NCL vs Carnival weddings

[JAC1213]

I have been reading these review boards for a while now and I really don't see many NCL reviews. I notice the itinerary of Carnival and NCL are very similar. What is the reason so many of you are choosing Carnival? I would love to know both the good and the bad. Fiancé and I are currently entering our second year of renovating my parents very old (with lots of "you fix this and that brakes" issues) house so we can move in and split the mortgage. We prolonged our wedding and now we're determined to set a date. We have a short wait till 2016 itinerary arrives I am patiently "yeah right, more like anxiously" waiting its arrival. I know it's a long time but hopefully everything will be settled with the housing issue. I excluded other cruise lines since we want to leave from NYC and head to the eastern Caribbean, St Thomas as a wedding site. So please ladies and gents enlighten me.

 

<3 Crystal

Edited March 24, 2014 by JAC1213
Adding more thoughts

[Carnival_Brides]

We chose Carnival because their packages accommodated our needs better and we liked that we could leave from our hometown port (Baltimore) instead of transporting our guests from MD to NYC.

 

FWIW--NYC is kind of in flux with Carnival right now. They've gone to seasonal sailings (summertime) instead of year-round. They're only doing NYC to St. Thomas a few times next year.

[JAC1213]

Thank you Carnival_Bride I definitely understand the convenience of traveling out of your home port. Thanks for the tip as well.

[PurnellBabe]

I'm interested in more NCL reviews as well. I am in the process of booking with NCL to Bermuda August of 2015. I'm not really far in the process as I am only using them for groups. I did choose The Bermuda iteniary because the ship will be docked for three days. I have a fear that I will miss the island due to weather related issues. Bermuda for me is safe. I am also considering using a island wedding planner as well.

[CruisinCourt]

I have been reading these review boards for a while now and I really don't see many NCL reviews. I notice the itinerary of Carnival and NCL are very similar. What is the reason so many of you are choosing Carnival? I would love to know both the good and the bad. Fiancé and I are currently entering our second year of renovating my parents very old (with lots of "you fix this and that brakes" issues) house so we can move in and split the mortgage. We prolonged our wedding and now we're determined to set a date. We have a short wait till 2016 itinerary arrives I am patiently "yeah right, more like anxiously" waiting its arrival. I know it's a long time but hopefully everything will be settled with the housing issue. I excluded other cruise lines since we want to leave from NYC and head to the eastern Caribbean, St Thomas as a wedding site. So please ladies and gents enlighten me.

 

<3 Crystal

 

I chose Carnival after adding up costs for each cruise wedding package. Carnival really gave me the most bang for my buck, other cruise lines it really started adding up, but for the same service. :)

[mrstriceasnice]

We chose Carnival because the package they offered was perfect for us, the cost was great and due to the cost of cruising with them, more of our friends and family can afford to cruise with us.

[JAC1213]

Cost does play a major factor when planning a wedding. Were those of you that wedded already was it a situation where "you get what you pay for" or was is it a great and beautiful experience?

[jj44cruiser]

Hi Purnell Babe - I am also looking into booking the Norwegian Breakaway out of NYC for a wedding cruise Aug/Sept 2015. We love to cruise and loved the idea of a cruise wedding, but wanted to choose a cruise that guests could drive to (we are from PA). We've never cruised Norwegian or went to Bermuda, so we actually are going to do the same cruise this May to do research and check it all out!

 

I am in the early stages of planning and it looks like the best route is to book the wedding with an island planner, but I also have concerns about weather in Aug/Sept. However, the price of the cruise in June/July is just too expensive to ask our guests to pay!

 

And we would just use Norwegian for group info as well (i.e. cabin perks and so forth). I'd like to get wedding pics on the ship before we head to island, so thinking perhaps NCL could do our pics on the ship and then hire a photographer/videographer on island... not sure if NCL photographer would come with us on shore (and if their price would be realistic).

 

What do you and your fiance envision for wedding? Are you also looking into an island planner?

[JAC1213]

Jj44cruiser, I definitely understand picking a date that would be more affordable to your guests. I don't recommend traveling during hurricane season, however cruise ships currently have great navigational technology. As far as price goes you really have to total up all the fees of everything on the ship and compare it to the island coordinator packages.

 

<3 Crystal

[PurnellBabe]

I've decided to go with NCL because of the convince being that my family and I are from NY. I also have never Cruised with NCL or been to Bermuda. I've booked with groups through a TA that way I do not have to handle everyone's money. I'm doing August 30 - Sept 5, 2015 it was the most inexpensive and plus it's right before the children go back to school. I know it will be doing hurricane season but Bermuda is not really considered the carribean (in my mind that makes me feel better).

 

I've looked at island planners such as A Bridal Suite and Weddings by Panche. I've decided to go with Weddings by Panche because they basically had a package with everything I wanted and also included transportation for my guest to and from the beach location as well as photography. I will also look into NCL photographer as well.

 

I'm glad to see that others are interested in NCL. Choosing to disembark from NYC in August of 2015 NCL is like the only option -_-

 

I'll will keep you guys posted on my progress.

[jj44cruiser]

Thanks for the info!

 

Are you thinking of doing the wedding the 1st or 2nd day in Bermuda? Have you picked a beach location yet?

 

Have you told your guests you'll be inviting yet / sent out save the dates? I want to do save the dates soon.. but I also realize the price of the cruise will likely drop even further as we get closer. So although the price shows around $800/person now (before taxes/fees), it will likely drop by this time next year and I want everyone to get the best deal possible!

 

Lastly, are you doing the booking through NCL or a travel agent? I guess if you book with NCL you get "amenity dolalrs" based on the numbers of cabins in booking to use towards happy hours, specialty dining, etc.

[PurnellBabe]

I have not picked a location. However, I believe the Wedding planner has a contract with The Mandarin Hotel at Elbow Beach. Hopefully it will be there. Upon location the resort seem kind of nice as they have their own private beach location.

 

I've ordered my saved the dates on Tuesday actually. The website is also listed on the save the dates.

 

I have created my wedding website if you would like to take a look:

http://Www.weddingwire.com/chanelandrandy

 

I planned for the 2nd day to give myself as well as my guest time to be able to actually enjoy Bermuda. Also to prepare and go over things while I am there.

 

I am using a travel agent. She already reserved a block of 16 cabins for guest and each cabin will receive a $50 on board credit. I also think for each 8Th person one goes free. There is also an hour cocktail party included.

 

I also thought that the prices will drop. But what if they don't because 2014 prices are about the same as 2015. I also wanted to give family and friends the option of a payment plan soo more than a year in advance should be sufficient. Hopefully I will get the save the date back to mail them off by the second week in April.

[gymbomb]

We chose NCL because we had actually chosen the cruise (our second time on he same one) before we decided to get married on it! Had we not gone that way we probably would have done princess or royal, not carnival. We are just not interested in sailing them after friends/family reviews. But lots of people love them, that is just our preference.

 

 

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[jj44cruiser]

I have not picked a location. However, I believe the Wedding planner has a contract with The Mandarin Hotel at Elbow Beach. Hopefully it will be there. Upon location the resort seem kind of nice as they have their own private beach location.

 

I've ordered my saved the dates on Tuesday actually. The website is also listed on the save the dates.

 

I have created my wedding website if you would like to take a look:

Www.weddingwire.com/chanelandrandy

 

I planned for the 2nd day to give myself as well as my guest time to be able to actually enjoy Bermuda. Also to prepare and go over things while I am there.

 

I am using a travel agent. She already reserved a block of 16 cabins for guest and each cabin will receive a $50 on board credit. I also think for each 8Th person one goes free. There is also an hour cocktail party included.

 

I also thought that the prices will drop. But what if they don't because 2014 prices are about the same as 2015. I also wanted to give family and friends the option of a payment plan soo more than a year in advance should be sufficient. Hopefully I will get the save the date back to mail them off by the second week in April.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info! Your wedding website is really nice as well - thanks for sharing!! I will keep you posted as we finalize plans as well.

 

Are you planning on having your ceremony on the beach? And then just going back on the ship for dinner? Are you having the dinner in the main dining room that's included in the cruise price?

 

I'd like to the ceremony on the beach and then have a cocktail reception on the island if possible and if the prices are reasonable, followed by dinner back on the ship and then perhaps just hitting up the dance club for some dancing fun!

[CruisinCourt]

Sounds awesome! I have cruised a few times during Hurricane season... In September, the only "problems" I would said we had was some rain... Thats it! :) So that really isnt that bad! Maybe just have an option for indoors in case it rains...Idk just a thought! haha trying to help out, but I dont think youll have an issue! Congrats!

[PurnellBabe]

I am having a beach ceremony with a cocktail reception. I thought about hosting a dinner in one of the specialty restaurants and then taking the party to the disco that's onboard already. But, I did ask the wedding planner how much would a reception cost in addition to the ceremony. Hopefully she would get back to me tomorrow morning

[Shamrock250]

I am a first time cruiser and I have chosen the NCL Epic to have our wedding/honeymoon. I'm very nervous since I was torn between NCL and Princess. I decided against Carnival because I didn't want it to be all kids and spring breakers since we're going in March 2015.

 

My only concern is still that I haven't seen a lot of reviews of weddings on the Epic. Also, I can't seem to find anyone that has posted wedding photos from the Epic and the wedding photos are so important to me since most of our families won't be able to afford to come with us.