Carnival VS NCL?

[sid_9169]

For those that have sailed both, could you compare the experience on each? I have only been on Carnival, including the Breeze twice in the past few months. I am looking at possibly doing the Getaway to experience something new. Anyone who has sailed both, I would be interested in your thoughts...

[clcjdn]

I have been on both NCL and Carnival. Very similar, but we actually "missed" the set dining times on NCL. The bingo is close to the same, the shows about the same, etc. The upgraded dining options are fun, gives us something different to do. Most of the differences I see are related to the casinos/players clubs. Getaway is a great ship! Our family really enjoyed it! The kids have said they prefer NCL's kid activities if you have those. :)

[BK512]

I have done both, also.

I liked NCL's variety in their buffet just a wee bit more, but the other "Lido" restaurants are better on Carnival. And I liked their crepe station. And their chocolate extravaganza.

 

I like that Carnival has a choice when it comes to wanting assigned seating dining vs. open seating. Maybe it was that our NCL cruise was a New Years cruise, but we always, always had a wait at the dining room.

 

I also felt that the Main Dining Room food was a little better on Carnival, and always felt that NCL 'held back' to entice you to go to their extra money restaurants. Example, the only place you could get escargot or creme brulee on NCL was to go to their french bistro.

 

I liked NCL's shows about the same as Carnival. The rooms on Carnival are just a tad larger.

The layout of the NCL ship we were on was a bit awkward (NCL Star)...you sometimes had to go up a deck to get from one place to another, but that's just being nitpicky.

 

Overall, I found both experiences to be great. To me, a cruise is what you make it. You can have fun either place.

 

Bon Voyage!

[sid_9169]

Thanks for the replies. Having now sailed Carnivals flagship twice, I'm just looking to expand my horizons. I looked into Royals Allure/Oasis, but as a solo it would be wayyyy out of my price range for a balcony...

[tlreze]

I have been on both the Breeze and Breakaway (Getaway's sister ship) ..... If the price is the same then in my opinion Getaway is much better than Breeze. Rooms and food about the same

Entertainment - not even close. Breeze entertainment is like NCL OLD ships not like their newer ships (EPIC, Breakaway & Getaway)

 

The only two things I think Breeze was better for was Comedy (I prefer their comedy to Improve of 2nd city) and Guy's.

[JMHAM1]

I have been on both the Breeze and Breakaway (Getaway's sister ship) ..... If the price is the same then in my opinion Getaway is much better than Breeze. Rooms and food about the same

Entertainment - not even close. Breeze entertainment is like NCL OLD ships not like their newer ships (EPIC, Breakaway & Getaway)

 

The only two things I think Breeze was better for was Comedy (I prefer their comedy to Improve of 2nd city) and Guy's.

 

 

I would agree with this assessment 100%. I dislike the 2nd City and think that Carnival has the edge on the food in the MDR's. Love me some molten lava cake!

[evandbob]

For those that have sailed both, could you compare the experience on each? I have only been on Carnival, including the Breeze twice in the past few months. I am looking at possibly doing the Getaway to experience something new. Anyone who has sailed both, I would be interested in your thoughts...

 

Hopefully you posted this very same question on the NCL board - I've only sailed the Epic, but the entertainment on it - Blue Man Group, Cirque, Legends, Chicago Blues, Dueling Pianos, and 2nd City - far outweighed anything I've ever seen on Carnival. Carnival cabins are a bit bigger. Food is subjective, maybe the MDR is better on Carnival, but the variety of venues is better on NCL. Since the Getaway is newer than the Epic, I'll wager it surpasses or is equal to, the Breeze. Why not try it just to make your own comparisions?

[Cruisegirl6]

We went on the Breakaway two years ago, she is the sister ship of the Getaway, honestly all 5 of us adults HATED that ship!!

 

Comparing the Allure of the Seas which holds over 2k more passengers than the Getaway/Breakaway we found the Breakway felt so crowded!!

 

The Breakways/Getaway we found too many "traffic jams" in parts throughout the ship, for instance, the main lounge, you have to enter and exit in the casino, so when people are exiting the show lounge, you your creating lines of traffic inside the casino to get out of that lounge. The pool on the Breakaway is just as small as Carnival pools and I am unsure whether the water is salt or fresh water. The areas to sit out on deck on the Getaway are what I call tiny cubicles...its difficult to find an area to sit where your looking straight out at the water, there are glass walls everywhere dividing sections to sit in. We also found a high portion of the staff to be limited in their english, for instance, my other half would ask for a jack and coke and get scotch and coke....we found the staff not to be friendly, at first we thought perhaps NCL has a rule not to socialize/speak to the customers, but we round out later after our cruise there is no such rule, the staff just wasn't friendly. We would walk in the hallways and usually all the cabin stewards on other cruise lines and especially on Carnival would say good morning, have a nice day, good evening, etc. but nobody said such things to us, and the hallways on the Breakway/Getaway are horribly narrow, if somebody in a wheelchair had to pass you had to maneuver yourself and when the housekeeping carts were in the hallways you had to squeeze around them and no I am not heavy at all. The Breakaway/Getaway is green so when you leave your stateroom all electric is automatically turned off until you get back into your cabin and place your shipboard card in the slot, so if you want to charge something while your out of the room you can't and the ac gets set at a higher temperature. The balconies are narrow also and at least on the Breakway we were not allowed to open the patricians to the balconies.

If you like shows its a hit or miss depending on what they have. Buffet lunch....at least I find things to eat on Carnival as I need to be gluten free, this was not the case on NCL, I only had salad and cheeses for lunch and once in awhile there was a veggie without sauce on it that I could have. Breakfasts were similar as so were the dinners.

 

Im sorry but there were too many negatives on NCL so much that we never will sail them again.

[ukbecky]

I am platinum on NCL but my last cruise with them was on the Epic in 2010. The entertainment was amazing(LOVED Blue Man Group) but much pre-planning was necessary to avoid ticket lines. I enjoyed Second City and the various music clubs but the venues are small and halls are crowded with bottleneck areas. Their older ships didn't feel as crowded.

 

The different restaurants were all great(Moderno churrascaria was our favorite) but the fees really add up.

The food in the main diningroom was IMHO inedible, but the (included)24hr comfort food in O'Sheehan's was nice - Wings anytime? Yes, please!

 

I hated the cabin - we had a standard balcony. I think books have been written about those hideous cabins but Epic might be the only one with those stupid cabins.

 

Since 2010 we have been on 5 Carnival cruises and will be back on the Breeze for the third time in June(it's my all-time favorite ship). We enjoy the comedians and the included food venues on all the ships. The staff make the most difference for me. Guest services always try to help(NCL's say no to everything), people say hi and smile in the halls and, in all our cruises on 5 different lines, the best stewards have been every one we've had on Carnival.

 

Same price, same itinerary? I would choose Carnival.

[Cruising4]

You will need (or should) do some preplanning of shows on the large NCL ships. CCL can't compete when it comes to the shows and entertainment.

 

Our last cruise was on the Epic, next up is the Breeze.

 

LOVE NCL's "dress up or not".

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

We went on the Breakaway two years ago, she is the sister ship of the Getaway, honestly all 5 of us adults HATED that ship!!

 

Comparing the Allure of the Seas which holds over 2k more passengers than the Getaway/Breakaway we found the Breakway felt so crowded!!

 

The Breakways/Getaway we found too many "traffic jams" in parts throughout the ship, for instance, the main lounge, you have to enter and exit in the casino, so when people are exiting the show lounge, you your creating lines of traffic inside the casino to get out of that lounge. The pool on the Breakaway is just as small as Carnival pools and I am unsure whether the water is salt or fresh water. The areas to sit out on deck on the Getaway are what I call tiny cubicles...its difficult to find an area to sit where your looking straight out at the water, there are glass walls everywhere dividing sections to sit in. We also found a high portion of the staff to be limited in their english, for instance, my other half would ask for a jack and coke and get scotch and coke....we found the staff not to be friendly, at first we thought perhaps NCL has a rule not to socialize/speak to the customers, but we round out later after our cruise there is no such rule, the staff just wasn't friendly. We would walk in the hallways and usually all the cabin stewards on other cruise lines and especially on Carnival would say good morning, have a nice day, good evening, etc. but nobody said such things to us, and the hallways on the Breakway/Getaway are horribly narrow, if somebody in a wheelchair had to pass you had to maneuver yourself and when the housekeeping carts were in the hallways you had to squeeze around them and no I am not heavy at all. The Breakaway/Getaway is green so when you leave your stateroom all electric is automatically turned off until you get back into your cabin and place your shipboard card in the slot, so if you want to charge something while your out of the room you can't and the ac gets set at a higher temperature. The balconies are narrow also and at least on the Breakway we were not allowed to open the patricians to the balconies.

If you like shows its a hit or miss depending on what they have. Buffet lunch....at least I find things to eat on Carnival as I need to be gluten free, this was not the case on NCL, I only had salad and cheeses for lunch and once in awhile there was a veggie without sauce on it that I could have. Breakfasts were similar as so were the dinners.

 

Im sorry but there were too many negatives on NCL so much that we never will sail them again.

 

I've been on the Breakaway twice and the Carnival Pride twice. I didn't experience anything that you mentioned. In some cases quite the opposite. I thought the staff was the friendliest I have ever seen. I didn't have one bad experience on either cruise. As far as the electricity in the room, you can stick any card in the slot to keep the power running while you are out of the room. I used a casino players club card, but you could use your grocery club card, whatever. All ships are going to that system. I think the entertainment on the Breakaway blows Carnival's away. I never really felt the ship felt crowded for the amount of people on board, and both of my cruises were sold out. I really can't comment on the gluten free selections, but I did find the food on NCL to be great, and if you spend the 120 on the dining package, you can eat in any of the specialty restaurants as often as you want. I also strongly prefer the freestyle aspect. I will not eat at set times with strangers, so if I don't book in time to get anytime dining with Carnival, I'm stuck at the buffet or the steakhouse.

 

Bottom line is that they are both decent lines. If price were equal I would certainly choose NCL. As to the OP, I don't think you have anything to lose by giving the Getaway a chance.

[Cruisegirl6]

About me, I am 51 and so far been on 53 cruises, I think I have enough under my belt to make judgements on ships.

 

We also used another card to keep the electric running, but why should we have to? Carnival ships do not have that system. We did eat at every specialty restaurant and not one of them wowed me but Jeffrey Zacharan's was the better one of them all.

 

The "freestyle" concept is on every ship just that each cruise lines call its something different I believe Carnival calls it anytime dining and RC calls it my time dining, so NCL isn't giving you anything different.

 

We made reservations at the specialty restaurants months in advance, and each time had a wait time for our table!

 

 

Im sorry but some people favor one cruise line over the other and will say anything positive because its their favorite cruise line, for me, I am so experienced cruising on different cruise lines and many ships...trust me the Breakaway/Getaway does in deed feel crowded and for five of us adults who say nomore NCL that has got to mean something...OP.

Edited January 16, 2015 by lyndamr

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

About me, I am 51 and so far been on 53 cruises, I think I have enough under my belt to make judgements on ships.

 

We also used another card to keep the electric running, but why should we have to? Carnival ships do not have that system. We did eat at every specialty restaurant and not one of them wowed me but Jeffrey Zacharan's was the better one of them all.

 

The "freestyle" concept is on every ship just that each cruise lines call its something different I believe Carnival calls it anytime dining and RC calls it my time dining, so NCL isn't giving you anything different.

 

We made reservations at the specialty restaurants months in advance, and each time had a wait time for our table!

 

 

Im sorry but some people favor one cruise line over the other and will say anything positive because its their favorite cruise line, for me, I am so experienced cruising on different cruise lines and many ships...trust me the Breakaway/Getaway does in deed feel crowded and for five of us adults who say nomore NCL that has got to mean something...OP.

 

I was just stating my experiences. No need to get defensive. You mentioned the electric issue, but you didn't mention the simple solution to it, which you just admitted you used. Carnival doesn't have that, but that is because their ships are older. I guarantee you the Vista will have it. It's part of this whole "going green" initiative. Yes, Carnival does have anytime dining, but I always book last minute. I can't plan my time off very far in advance. Both times I booked with Carnival, anytime dining was completely booked. It's limited, and apparently popular. I never waited for a table on NCL, and I made all of my reservations on their iConcierge app the day of. I will point out that I tend to eat later. Food is so subjective. You felt Ocean Blue was the best. I really didn't care for it. I'm sorry, but the ship just didn't feel crowded to me. Maybe I'm weird.

 

I didn't trash Carnival. I felt my opinion was fairly unbiased. I do prefer NCL, but I would certainly sail with Carnival again. I recommended the OP give it a try. You think the OP should trust what five adults felt, but you made a complaint in your overview that had a very easy fix, that you used, and didn't mention that fix. To me that shows bias.

[Cruisegirl6]

I shouldn't have a solution to the problem of the electric it shouldn't even be an issue.

 

Ocean Blu was the best but still I wouldn't go back if on the ship again...do you now I ordered the steak and they put the duck sweet sauce on it was discussing! It was the better of all the specialty restaurants but not one that we would go back to.

 

What time of year did you go?

 

You didn't find the ship to rock a lot on the way back to NY?

 

I am not saying Carnival is my favorite cruise line but we always come back to them.

 

I do know one thing, I was on this board prior to my making final payment, I wish I listened to those who also told me about the negatives that we actually experienced but we chose to experience it ourselves sorry NCL is not on the top of our list. I have heard if you have a suite they give a lot of perks so maybe there they rock!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I was just stating my experiences. No need to get defensive. You mentioned the electric issue, but you didn't mention the simple solution to it, which you just admitted you used. Carnival doesn't have that, but that is because their ships are older. I guarantee you the Vista will have it. It's part of this whole "going green" initiative. Yes, Carnival does have anytime dining, but I always book last minute. I can't plan my time off very far in advance. Both times I booked with Carnival, anytime dining was completely booked. It's limited, and apparently popular. I never waited for a table on NCL, and I made all of my reservations on their iConcierge app the day of. I will point out that I tend to eat later. Food is so subjective. You felt Ocean Blue was the best. I really didn't care for it. I'm sorry, but the ship just didn't feel crowded to me. Maybe I'm weird.

 

I didn't trash Carnival. I felt my opinion was fairly unbiased. I do prefer NCL, but I would certainly sail with Carnival again. I recommended the OP give it a try. You think the OP should trust what five adults felt, but you made a complaint in your overview that had a very easy fix, that you used, and didn't mention that fix. To me that shows bias.

 

Don't worry. I agree with you on just about every point.

 

A little about me. I'm 58 and have cruised 29 times with the most being on Carnival but NCL's product is better for our family at this point in time.

 

Before the bean counter took over CCL I loved CCL. I'll still cruise with them but not my first choice anymore.

 

Hopefully with Mr Cahill gone Ms. Duffy can get CCL pointed in the right direction again.

 

Bill

[Cruisegirl6]

Your correct, every cruise line offers something different and we are all different so there is a cruise line out there for everybody. My favorite cruise line happens to be Royal Caribbean then Princess.

[awilliams98]

I have sailed on both Breeze and Getaway recently. Breeze May 2014 and Getaway November 2014. IMO I loved the Breeze more. I am a very active person and like to participate in lots of things. Getaway did not have a lot of activities going on throughout the day, don't get me wrong it was great to have so much down time, we napped a lot...could be considered the perfect vacation, lol!!! But there was still plenty to do with the ropes course, rock climbing wall, mini golf, and the array of water slides. And I did like that when there were activities they really involved those onboard. My husband enjoyed the stage shows more on Getaway more than Breeze...Both were equally entertaining to me, Breeze was more corny, but I'm a corny person so there u have it. We both like the food selection on Breeze better. There were LOTS of options on Getaway, however, nothing to write home about. We tried a lot of the for fee restaurants and we're not impressed. I liked the CD on both ships, both were high energy and engaged and attentive. However, I felt that the Breezes staff were overall more consistently fun and engaged. I enjoyed both experiences and now know if I'm looking for a more relaxed environment then Getaway would be perfect. If I'm looking to just plain have fun, then the Breeze would be my pick. Side note: I found the Getaway easier to navigate.

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Forums mobile app

[jonbgd]

I havnt been on either ship but have cruised on both lines. Carnival the most

 

If you are thinking of the Getaway and the price is good book it

right now I think they are still running the free dining/free beverage pkg

 

I have never had a bad cruise ever.

I have had issues on all cruise lines, as none of them are perfect.

It just depends on what your expectations are and if it is worth getting upset over.

 

With the Electrical on the newer NCL ships

If one spends time on CC researching, they would know to bring a hotel card or even an old S&S card, to use in their cabin

[sid_9169]

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I have never been to any of the production shows on Carnival, (and wouldn't plan on any for the Getaway) so that isn't a factor in my decision. It seems that many of you prefer the food on Carnival, and I have always been plenty satisfied as well. I am just the type of person that gets bored after being in the same environment. Thank you all for your input. The rate of the Getaway is a bit higher, but when considering the Ultimate Beverage Program promotion, I may just try it out. Now that I'm addicted to cruising, I get nervous when I don't have a cruise booked...

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

I shouldn't have a solution to the problem of the electric it shouldn't even be an issue.

 

Ocean Blu was the best but still I wouldn't go back if on the ship again...do you now I ordered the steak and they put the duck sweet sauce on it was discussing! It was the better of all the specialty restaurants but not one that we would go back to.

 

What time of year did you go?

 

You didn't find the ship to rock a lot on the way back to NY?

 

I am not saying Carnival is my favorite cruise line but we always come back to them.

 

I do know one thing, I was on this board prior to my making final payment, I wish I listened to those who also told me about the negatives that we actually experienced but we chose to experience it ourselves sorry NCL is not on the top of our list. I have heard if you have a suite they give a lot of perks so maybe there they rock!

 

I just saw a thread on this forum that says that Carnival has two ships with the electrical issue as well. It's just the way things are going in today's environmentally conscious society. I prefer to hang towels as opposed to throwing them on the floor, but if I hang them these days I won't get clean ones. On vacation I like clean towels.

 

I sailed the Breakaway twice this year. Once in November. Once in December. The first time in a mini-suite. The second time in the Haven. They do have nice suite perks (like putting a blank key card in the electric switch), but I actually had a better cruise when I wasn't in a suite. On the first cruise the ship did rock quite a bit on the first sea day. It was rough seas. The Captain even sealed the doors to the waterfront area. He wasn't up there turning the wheel back and forth to get people to complain on CC. The second cruise was smooth sailing the whole seven days. As far as the crew, on my second cruise (3 weeks later), no fewer than 5 crew members came up to me at random on the lido deck and the waterfront area and welcomed me back and called me by name. A couple of them I didn't recognize. That is pretty impressive given that over 12,000 people had churned through that ship between my cruises. I'm sorry someone put duck sauce on your steak. I don't know if that's just a quirky celebrity chef recipe or if it was a mistake. I had Thai baked chicken for lunch one day. I hated it. I avoided it on the second cruise. Food is subjective.

 

There is always something on every cruise, but you can't just focus on that. The last time I sailed on Carnival my then girlfriend fell on the last night and broke her wrist. I called guest services, but the medical center was closed. They had a nurse telephone my cabin and tell me to put ice on it and keep it elevated and there was nothing else they could do. The next morning it was incredibly swollen, so I asked if we could get a priority disembark. I was told no. I even emailed Carnival and told them at the very least they should fill out an incident report when someone falls on their ship and has an injury. They told me that if the medical center is closed they only respond to life threatening injuries. Despite that, I still enjoyed the cruise, and for the right price would sail with Carnival again.

[tizbo1423]

The only differences I can remember are..

 

1. NCL has more 24hr food options (including wings, yummm) - but, I'm a pizza gal so I really love Carnival for that.

 

2. I find the decor on NCL nicer than Carnivals, Carnival is a little gaudy and bright for me - but really, who cares?

 

3. There were always lines for the specialty restaurants on NCL, and the fee's didn't help me wait for them. So while it's great to have those options, I didn't want to waste any time or extra money on them when there was plenty of food elsewhere (did I mention the wings? :) ).

 

4. I do remember having a hard time navigating the NCL ships.

 

All of these are minimal issues, nothing that should sway a decision in one way or the other. In the end, a cruise is a cruise is a cruise. As long as you're on it, it's a good choice.

[bonniemari]

I have been on both CCL & NCL. IMO they both have their good and bad points. One thing I really like about NCL is they have the MDR open for lunch on embarkation day. I think the Lido buffet is better on NCL. I also like all the different dining venues on NCL and with them giving away the Ultimate Dining package it is even better. You can make your reservations online before your cruise. I used to be strictly a CCL cruiser, but with the cutbacks in the last few years we have looked for other cruiselines.

 

Although the crew is great on both lines, I have to give the edge to CCL. In 32 cruises I can't remember ever having one complaint about a crew/staff member. For us, NCL has more onboard activities, but I prefer CCL shows. NCL has a curfew for young teens that apparently they enforce because I've never seen unruly kids roaming the halls at 2 a.m.

 

And last but not least the NCL Casino's at Sea is more consistent and their offers and makes it so easy to book an offer. You can actually call and speak to a CAS rep instead of having to leave a message or email the Carnival Players Club.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either line.

Edited January 16, 2015 by bonniemari

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I have been on both CCL & NCL. IMO they both have their good and bad points. One thing I really like about NCL is they have the MDR open for lunch on embarkation day. I think the Lido buffet is better on NCL. I also like all the different dining venues on NCL and with them giving away the Ultimate Dining package it is even better. You can make your reservations online before your cruise. I used to be strictly a CCL cruiser, but with the cutbacks in the last few years we have looked for other cruiselines.

 

Although the crew is great on both lines, I have to give the edge to CCL. In 32 cruises I can't remember ever having one complaint about a crew/staff member. For us, NCL has more onboard activities, but I prefer CCL shows. NCL has a curfew for young teens that apparently they enforce because I've never seen unruly kids roaming the halls at 2 a.m.

 

And last but not least the NCL Casino's at Sea is more consistent and their offers and makes it so easy to book an offer. You can actually call and speak to a CAS rep instead of having to leave a message or email the Carnival Players Club.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either line.

 

nothing says entertainment like the Hasbro game show and the newlywed/not so newlywed game.

 

Is it true that on 7 day cruises there is 1 dark night in the showroom? i read that last night on this board???

 

Bill

[A2Mich]

Ok so I have a question here. With the electrical setup needing to use a magnetic card, does the HVAC stop working or is it simply for lighting? I am not a overly "go green" type person, but I don't see a need to be wasteful with the electricity either. Is there a need to keep the lights on with nobody in the cabin? I can understand if the AC stops working, but I do think keeping the lights on is unnecessary of the cabin is not occupied.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[mzloolue]

I have been noticing very low prices on NCL Dawn out of New Orleans.

 

Does anyone have experience on Dawn?

I read some reviews and many of them were really negative.

 

I am curious about Dawn from a regular Carnival cruiser's viewpoint.