of sangria in Spain. Bought some biscotti at Monserrat and it was stale. Would suggest staying away from the packaged food in the gift shops!

Last day in Naples. Our scheduled tour was for Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. Rather pricy but we thought it would be worth it. Had to be at the Epic theatre at 7 am. Couldn't believe the large number that booked this tour considering the price -at least 3 bus fulls. Pompeii was nothing short of amazing - I need to find a new word. We also went into a cameo factory. Would have loved to have purchased one but the prices - ouch! Found out on the way to Sorrento that due to rough seas our trip to Capri was cancelled. Very disappointing. The drive to Sorrento was one of the most beautiful ever. Had lunch in town as part of the tour and then time on our own. Then more beautiful scenery as we returned to Naples. We actually saw what appeared to be the world's smallest island (tiny piece of land with one little palm tree growing out of it). Hoped to have time to walk around and maybe shop but once again hit rush hour traffic. You would think these tour operators would have done this enough to be able to avoid these situations. So, we saw a few sights in Naples and then back to the ship. Wish we had cut the Sorrento part a little shorter to avoid traffic in order to have more time in Naples - what an interesting city. As we sat in traffic I watched cars and scooters use the lane next to us to go both ways. Amazing, just amazing! You can definitely tell
you are in the old world when you are in this part of the Italy. Oh, and the fashion is Unbelievable!

[arf2005]

Just a few observations/comparisons...

I've sailed on 3 cruise lines (Carnival, MSC and NCL). Since most don't use MSC I will make my comparisons between Carnival and NCL.

Carnival has NCL beat hands down on desserts. And in many ways I prefer the food on Carnival. That may in part be due to the fact NCL was catering to a more European crowd on this cruise. But overall I wasn't that impressed with the food. It may also have something to do with the fact that NCL has a ton of specialty restaurants and would really like for you to spend your money there. So for me Carnival wins in the food category - at least the food that is included in your cruise fare.

Carnival hands out seasick pills for free. NCL doesn't even keep the medical office open full time. This one goes to Carnival.

All lines hit you up initially to buy drinks but NCL backs off after the first day so they win in that category. Carnival is annoying in hitting you up the entire cruise.

NCL seems to make fewer announcements throughout the day. The cruise director and staff seemed very good at their jobs on the Epic. Fewer announcements is a good thing so I give NCL the nod in this area.

NCL has more nightclubs for adults that is appealing to all ages of adults so believe it or not the Fun Ships lose out to NCL on the nighttime entertainment.

NCL charges for room service between midnight and 6am (maybe its 5am) while on Carnival it's free so Carnival takes this category.

The wireless service actually works fairly quickly throughout the ship and on Carnival it was horrible - so NCL wins the wireless category.

NCL has getting off the ship for excursions down to a fine science - it's practically painless. Carnival could and should take lessons from them. NCL wins this one.

NCL welcomes you back to the ships with damp cloths and water or lemonade while playing music - making it a festive atmosphere. Again, Carnival could learn a thing or two from them. MSC also used this technique.

The embarkation process was a breeze with NCL although the last time we sailed with Carnival it was fairly easy as well. I think they are all learning to streamline this process. For now a slight edge to NCL but only slight.

Freestyle cruising - NCL wins hands down
Formal nights - Carnival wins hands down

All of the ship lines have employees that are friendly and helpful. A tie on this one.

The beds are an odd shape on the Epic and if you are tall you may find them on the short side - even if you are 5'7 or taller you may at times find your feet hanging off the bed depending on what positions you tend to sleep in. I don't know if other ships have the same odd shaped bed. If so then I would have to say Carnival gets the nod here. If not then it's a tie, because both have comfortable beds.

Best hair dryer I've ever used on a cruise ship on the NCL Epic!

Storage is tremendous on NCL. While not bad on Carnival NCL has them beat.

Entertainment as far as I know is still free on Carnival while NCL has a number of shows you now have to pay for - so Carnival wins this one.

NCL balconies are huge! They win the balcony contest!

NCL also wins the shower contest. It didn't leak the entire week!

Carnival wins for lobster and steak night. I've never heard of having it on embarkation day and in fact think that is just stupid. Carnival usually ties theirs in with one of their "dress-up" nights.


NCL has a great system for setting up and organizing their portraits. If other ships lines have not adopted something similar yet, they need to do so. I know Carnival had not the last time we sailed with them about 14 months ago. NCL still displays your pictures (at least some of them), but they have a library of hard plastic file folders, one for each cabin, and all you have to do is pull that folder and all of your printed pictures are in the folder. In addition, you can put your room key into a kiosk and your pictures will come up on the computer. They use face recognition to identify who you are. They also have some packaged deals which we have asked for in the past and could never get. for example you can get all of your pictures on a cd for ( I think) $249 - and for an additional $100 get all the photos they printed for your cabin. Now that sounds like a lot - and is - but there were cruises when we had our two granddaughters and probably spent close to that between myself and my daughter - so this would be a huge deal for us - and other families as well, I would think. NCL wins big time for this system!

We all have our brand favorites, yet I can't say I prefer NCL over Carnival or vice versa. I've tried to be even handed in giving the positives and negatives of each as I see them - knowing that this could change tomorrow. One thing I didn't mention because we didn't use it, was the fact that infrequently NCL will run a special where children sail for free or $99. Carnival never does that - and I think they should. Msc has been allowing children to sail for free for years now and it's the way they get people to try them. I know we did. We weren't terribly impressed, but if the itinerary were right we would very possibly go back for the very reason that kids sail free.

Bottom line - there's nothing like sitting on your balcony watching the waves as the sun goes down in a sky lit by beautiful reds and oranges!

If I didn't compare something just ask and I will try and answer.

[fragilek]

thank you for that- best comparison I have read to date. Most are biased one way or the other.

Can I just ask you what it was about MSC that you didn't like. We were looking at maybe doing one next year (last year our dd would qualify for free cruise so we were thinking about taking advantage of that and doing an EU one in her oct half term).

[RuthlessBoss]

I think the subject of MSC was not mentioned because they are not as well known to the American public as the other 2 lines to compare. MSC is mostly in Europe and only minimal here.

[arf2005]

[quote name='RuthlessBoss']I think the subject of MSC was not mentioned because they are not as well known to the American public as the other 2 lines to compare. MSC is mostly in Europe and only minimal here.[/QUOTE]

You are correct for the most part. We didn't dislike them at all and if price is a major consideration and you like where they are going by all means give them a chance. Be aware that their food (at least when we sailed with them) was all Italian. I really like some aspects of their line - it seemed more old world cruising than other lines, and disliked other - not being able to get milk for a child after a certain time (seemed odd when you allow children to go free you should expect more children it would seem to me, therefore the need for more things like milk).

[PAPERBKWRITER]

The thing that keeps me off NCL is the size of the standard cabin. Before I knew whats what I had sailed on NCL, once in a 135 sq ft cabin and the other time 110. My wife's walk in closet is about that big. Anyway like you, I found some things better on one and some better on the other but most things you mention are opinions.

[jsfromsc]

Nice review, and thanks for your honest, unbiased comparison. We cruised the Baltic on Carnival in July/August and found, too, that it's difficult to see much in the amount of time you have in port. Or, you are run ragged trying to see as much as you can squeeze in the allotted time, like our 2 days in St. Petersburg. These aren't stops where you're just content to snorkel for a few hours. You really have to hustle to take in all you can.

When you say the balconies are huge, what category was your room? Was it what would be considered a regular balcony on Carnival? We found that the regular balconies on Carnival are too small for our liking.

[arf2005]

[quote name='PAPERBKWRITER']The thing that keeps me off NCL is the size of the standard cabin. Before I knew whats what I had sailed on NCL, once in a 135 sq ft cabin and the other time 110. My wife's walk in closet is about that big. Anyway like you, I found some things better on one and some better on the other but most things you mention are opinions.[/QUOTE]

I would agree the room did seem a bit smaller but we were seldom in it so it didn't bother me in the least. And yes, most thing I mention are opinions - I guess I figured that was the whole point in giving them.

[arf2005]

[quote name='jsfromsc']Nice review, and thanks for your honest, unbiased comparison. We cruised the Baltic on Carnival in July/August and found, too, that it's difficult to see much in the amount of time you have in port. Or, you are run ragged trying to see as much as you can squeeze in the allotted time, like our 2 days in St. Petersburg. These aren't stops where you're just content to snorkel for a few hours. You really have to hustle to take in all you can.

When you say the balconies are huge, what category was your room? Was it what would be considered a regular balcony on Carnival? We found that the regular balconies on Carnival are too small for our liking.[/QUOTE]

They are just called mid ship balconies and have between 201-224 square feet according to their deck plans (I would guess that includes the balcony but I could be wrong). Yes I would consider it to be the same as the regular balcony room on Carnival with the exception the balcony seemed bigger (more square in shape and deeper).

[halos]

Glad you enjoy both...but this should be noted. A Med cruise is so port intensive that you spend a lot less time on board. Someone doing a cruise with a few (or many) sea days might feel differently.

[jimbo5544]

[quote name='RuthlessBoss']I think the subject of MSC was not mentioned because they are not as well known to the American public as the other 2 lines to compare. MSC is mostly in Europe and only minimal here.[/quote]
NCL will have a ship year round in Miami starting 2015 splash season. They have also committed to "americanize" their ships over here.

[jimbo5544]

[quote name='halos']Glad you enjoy both...but this should be noted. A Med cruise is so port intensive that you spend a lot less time on board. Someone doing a cruise with a few (or many) sea days might feel differently.[/quote]
Good point, you certainly get less of a feel for ships on a med crusie for the reason you mention.

[arf2005]

[quote name='halos']Glad you enjoy both...but this should be noted. A Med cruise is so port intensive that you spend a lot less time on board. Someone doing a cruise with a few (or many) sea days might feel differently.[/QUOTE]

I absolutely agree.

[b_cruise]

I'm interested inMSC as well. Is there a lot of english speaking passenger? What about English announcements? And also I heard smoking is everywhere. Is that true? Thanks for the review!

[mj]

Thanks for the comparison. Will hopefully be on Epic next September.

[arf2005]

[quote name='brendacruise']I'm interested inMSC as well. Is there a lot of english speaking passenger? What about English announcements? And also I heard smoking is everywhere. Is that true? Thanks for the review![/QUOTE]

If you cruise MSC in the Caribbean the announcements are/were made in English and yes there were a lot of English speaking passengers - in fact if I remember correctly, most were English speaking. As for the smoking, I don't remember it being a problem, and we had our 2 grandchildren with us at the time so I'm sure I would have noticed if it had been an issue.

[arf2005]

[quote name='mj']Thanks for the comparison. Will hopefully be on Epic next September.[/QUOTE]

I'm sure you will have a great time. If the assistant cruise director is still there you will enjoy him - he is a star on the rise. I think he could be NCL's answer to John Heald - except younger and cuter (sorry John)!

[boaterette]

Thanks for your review. FYI Carnival no longer gives free sea sickness meds. You have to purchase them.