Why Norwegian is my favorite

[tourismtessy]

I have sailed on 4 of the major cruise lines and enjoyed them all. I wrote a post for my blog/website on why Norwegian is my favorite. You can read it below:

 

http://www.joyfuljourneyist.com/blog/goldilocks-and-the-3-cruise-lines

 

I hope you enjoy my "Goldilocks" comparison and that it might help you in planning your cruise vacation.

[drvalo]

Thanks for posting the comparisons. Your likes and dislikes seem very similar to how I would feel. Since I have only ever cruised on NCL, stories about the other lines always interest me. And what you wrote was very informative. I have always wondered about the partying on Carnival.

 

That said, you did say that one is "banned" from the NCL main dining rooms if you don't dress up on dress up or not night. It's the OR NOT that is missed by you. Every night there is one dining room that is a little more dressed up than the other, but really you just have to be presentable and can't wear shorts or flip flops. Otherwise, one is never banned from any dining venue for not dressing up. The dress code never really changes any night. It's Freestyle!

[tourismtessy]

Thanks for posting the comparisons. Your likes and dislikes seem very similar to how I would feel. Since I have only ever cruised on NCL, stories about the other lines always interest me. And what you wrote was very informative. I have always wondered about the partying on Carnival.

 

That said, you did say that one is "banned" from the NCL main dining rooms if you don't dress up on dress up or not night. It's the OR NOT that is missed by you. Every night there is one dining room that is a little more dressed up than the other, but really you just have to be presentable and can't wear shorts or flip flops. Otherwise, one is never banned from any dining venue for not dressing up. The dress code never really changes any night. It's Freestyle!

 

Thanks for your feedback. Just to clarify the Dining option, I said that the "Dress up or Not" on Norwegian versus the "Formal" on other cruise lines was a hit with me. You do not have to dress up at all on the Norwegian ships. I hope this clarifies what I wrote on my blog.

 

(great food options (including "Dress up or not" versus Formal nights where you are essentially banned from the main dining rooms if you don't dress up),

[drvalo]

ah!

[LEtue]

All I can say is wow!

 

After seven cruises on Princess I can't believe your comment "I just sometimes feel like I am cruising on a Senior Citizen Retirement Home".

 

That hasn't been my experience at all......

[kitntrip]

After sailing with Carnival 4 times, twice with my kids, I've never encountered the smoking and loud passengers that you have. In fact, i didn't see any smokers unless walking by the casino or just happen to catch sight of them on the smoking area of the decks.

[jchris1230]

I sailed on carnival twice last year, each week long cruises, and never experienced smoke except walking by casino, nor loud partiers

[blan2]

Thank you for sharing your blog. I agree on quite a few of the same topics you commented about......and at this time in my cruising 'adventures', NCL is also my favorite. ;)

I thought I was the only person that feels like there is just something missing with the daily activities offered by Princess. I do enjoy cruising with them and will continue to if the price and itinerary are favorable, but nothing ever seems to match what I am looking to do during the day, or if they have something that interests me the time conflicts with something else. NCL always seems to have a few different events offered during the day that I am interested in attending.

Carnival is great for their activities too and I did enjoy the adult area.......even though the mini golf was just a level above......so it wasn't as 'serene' as it could have been. I also feel it is just a bit more lively and the music maybe a bit louder, that it is a FUN ship......like yourself I will cruise with them again but they just aren't my favorite at this time.

Then I look at the cruises that I took with Celebrity and Holland America......they also have their strengths (food and service).....but I do enjoy NCL for not having to feel as though you have to dress up for 'formal' evenings.

I really am just happy on a ship..........but at this time a NCL ship is a better fit!

[seaman11]

i think you should also try Royal. i have a feeling you will like it.

[Warm-Water Diver]

Thank you for sharing your blog. I agree on quite a few of the same topics you commented about......and at this time in my cruising 'adventures', NCL is also my favorite. ;)

I thought I was the only person that feels like there is just something missing with the daily activities offered by Princess. I do enjoy cruising with them and will continue to if the price and itinerary are favorable, but nothing ever seems to match what I am looking to do during the day, or if they have something that interests me the time conflicts with something else. NCL always seems to have a few different events offered during the day that I am interested in attending.

Carnival is great for their activities too and I did enjoy the adult area.......even though the mini golf was just a level above......so it wasn't as 'serene' as it could have been. I also feel it is just a bit more lively and the music maybe a bit louder, that it is a FUN ship......like yourself I will cruise with them again but they just aren't my favorite at this time.

Then I look at the cruises that I took with Celebrity and Holland America......they also have their strengths (food and service).....but I do enjoy NCL for not having to feel as though you have to dress up for 'formal' evenings.

I really am just happy on a ship..........but at this time a NCL ship is a better fit!

 

I couldn't have summed it up any better as I have several cruises on Princess, a few on Carnival, Holland and Celebrity. NCL offers the best mix of food entertainment and the most lax on dresscode, which I enjoy the most. Last thing I want to do on my vacation is dress up

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thank you for sharing your comparison. I've sailed on all three lines and have had very different experiences than what you've had. Well, except on NCL, which I've sailed once and have my second booked.

 

Carnival: never experienced smoking to the level you indicated. It's always been easy to not be around it and other than my very first cruise on Carnival, I've always had a balcony or a suite and often had neighbors who smoked. But, they didn't smoke 24/7 so there was lots of time to enjoy my balcony smoke-free. As far as hard-partying, I've experienced that only on the few 3- and 4-day sailings I've been on. That's to be expected as they are well known as "booze cruises." I've enjoyed all my Carnival cruises and would sail with them again, though they wouldn't be my first choice (not because of the passengers but because of the changes Carnival has made).

 

Princess: Talk about partiers! One woman was so drunk, she passed out into my husband's lap! This was on formal night while we were waiting to go into the dining room. We ran into obviously drunk passengers everywhere we went on sea days. It's their vacation, so party away. It was nothing like a retirement home and most of the passengers were in their 30s and 40s not of retirement age. I'd sail them again, and likely choose them over Carnival as there was far more I enjoyed than didn't enjoy.

 

NCL: My current favorite. But, again, I've sailed them only once. I thoroughly enjoyed my cruise and loved, loved, loved all the dining options. I'm on NCL again in March and hoping for an equally enjoyable experience though I'm sure it will be quite different as I sailed the Jade in October and in March, I'll be on the Epic.

 

We all see things differently and your experience on the exact same sailing may be quite different from mine. For example, it's very rare I go to any of the shows. Couldn't care less. But, it sounds like that's important to you.

 

I looked a little at your blog and am off to read the Paris entry as I'll be spending a couple days in Paris in March before I return to Barcelona to board the Epic. :D

[seaman11]

I couldn't have summed it up any better as I have several cruises on Princess, a few on Carnival, Holland and Celebrity. NCL offers the best mix of food entertainment and the most lax on dresscode, which I enjoy the most. Last thing I want to do on my vacation is dress up

 

 

god forbid someone has to throw on a pair of long pants on in 2015. by 2020 people will want to go to dinner and want a fine dinning experience in their boxers. smh

 

i like the idea the pacific dinning room is more smart casual and up. i only wish they would enforce it a little better to keep the riff raff non dressers out.

[Mia Bella]

I was on Carnival in February and didn't encounter any partiers at all. It was the loudest near the pool, but it wasn't inappropriate. It seemed to be mostly families and couples. I guess it largely depends on the length of the cruise, destination and when you go. I did factor this into my thoughts though when booking my next cruise and I'll be going on Norwegian. I'm glad to hear such positive things about it! I can't wait!

[seaman11]

I was on Carnival in February and didn't encounter any partiers at all. It was the loudest near the pool, but it wasn't inappropriate. It seemed to be mostly families and couples. I guess it largely depends on the length of the cruise, destination and when you go. I did factor this into my thoughts though when booking my next cruise and I'll be going on Norwegian. I'm glad to hear such positive things about it! I can't wait!

well yeah you went in feb, big difference from summer crowd.