Concerns about trying Norwegian over Carnival

[Windy56]

We were reluctant to try Carnival, having sailed on RCI, Celebrity and Princess. My only regret is that we didn't do it sooner. Loved, loved, loved the Carnival Breeze. What a beautiful ship and one of the happiest crews I have ever seen. I enjoyed the shorter shows and the music venues were terrific. Each venue flowed to the next. Lots of space on the promenade to sit and watch the waves roll by and many additional outdoor venues, as well. The deck food, including Guys burgers were excellent.

 

We did a back to back on the Norwegian Getaway this winter. It was our first time on NCL and it will be our last. Extremely crowded ship with bottlenecks everywhere. I still can't understand the accolades regarding this ship. I found it unbelievably tacky. Quite simply, there was no wow factor. The bar staff was run off its feet due to the popularity of the unlimited beverage packages. I felt nickel and domed at every turn. The cleaning staff was over extended. There were dirty dishes and trays in the cabin corridors at all hours and empty glasses sitting on the floor of the elevators. I had to get an attendant to remove empty cups and straws at the bottom of the pool during the sailaway. The atrium is the hub of the ship, where people bring their food to eat and watch shows. The crew brings in fold out chairs to accommodate the crowds. The ship smells like an old apartment building.

 

So I say, run. Run very fast back to Carnival!

[Love2Cruz2015]

We were reluctant to try Carnival, having sailed on RCI, Celebrity and Princess. My only regret is that we didn't do it sooner. Loved, loved, loved the Carnival Breeze. What a beautiful ship and one of the happiest crews I have ever seen. I enjoyed the shorter shows and the music venues were terrific. Each venue flowed to the next. Lots of space on the promenade to sit and watch the waves roll by and many additional outdoor venues, as well. The deck food, including Guys burgers were excellent.

 

We did a back to back on the Norwegian Getaway this winter. It was our first time on NCL and it will be our last. Extremely crowded ship with bottlenecks everywhere. I still can't understand the accolades regarding this ship. I found it unbelievably tacky. Quite simply, there was no wow factor. The bar staff was run off its feet due to the popularity of the unlimited beverage packages. I felt nickel and domed at every turn. The cleaning staff was over extended. There were dirty dishes and trays in the cabin corridors at all hours and empty glasses sitting on the floor of the elevators. I had to get an attendant to remove empty cups and straws at the bottom of the pool during the sailaway. The atrium is the hub of the ship, where people bring their food to eat and watch shows. The crew brings in fold out chairs to accommodate the crowds. The ship smells like an old apartment building.

 

So I say, run. Run very fast back to Carnival!

 

 

Wow!! The Glory is looking better to me now!

[Guindalf]

Wow!! The Glory is looking better to me now!

 

Don't let the door... ;)

 

Seriously? You'd let one person's opinion sway you one way or another?

 

It's the overall picture you need to look at. I've sailed Carnival and vowed never again, but that's MY opinion. I've often said we may need to give it another try as it was about 12 years ago, but we always come back to NCL.

 

Decide for yourself and not by one person's opinion on a message board. Heck, even the complainers about the fees and DSC etc. would not put me off as I know they're the vocal minority who will yell on here and then still book and not say a word when they get on the ship (Except, of course, to complain to anyone who'll listen after a few Bahama Mamas!!).

[Poop_Deck]

I'm a frequent on Carnival and am really starting to regret my decision to book NCL with all the drama going on. I can get a balcony on the Glory for the same price I am paying for an OV on the Getaway....and Glory has a better itinerary, Eastern with a stop at Half Moon Cay.

 

I think I'm calling them tomorrow and cancelling. I also got the "included UDP" special, but now I would still need to pay almost 20% for tips on top of the bundled tip that we pay at the end. That and having to pay room service every time I order a carafe of coffee seems to elevate the initial cost substantially. Yes, Getaway is a newer ship but Glory has all the 2.0 upgrades and I never had an issue with CCL service or food..so I think I'll be making a phone call tomorrow and staying with the line that I call "home".

 

From what I understand, if you have the UDP the 18% gratuity is included- you will not have to pay on top of that (unless you choose to).

[Love2Cruz2015]

Don't let the door... ;)

 

Seriously? You'd let one person's opinion sway you one way or another?

 

.

 

I've been cruising a long time, it's not one person's opinion, it's the whole direction of the company under the new CEO with the added fees, fees for things that are included on Carnival and Disney so perhaps I'm just not ready to venture out of my comfort zone. I've been pretty vocal on a few of these threads about it.

 

I also prefer the itinerary on the Glory for the same week so I was kind of on the fence anyway...I just tipped on the side of Carnival. I really like the service and food on Carnival, especially on the ships that have the 2.0 upgrades.

[sundercruiser]

Ah, I just read else where on here that the room service fee is only for the new "expanded" menu. Things like coffee are still free. Not sure if that is correct but it would make more sense.

 

FWIW, coffee is still free, but only if you go to the buffet or MDR or somewhere and get it. On the two ships where they are "testing" the "expanded" room service menu (Getaway and Breakaway), there is a charge for EVERY room service order, no matter how big or small, or if the items are from the old (complementary) menu or the new expanded one.

[NLH Arizona]

Hi everyone, I have sailed Carnival four times. Not because of any desire to sail Carnival over other lines, but simply because of price and scheduling as we only have the one week per year we can cruise. Point is, Carnival is all I know.

 

This year I have the option of cruising Norwegian Star for about the same price and itinerary. What will be different on the Star?

 

I have heard (yes, on the Carnival boards) that Norwegian has a lot of for pay things on the ship that make it less all inclusive than Carnival. Are we just talking pay restaurants? How many and is this accurate?

 

I am also a fan of elegant night which all cruise lines appear to be drifting away from, but will I be completely out of place in a tux? I know everyone will say wear what you want, but will I be alone in a sea of shorts and flip flops if I do wear it?

 

How about crowding? I have found that my cruise is much more enjoyable if I have a certain amount of square footage per passenger. I really like boats that I do not have to wait in long lines to do things. Carnivals Spirit class ships, I really like. Norwegian ships look huge, are they crowded and clustered?

 

My last concern is activities. I like to stay busy. Would you say that Norwegian has the same level of activity as Carnival?

 

Thank you for any input you have.

If you have any concerns, I would stay with Carnival. The last thing you want, is to get onboard and be disappointed.

[luddite]

Ah, I just read else where on here that the room service fee is only for the new "expanded" menu. Things like coffee are still free. Not sure if that is correct but it would make more sense.

 

It's all gratis, the charge is for the delivery. Which is for anything ordered.

Edited April 4, 2015 by luddite

[ontheH2O]

Haing sailed both CCL and NCL, even with the changes that everyone seems to be griping about, the only real difference is that room service is not free on NCL.

 

 

"The only real difference is that room service is not free"???

 

You forgot the automatic & mandatory 18% added to specialty restaurant bills.

 

You forgot the DSC on NCL is more $$$ than CCL.

 

You forgot a bottle of wine brought aboard NCL is $15. CCL is free.

 

There's more.....but I forgot the rest.

[ontheH2O]

The room service fee is currently only on two ships.

 

There are several included dining options. I believe NCL does offer more for pay options than Carnival, but no one says you have to eat there.

 

The specialty restaurants apparently now add 18%, just like land-based restaurants. In most cases the quality of the meal is worth more than what they charge. Don't know of too many restaurant where you can get a three-course dinner for $15-30.

 

Land-based restaurants are now adding 18% to a meal?

 

I eat out quite often, sometimes alone when on business, but usually with my spouse. I've eaten in most states on the east and west coasts, travelled to Vegas, the Smokey Mt area, Niagara, etc., etc., and have never had a tip automatically added to my bill.

 

I'm glad that I've never eaten in any restaurant that you're been to. I don't like anyone telling me what to do....especially forcing me to tip what they say I should tip.....which brings me to a question for you.

 

What do you do in your land-based restaurant when they add 18% to your meal bill and you're unhappy with the food, service and/or cleanliness of the restaurant? What if you only want to leave 15% or 10%? Like I said, I'm glad I don't frequent the same places as you do.

 

I make my own tipping decisions, depending on what they did for me.

[RanchoDeluxe]

I find the NCL experience to be at a similar level to CCL. They are both bargain cruises. Have realistic expectations.

We usually eat at the included restaurants and I find overall CCL’s included dining and buffet is a little better. But we had no complaints with the food on NCL. I usually go for table service so I don’t have much buffet comparison to share.

NCL’s evening entertainment was superior. I’m not interested in half of what CCL offers lately. On the Star we didn’t miss a single show, we were so entertained by the first night. My husband skipped one evening that was a little more, ummm “artsy,” but Mom and I arrived early to get make sure we had good seats. And I much preferred the theater on the Star. Its central portion is like a movie theater with individual seats, as opposed to the bench style seating I am used to in CCL’s theaters.

The overall experience and level of service were very similar. You get what you pay for and you are not paying for Cunard or Oceania or even Princess. (Although Princess has some great pricing from time to time.)

[NIATPAC29]

Carnival all the way. More fun more energy. More activity !!

[SailorSam42]

I like Carnival more than NCL. Customer service and MDR food are better on Carnival as well as overall cabin size.

 

Seems like more folks dress on elegant nights on Carnival.

 

I have been on NCL's Star and 2 of Carnival's Spirit class ships. I prefer Spirit class more than Star. Much more.

 

My favorites in this order.

 

Carnival

Royal Caribbean

Celebrity

Holland America

NCL

 

Enjoyed them all though. Still Carnival and Royal win out for me. Almost a tie. Food in the MDR seems a touch better on Carnival, so that's the tie-breaker.

 

Happy sailing.

 

I would totally agree with you. I've only cruised with three lines and my favourites would be:

 

Royal Caribbean

Carnival

NCL

 

And, just like you, I'd say you couldn't really see a lot of difference between Royal Caribbean and Carnival but a huge difference between NCL and the other two.

Edited October 10, 2015 by SailorSam42

[sheila59]

Ah, I just read else where on here that the room service fee is only for the new "expanded" menu. Things like coffee are still free. Not sure if that is correct but it would make more sense.

 

 

Yes it's just the extras that you will be charged for on room service. The normal menu is still no charge.

 

In answer to he question of dress up, I have been lots of NCL cruises, but they have been mainly TAs (done those since Epics first, quite a few yrs now) and Med ones, so i think that maybe ones based in USA must be different in the dress up compaired to travelling from Europe to US, the Med cruise we have been on they have dressed the same. On our cruises it is VERY COMMON to see tuxs, Long gowns and plenty of jewellery, almost everyone (except people eating at the buffet) will be dressed in Tuxs, suits, long trousers and shirts, and the women are dressed in long gowns, trousers suits, cocktail dress.............. The photographers are out on those nights. The people in shorts are not allowed in the main dining rooms. I have not cruised on Carnival, going to be doing my first with a back to back on NCL Escape, so I can't speak for them, but I would certainly be surprised if you were not to enjoy the Star, we did a TA a couple of years ago, it was the smallest, oldest ship we had sailed, we have also cruised on RCCL, Disney, Cunard to mention a few. I must admit I was a bit worried that we would find it a bit worn, in fact it was lovely, the friendliest ship and crew we had sailed, we are a family of 6 ranging from 13yrs-59yrs and we all loved the ship. My brother who cruises with a very large circle of friends also really enjoyed the ship, it was his first NCL and they are now booked on the Epic this month. I know people who used to sail with Carnival but now only sail NCL and others, so everyone is different. But I really think you will love the ship.

[WAHMto5]

Just booked our first NCL for fall next year on the Escape and looking forward to trying it! As long as we are on vacation, it is a good time!

[newmexicoNita]

The thread was started 6 months ago and I just bet the OP has made a decision. As for which is better, let's face it, all any of us can say, is based on personal likes and dislikes. All 3 are good lines and all 3 have negatives. I am always amazed when someone asks which is better? There is no better or worse.We have only cruised Carnival a couple of times: never were we terribly impressed. We saild RCI a few more times, but generally on older ships; the food has been so/so as has the entertainment. we happen to feel our NCL experiences have been better, but I still don't think our opinion is the only one or that any of the lines are much different.

Edited October 11, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[TrinaLC]

We were reluctant to try Carnival, having sailed on RCI, Celebrity and Princess. My only regret is that we didn't do it sooner. Loved, loved, loved the Carnival Breeze. What a beautiful ship and one of the happiest crews I have ever seen. I enjoyed the shorter shows and the music venues were terrific. Each venue flowed to the next. Lots of space on the promenade to sit and watch the waves roll by and many additional outdoor venues, as well. The deck food, including Guys burgers were excellent.

 

We did a back to back on the Norwegian Getaway this winter. It was our first time on NCL and it will be our last. Extremely crowded ship with bottlenecks everywhere. I still can't understand the accolades regarding this ship. I found it unbelievably tacky. Quite simply, there was no wow factor. The bar staff was run off its feet due to the popularity of the unlimited beverage packages. I felt nickel and domed at every turn. The cleaning staff was over extended. There were dirty dishes and trays in the cabin corridors at all hours and empty glasses sitting on the floor of the elevators. I had to get an attendant to remove empty cups and straws at the bottom of the pool during the sailaway. The atrium is the hub of the ship, where people bring their food to eat and watch shows. The crew brings in fold out chairs to accommodate the crowds. The ship smells like an old apartment building.

 

So I say, run. Run very fast back to Carnival!

 

I'm platinum or whatever they call it (diamond?) on both lines.

 

I give Norwegian a slight plus because I am actually a fan of having a number of paid dining venues (it is just DH and me, so the expense is manageable). But equally happy to go on Carnival.

 

The review of the Getaway confounds me, so I had to respond. We were on the Getaway last winter as well, and loved it. Didn't see anything like what this poster complained about. There was so much to do, so many different venues - we had a blast. We had a Haven level aft balcony - but enjoyed the ship so much barely ever set foot in the Haven.

 

Anyway, OP, give the Star a try. It is nice to get the feel of different lines. Nobody should feel wed to any single one!