new to NCL

[kycruiselover]

So far my family and friends have only been on carnival. We are looking at a cruise on NCL out of New Orleans in Feb 2015. The ports are Belize, Cozumel, Roatan, and Costa Maya. I would like any tips that would help us in going from carnival to NCL. Such as if I bring wine do I pay any fees if all I do is drink it in my room. On carnival I can order a bottle of Whiskey to be waiting in my room from their bon voyage dept. Does NCL have anything comparable.

 

Any other comparision and tips will be appreciated.

 

We have no problem with Carnival its just the places and dates for this particular cruise. Thanks

[esp13]

NCL has a $15 corkage fee for all wine brought on board. Once that fee is paid, you can drink your wine wherever you choose on the ship, including bringing the bottle to dinner.

 

You can order bottles of alcohol and bar setups through NCL prior to your cruise.

 

For other general information, check out the FAQ page on the NCL website.

[eptice]

You mentioned you like whiskey... here are the whiskeys and prices available for purchase to have in your room:

 

Whiskey:

Seagram's 7 Crown - $83 - 1ltr

Jack Daniels Black - $103 - 1ltr

Crown Royal Special Reserve - $103 - 750ml

 

Scotch:

J&B Rare - $83 - 1ltr

Glenfiddich - $103 - 1ltr

Chivas Regal - $103 - 1ltr

Johnnie Walker Black - $126 - 980ml

 

Be sure to order PRIOR to your cruise. All you need to do is call the reservations department and they can help you out (General 800 number).

 

A couple notes about NCL - FREESTYLE! means just that... No formal nights, no set time for dinner, etc. This is why many people sail NCL. Have a great cruise!

[newmexicoNita]

yes, you can order a bottle of booze by just calling the 800 number, but do it a couple of weeks in advance. Unlike Carnival, you can bring on as much wine as you like, eps answered that for you. The biggest difference you will find on the two lines: 1-you can dress almost anyway you want with no formal nights and the entertainment is probably the best at sea.

[kycruiselover]

Thank You so much. I really like having that available in my room

[kycruiselover]

Thank You for all. We are definitely going to give NCL a try. Just trying to do as much research as I can before hand.

[Paddy41]

I'm going on my first NCL cruise in August. I just purchased the Ultimate Dining Package because all the reviews I read that have compared Norwegian to other lines (we've been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Costa, MSC) have said that the main dining rooms are better on all the other lines. Perhaps someone who has been on both Carnival and NCL can clarify that though.

[Va. Plumber]

I'm going on my first NCL cruise in August. I just purchased the Ultimate Dining Package because all the reviews I read that have compared Norwegian to other lines (we've been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Costa, MSC) have said that the main dining rooms are better on all the other lines. Perhaps someone who has been on both Carnival and NCL can clarify that though.

 

Of your list, we have only sailed Royal, so can't speak to food on other lines. Suffice to say, I can't remember ever having dinner in MDR that I thought was sub-par.

 

Frankly I think UDP is a waste of money. While I do enjoy the specialty restaurants, I don't want to be forced to eat in one every night.

 

If you go on NCL cruise with pre-conceived notion that food is bad, then it will probably be bad.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Va. Plumber

[NMLady]

Of your list, we have only sailed Royal, so can't speak to food on other lines. Suffice to say, I can't remember ever having dinner in MDR that I thought was sub-par.

 

Frankly I think UDP is a waste of money. While I do enjoy the specialty restaurants, I don't want to be forced to eat in one every night.

 

If you go on NCL cruise with pre-conceived notion that food is bad, then it will probably be bad.

 

I agree with all your statements. We have spent 33 nights on Sun and ate in MDR's most nights. Only had a couple meals not to my expectations.

 

We spent 26 nights on the Star, ate in MDR's most nights and again only had a couple meals not up to our expectations.

 

Although we really enjoyed the few meals we ate in specialty restaurants we would not want to spend money to eat in specialties every night when the MDR food is fine, depending on what you order.

[Oldgoat61]

We have cruised both CCL, and NCL. Carnival is not a good fit for us, mainly because of freestyle dining, and the relaxed feel throughout NCL ships. We were on the Liberty this last March, and I really don't see a reason to go back, unless there is an itinerary that jumps out at us.

 

I think the food in the MDR on both lines are comparable, although the buffet on NCL has way more choices, and IMHO the food tastes better. I agree with one poster, don't bother with the UDP. You can get into almost all specialty restaurants on any given day without problem. Teppinyaki on the other hand is VERY popular, so if you want to eat there, make reservations early. They do have boards throughout the ship that tell you how full each restaruant is at any given time, so be sure to check them out.

 

Hope this helps.:)

 

 

[Out to sea!]

yes, you can order a bottle of booze by just calling the 800 number, but do it a couple of weeks in advance. Unlike Carnival, you can bring on as much wine as you like, eps answered that for you. The biggest difference you will find on the two lines: 1-you can dress almost anyway you want with no formal nights and the entertainment is probably the best at sea.

 

It would be nice if the WHOLE story is told when giving an answer. Yes, unlike Carnival, you can bring as much wine on board as you want BUT you have to pay a $15 corkage fee for every bottle you bring on. Carnival only allows 1 bottle per adult (age 21 and over) but does not charge a corkage fee unless you bring it to the MDR or specialty restaurant.

 

Just like with Carnival, there is an dress code but it is slightly less strict than Carnival. that being said, both lines do almost nothing to enforce their respective dress codes and will stop no one short of someone in swim trunks, a bathrobe, or their tightie whities from entering the MDR. They do have formal nights on NCL as well (just like on Carnival) but it is not a requirement to dress up (just like on Carnival). It's true they don't call them formal nights but they don't technically have formal nights on Carnival either anymore (it's now called elegant night). The entertainment is better than Carnival's but not as good as the MSC Divina's entertainment.

[Out to sea!]

I'm going on my first NCL cruise in August. I just purchased the Ultimate Dining Package because all the reviews I read that have compared Norwegian to other lines (we've been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Costa, MSC) have said that the main dining rooms are better on all the other lines. Perhaps someone who has been on both Carnival and NCL can clarify that though.

 

Yes, the MDR on Carnival is better in service and food quality than the MDR on NCL. That is my opinion. Also, Freestyling is similar to MTD/ATD on Carnival where you have a different waiter/guests at your table each night. If you are used to fixed time dining on Carnival, this may feel a bit different to you and only you can decide which you like better.

[Out to sea!]

Of your list, we have only sailed Royal, so can't speak to food on other lines. Suffice to say, I can't remember ever having dinner in MDR that I thought was sub-par.

 

Frankly I think UDP is a waste of money. While I do enjoy the specialty restaurants, I don't want to be forced to eat in one every night.

 

If you go on NCL cruise with pre-conceived notion that food is bad, then it will probably be bad.

 

Then there are others who like the idea of eating in a specialty restaurant every evening and save money with the UDP versus paying as you go. No one is forced to do anything. If you only plan on a couple of times, then the UDP is not for you. If you want to go many times, then the UDP save you money. It's no different than the UBP.

[mrsd912]

Like the OP we have only cruise Carnival and have had zero issues. Personally I really like Carnival, but we wanted to try NCL so we could leave from Boston which means we can drive to port instead of having to fly.

 

I've heard that CCL and NCL have more similarities than differences, but the on board entertainment does look a bit better. I'm also looking forward to trying the Freestyle cruising. We'll probably still dress up, but it will be nice not to have to adhere to a "schedule" on vacation.

[luddite]

NCL isn't a step down from Carnival.

Sailing out of NOLA is like no place else. February next year can get close to or into Mardis Gras. If you plane to go a day or two *which you should) you should book a room now. They get scarce and spendy near Mardis Gras.

It's a great trip. We have done it several times. Made some terrific friends whom we still see and contact.

[kycruiselover]

Sorry I haven't been back to cc in a few days. Thanks for all the replies. I'm pretty sure we are going to do this cruise in Feb. I like that there are more similarities than differences. Also, thanks for the tip about Marti Gras. We did get stuck in some traffic of the parade as few years ago.

[thefuturemrsc]

kycruiselover, I think my fiancé and I will be taking the exact same cruise. We are going on the Getaway in September (I am cruising for the first time, he is now). As everyone has said, everything you do (dining, beverages, shows, etc.) is totally up to you. He has been on other cruise lines before, and from what he says, he likes the freestyle of NCL far more than other lines. I have begun to plan the heck out of our honeymoon...trying to find as much information as possible! I will try to write a review of some sort when we get back.

[luddite]

Thank You for all. We are definitely going to give NCL a try. Just trying to do as much research as I can before hand.

 

NCL isn't a step down from Carnival.

If you've not sailed out of NOLA you are in for a treat.

[Kuffam]

NCL isn't a step down from Carnival.

Sailing out of NOLA is like no place else. February next year can get close to or into Mardis Gras. If you plane to go a day or two *which you should) you should book a room now. They get scarce and spendy near Mardis Gras.

It's a great trip. We have done it several times. Made some terrific friends whom we still see and contact.

 

We just sailed on Carnival and I agree NCL is not a step down. Of course, everything is personal opinion, but we felt our NCLs cruises were nicer than the Carnival cruise. However, our Carnival cruise was not bad either.

[Lynda59]

I like both cruise lines, but then I have never been on a bad cruise line! NCL does the best job with freestyle dining. The food in the MDR was fine on the NCL Breakaway. We did not even try the specialty dining rooms on this last cruise last week, but did on our last NCL cruise in 2009.

 

I agree with booking your hotel room soon if your trip is close to Mardi Gras Day. The busiest time will be the weekend before with the biggest parades. A lot of locals will get hotel rooms for the big parties that follow these parades, too.

 

Check the Belize boards and go cave tubing in Belize. It was great.