Carnival v. Norwegian

[Qchell]

Our first cruise was on Carnival in 2011 and have been sailing her ever since and have loved every cruise. Lately, however, with the loss of the Future Cruise Certificates and the decrease in loyalty perks for anyone below Platinum level we have been having fewer reasons to stay exclusively loyal to Carnival. With only being able to cruise once a year it is going to be a number of years before we reach the Platinum status, so at this point, what's a few more years.

 

I've noticed that Norwegian appears to have similar pricing and much different itineraries - if fewer choices. I am NOT looking to start a 'bash Carnival' thread - we love Carnival and will continue to cruise her. I just would like to know from those who have cruised both - as we have only ever cruised Carnival, what differences would we encounter on Norwegian?

[Trumpster]

We enjoyed our cruises on NCL, under the old regime, but that was in a suite or the Haven. Not sure we would have liked NCL otherwise. Well the Norway was not in a suite and that was a great cruise.

 

The New Escape has has some real rough reviews. Not even a year in and they have changed so much, the entertainment has changed already, a free eatery became a la carte (margaritaville)

 

Prefer many things on Carnival over NCL. some things a lot more (kids club, Free food)

 

NCL has more choices for extra pay restaurants and before some of them went A La Carte :(, were good deals and some were quite good.

 

Sorry just to many changes with terrible communication in to short a time for us to feel comfortable right now on NCL.

 

Most of the fares we have seen are much closer to Royal prices, without any added service. Of course they are giving away a lot of free packages, so there is that.

 

All that negative stuff aside, we do have a planned cruise on the Jewell (again in the haven) and look forward to it.

 

I think you will have a good time on NCL.

 

Next Cruise is Carnival, then MSC then NCL.

[emcelh]

The major difference is that there is no fixed dining option. It's all anytime dining and, in my experience, NCL does it better. NCL also has more up charge restaurants to choose from on their ship's but the included options are fine. With the exception of continental breakfast, NCL charges for room service. I also liked NCL buffets better (comparing the ship's I've been on).

 

NCL doesn't have comedy clubs on all their ships but, overall, I thought their entertainment was better.

 

NCL doesn't have the equivalent of Serenity on all ship's.

 

The gratuities on NCL are higher. The daily charge is $13.50 (more for suites) as opposed to $12. They add 18% for drinks and I think Carnival is still 15%. NCL also adds 18% to specialty dining charges.

 

There are no specific Elegant Nights.

 

There may be other differences that I've overlooked and some things are subjective, but we enjoy both.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Been thinking of trying NCL too. I like the newer ships. Also with the beverage package thrown in price may be lower.

[ragethjj23]

I cruise for the itinerary. Companies in today's day and age are loyal to you so hot should we be?

[fmrlkr]

We are platinum on Carnival and will be platinum on NCL after our next cruise. We are very pleased with both NCL and Carnival and will continue sailing on them when it makes sense.

 

Side by side, comparing the same cruise with the same ports (we usually sail out of New Orleans) Carnival is significantly cheaper than NCL so we choose Carnival.

 

We selected our NCL cruises because they were incredibly reasonable and provided new and different experiences. The bulk of our NCL cruises have been special cruises, transatlantic, repositioning, etc. After our last transatlantic cruise we almost gave up on NCL because we just were not that impressed with the service and the food was beyond horrible but we had purchased a future cruise certificate we went ahead and booked an Alaska cruise, September 2015, and had a great time and were so impressed by the crew on the ship who were very attentive. The food was very good, the ship was clean, our cabin was comfortable.

 

Bottom line, I will continue to cruise both and will chose between them based on which offers the best value for the type cruise we are looking at.

[cherbear4000]

I like Norwegian. I would definitely recommend trying them out. I find Norwegian and Carnival to be more alike than different. In the end, I think I prefer Carnival, but that may be because I am more familiar with them. I would definitely cruise with Norwegian again though. Here are some minor differences I noticed:

 

I love the 24 hour restaurant that Norwegian has over the gross 24 hour pizza Carnival has. I like that Norwegian has glass shower doors instead of the shower curtain Carnival has. I also like that Norwegian has rock climbing walls on their ships.

 

I like that Carnival offers the traditional early and late dinner seatings plus your time. Norwegian only offers the any time dining. When I travel with my large extended family, having a set dinner time with Carnival guarantees we will sit together each night. On Norwegian, we either had to sit separate, wait 2 hours for us to sit together (no exaggeration), or make reservations for the MDR and the reservations were only available at odd times. Norwegian also has a lot of pay restaurants taking up a lot of the common space on the ship. This made the ship feel crowded to me.

 

Carnival also allows adults to bring on 1 bottle of wine. Norwegian charges for this.

[klepton]

We cruise both Carnival and NCL (and Royal and DCL). Honestly the cruise line is the absolute lowest factor I use when choosing a cruise. I will look at Itinerary, ship, price, etc before caring about the line (except for maybe DCL).

 

I think most people who enjoy Carnival will also enjoy NCL, they're far more alike than different. Some differences have been noted (freestyle dining, lack of comedy shows, etc).

 

We also usually sail in the Haven or Suite with NCL, and regular balcony room with Carnival.

[LaCal]

I like both Carnival and NCL and have cruised both a lot of times under Casino specials which are either Discounted or Free rooms plus other perks, cash, free drinks etc

 

With that being said we always upgrade to a suite on both lines and NCL hands down Wins on the suite level.....Carnival you get priority boarding n disembark and that's it �� but on NCL the suite perks include a Butler (where you can order and have ANY meal served to you in your cabin from the dining room etc at No cost)...A lava coffee/cappuccino machine in the suite,...DVD player w a decent list of DVDs to chose from a list.....breakfast and lunch in Cagneys ( which is NCLS Steakhouse)....priority boarding n disembark and a few more things like flowers in the suite n fresh fruit etc ......Plus if your booking a suite on NCL you get to choose the specialty dining pkg , Cheers drink pkg etc( for free, you just pay the gratuities) So you have to take those into consideration into the pricing as a real benefit cash wise

 

Lately we r crusing with Carnival because they've been giving us a Free Ocean View and $1,500 cash with casino specials but I'll be seeing who has the better deals to suit us in 2017......Both lines are great and lotta fun......

Edited February 24, 2016 by LaCal

[WAHMto5]

We are trying our first NCL trip this fall and looking forward to it! From everything I have read before, they tend to be pretty similar in most aspects.

[Warm Breezes]

We have sailed on Carnival 7 times and NCL 3. Our next Carnival cruise is in May, but we also have a FCC to us on NCL before Oct 2017 so I'm sure we will be sailing them before then. I personally like NCL a little better. DH personally likes Carnival a little better. We both have enjoyed our cruises on both lines for different reasons.

 

NCL Pros: buffet, entertainment, more choices for specialty restaurants, O'Sheehans and more casual dress code (no elegant night)

NCL Cons: smaller insides, ov, and balcony rooms and tasteless desserts

 

CCL Pros: bigger rooms, desserts, comedy club, deli, and Serenity

CCL Cons: buffet and entertainment

 

Similar: Demographics, MDR, Service

 

Of course all this is subjective....DH and I can't even agree :D.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Warm Breezes

[OCruisers]

We've never found a huge difference between Carnival & NCL.

On NCL we do like the entertainment better and also having more specialty restaurants.

[realtrip]

Yes, they are more similar than different.

NCL offers a better exchange rate for Canadians ( you need to call though not book online).

[cdnmr]

Love both CCL and NCL.

 

Besides all other good points already mentioned, as a Canadian, NCL allows us to book in Canadian funds at a decent exchange rate, also allows us to purchase OBC at the same exchange rate. Couple that with the beverage/dining packages usually included we are moving to sail with NCL more than Carnival for the foreseeable future.

 

Our previous and next cruise is with Carnival but have already booked 2 cruises in 2017, BOTH are with NCL.

 

Why pay approx $1.40 per dollar with Carnival when I can pay $1.20 with NCL?

Sorry Funship Freddy...:D

[isaiahsnana]

The major difference is that there is no fixed dining option. It's all anytime dining and, in my experience, NCL does it better.

 

My big problem on my recent NCL was that we were sharing the ship with a very large group that used the cruise as a sales award - every night they took over one of the two MDR - and we never knew which one it would be until we convened there with plans to meet our group only to find out we had to go to the other dining room, which by the time we would get there would be swamped with every one else on the ship - waits were upward of two hours for dinner so we ate at the buffet every night and it is VERY repetive - same food choices every night. I said Never Again on NCL unless I could find out if it was hosting a large group before booking - just wasn't at all enjoyable with very venue crowded with that group.

[jh2360]

The major difference is that there is no fixed dining option. It's all anytime dining and, in my experience, NCL does it better.

 

My big problem on my recent NCL was that we were sharing the ship with a very large group that used the cruise as a sales award - every night they took over one of the two MDR - and we never knew which one it would be until we convened there with plans to meet our group only to find out we had to go to the other dining room, which by the time we would get there would be swamped with every one else on the ship - waits were upward of two hours for dinner so we ate at the buffet every night and it is VERY repetive - same food choices every night. I said Never Again on NCL unless I could find out if it was hosting a large group before booking - just wasn't at all enjoyable with very venue crowded with that group.

 

What made the large group unique to NCL? Couldn't the same thing happen on any line?

[jh2360]

Our first cruise was on Carnival in 2011 and have been sailing her ever since and have loved every cruise. Lately, however, with the loss of the Future Cruise Certificates and the decrease in loyalty perks for anyone below Platinum level we have been having fewer reasons to stay exclusively loyal to Carnival. With only being able to cruise once a year it is going to be a number of years before we reach the Platinum status, so at this point, what's a few more years.

 

I've noticed that Norwegian appears to have similar pricing and much different itineraries - if fewer choices. I am NOT looking to start a 'bash Carnival' thread - we love Carnival and will continue to cruise her. I just would like to know from those who have cruised both - as we have only ever cruised Carnival, what differences would we encounter on Norwegian?

 

Fewer choices? I'd say they have more. Carnival is only in Europe when they build a new ship. NCL is there year round and actually expanding. Asia? Carnival isn't there yet. And then Hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean and so on.

[dacsmom]

I booked my first NCL cruise because I am tried of paying the single supplement on cruises when I travel alone. I sail with RCI and Carnival and am looking forward to something different. I think any vacation on a ship is a good one.

[kingoftheicedragons]

NCL: Buffet is bigger, but the food quality isn't as good as Carnival. NCL does do a great job on entertainment, however, and beats Carnival hands down in this regard. You will also likely meet more of the management of the Norwegian ship than you will Carnival.

 

Carnival wins hands down on the food and cabin size.

 

NCL focuses on the choices for dining, whereas Carnival takes itself less seriously.

[js]

Our first cruise was on Carnival in 2011 and have been sailing her ever since and have loved every cruise. Lately, however, with the loss of the Future Cruise Certificates and the decrease in loyalty perks for anyone below Platinum level we have been having fewer reasons to stay exclusively loyal to Carnival. With only being able to cruise once a year it is going to be a number of years before we reach the Platinum status, so at this point, what's a few more years.

 

 

 

I've noticed that Norwegian appears to have similar pricing and much different itineraries - if fewer choices. I am NOT looking to start a 'bash Carnival' thread - we love Carnival and will continue to cruise her. I just would like to know from those who have cruised both - as we have only ever cruised Carnival, what differences would we encounter on Norwegian?

 

 

We sail NCL in balconies and in Haven and just took our first Carnival cruise two weeks ago on the Breeze. Loved it! We also sail RCCL. We had a spa balcony on Breeze and purchased the alcohol package.

 

We wanted to book a cruise for next February. For same date, the NCL Getaway came out better priced with IMO better ports than Vista. We get the beverage package and four nights of free specialty restaurants and a spa balcony on NCL. We would be paying for those on Carnival.

 

We really did have a wonderful experience on the Breeze and many repeat customers I spoke to said they only sail the bigger ships on Carnival. Many repeat Breeze cruisers were on our sailing.

 

If you are thinking about trying something new why not try another line just so yoi can compare. RCCL has 30% off sailings now and NCL has pick two perks right now so compare your prices.

[missy428]

Carnivals Private Island is better then NCLs

 

NCL gave us a better meet and greet then Carnival - on NCL we had tea and coffee, sweets, met all the officers of the ship including the captain during the meet and greet.

 

NCL had lunch in the MDR when I sailed, (IDK if they still do) even on embarkation day

 

Carnival had more buffet choices then NCL I feel - Mongolian Wok and the Rotisserie make a difference I think.

 

Carnival's Oceanview rooms are like 1,000 times larger then NCLs

[AngAndBoys]

I sail both and like both fine. I sail CCL more because the port is convenient and price has been better in the past. Like others, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Also, prices appear to be evening out in a lot of cases. I've got 2 booked on NCL right l now, one on CCL, NCL because I wanted to try Escape, and then they had such an unbelievable price on Epic for November that I felt I'd be a fool not to take advantage with free drinks and all, so I booked a second one.

 

There are a lot of small differences, some better, some not, but overall, I can't come up with a strong winner, at all. I give CCL the slightest edge because there really is a "Fun" vibe that is not the same on NCL. Not unfriendly on NCL, just not quite the same vibe to me. The other edge ill give CCL is the inside common areas. My first impression of Epic was that I had stepped into an old office building converted into a ship. Lol. It gets better when you move up floors, but entering the ship is decidedly unimpressive. That being said, I was never bored or lacked someone to talk to on NCL, and my eyes have felt actual pain at some of the decor on CCL. So, take it for what it's worth. ;)

[RuthlessBoss]

We enjoyed our cruises on NCL, under the old regime, but that was in a suite or the Haven. Not sure we would have liked NCL otherwise. Well the Norway was not in a suite and that was a great cruise.

 

The New Escape has has some real rough reviews. Not even a year in and they have changed so much, the entertainment has changed already, a free eatery became a la carte (margaritaville)

 

Prefer many things on Carnival over NCL. some things a lot more (kids club, Free food)

 

NCL has more choices for extra pay restaurants and before some of them went A La Carte :(, were good deals and some were quite good.

 

Sorry just to many changes with terrible communication in to short a time for us to feel comfortable right now on NCL.

 

Most of the fares we have seen are much closer to Royal prices, without any added service. Of course they are giving away a lot of free packages, so there is that.

 

All that negative stuff aside, we do have a planned cruise on the Jewell (again in the haven) and look forward to it.

 

I think you will have a good time on NCL.

 

Next Cruise is Carnival, then MSC then NCL.

 

It's unbelievable the changes in the last year or so. Those freebies they offer are not so free and sound better than they now are. The new CEO is strictly in the business to nickel and dime you in any way he can, and what you book today with amenities may not be the same when you sail. The last fiasco was Margaritaville. People booked when it was free, but it changed within 2 weeks of sailing.

[Trumpster]

It's unbelievable the changes in the last year or so. Those freebies they offer are not so free and sound better than they now are. The new CEO is strictly in the business to nickel and dime you in any way he can, and what you book today with amenities may not be the same when you sail. The last fiasco was Margaritaville. People booked when it was free, but it changed within 2 weeks of sailing.

 

The most recent change is the live shows on Escape, that is a ship that has issues. Booked entertainment now gone. Not even a year.

Although the John Hughes show in theatre might be better, so who knows?

[isaiahsnana]

 

What made the large group unique to NCL? Couldn't the same thing happen on any line?

 

But since on Carnival, I can choose to do set time dining, I know that I can be seated on time for a dinner in the MDR with my grandchildren at an appropriate time - on that NCL cruise, I would get to the MDR at 6pm with three hungry boys (ages 2-11) to be told the wait was 2 hours.