Norwegian vs Carnival - key differences

[B4May]

We've only sailed on Carnival in the past but I just booked our first cruise with Norwegian for next March, spring break with the kids. Can anyone who has sailed on both give me a quick rundown of the key differences?

 

I know about Freestyle, which isn't a big deal for us as we've always done Your Time dining on Carnival. But do you have to make a reservation for some of the restaurants on NCL? Or can you always just walk up, even to specialty restaurants?

 

Do you have to make reservations for the shows?

 

Do they have the timed embarkation like Carnival?

 

I know no soda/water can be brought on board; we got UBP as our Free at Sea promotion so I'm not worried about that.

 

Anything else that stands out as a big difference that we should be aware of?

 

Thanks!

[perkydebrajean]

It depends on which ship as to whether or not reservations for shows are recommended. The "away" ships and I believe the Epic have shows that a lot of people make reservations for. The older and smaller ships usually have a different show each night in the theatre and no reservations. Never a problem getting seats.

 

Someone else can confirm or deny, but I do think they have staggered/timed embarkation unless you are in a suite, and then you can show up at anytime.

 

reservations for dining in the MDR isn't usually needed, but if you do show up at a popular dining time then there may be a wait but from what I've heard it's not very long. On our first cruise we never made reservations for the specialty dining, but now that so many people are choosing it as a promo perk, it's getting harder to just "show up" and be able to get a table.

 

We've only cruised on NCL and have had a great cruise each time.

[B4May]

Thanks for the info! We're on the Dawn out of New Orleans.

 

Glad to hear reservations aren't required; I never mind waiting a bit but hate to be on a schedule, especially on vacation!

 

 

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[erocrobro]

We have only cruised each line once, but the biggest difference that I noticed was that there is no need to dress up for meals on NCL. My kids wore shorts and nice t-shirts and I usually wore shorts and we never felt out of place. Also, no dancing waiters. I always felt sorry for those guys!

[don't-use-real-name]

Dining prime time in the Venetian or Aqua restaurants (6pm to 7pm) trying to

make a 8 pm show can be troublesome but not altogether impossible.

A great deal depends on the show being featured.

Dining in a Specialty Restaurant maybe more critical trying to race the dining

experience to meet the show. A relaxing dining experience should not be

rushed - suggestion to see the show and dine late or make the reservation

time early to enjoy the meal and the same with the show.

Make the most of it !

 

Unless the dry dock overhaul changed it there are several TV screens near

the elevators and stairways as well as one channel on the in cabin TV showing

the availability times for the various dining venues.

As a rule dining late is almost always available and even during show times

but not so much for the earlier times.

Have suite or concierge privileges use them to help with booking.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We have only cruised each line once, but the biggest difference that I noticed was that there is no need to dress up for meals on NCL. My kids wore shorts and nice t-shirts and I usually wore shorts and we never felt out of place. Also, no dancing waiters. I always felt sorry for those guys!

 

You had to get dressed up on Carnival?

 

Bill

[mking8288]

We have only cruised each line once, but the biggest difference that I noticed was that there is no need to dress up for meals on NCL. My kids wore shorts and nice t-shirts and I usually wore shorts and we never felt out of place. Also, no dancing waiters. I always felt sorry for those guys!

#cough #cough - these NCL waiters/waitresses and gallery crews on the Breakaway, they came into Savor last year and paraded, then, went across into Taste & repeat, on the last evening ... waiving hankerchiefs, awful looking

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64025118/2015%20NCL%20BA/IMG20150327_1958.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64025118/2015%20NCL%20BA/IMG20150327_1959.jpg

 

This May, we went to Manhattan MDR instead on the last Sea Day - the only dancing, don't know if they're performing again or not. Boy, they certainly didn't look comfortable doing it. At least on the Carnival Splendor, they're really into the dancing with the music on.

 

One of the key difference - size of the basic staterooms, CCL wins ! especially vs. the *Away class ships. No need to dress up on Carnival for dinner either.

 

OP - which NCL ship are you booked on for 2017 ?? for a more meaningful comparison of the difference; and, similarities.

Edited July 15, 2016 by mking8288

[Starflyr3]

Thanks for the info! We're on the Dawn out of New Orleans.

 

Glad to hear reservations aren't required; I never mind waiting a bit but hate to be on a schedule, especially on vacation!

 

 

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Which week are you going? My family will be on Dawn 3/12-3/19 :)

 

As for the rest; I have been on carnival on spring break... The lack of formal night is nice, and unlike Carnival, I have never experienced drunk teenagers using sheets to rappel off balconies, or herds of teens on scavenger hunts running screaming through the hallways at 2 am on NCL. For non suite categories, they are more similar than different, but carnival suites are not nearly as good (some are big, but there aren't really any other perks that I can tell on Carnival).

[B4May]

Which week are you going? My family will be on Dawn 3/12-3/19 :)

 

 

 

As for the rest; I have been on carnival on spring break... The lack of formal night is nice, and unlike Carnival, I have never experienced drunk teenagers using sheets to rappel off balconies, or herds of teens on scavenger hunts running screaming through the hallways at 2 am on NCL. For non suite categories, they are more similar than different, but carnival suites are not nearly as good (some are big, but there aren't really any other perks that I can tell on Carnival).

 

 

We'll be there the same week! We've done a Carnival during spring break in the past, and there were a few drunkards but nothing like you've described. [emoji15]

 

 

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[B4May]

Am glad to hear about the lack of a formal night - cruising with kids means we've never been interested in that much.

 

How do the reservations for shows work? On CCL, we liked to just wander in and sit in the back, in case it wasn't our thing, then we could just slip out. Was never a problem, the theaters were never totally full. Will that not be possible on NCL?

 

 

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[April42749]

The entertainment (singers/shows) is much better on NCL.

[mking8288]

Missed your earlier reply about on the Dawn next year when I posted late.

 

Smaller ships have big theater compared to mega-class *Away ships in NCL, and no show reservations needed or offered for the production shows onboard the Dawn, doors open 30 minutes prior & suggest arriving no later than 10-15 minutes prior for best seating, but if you don't mind sitting to the sides and/or rear section, should be fine and for quicker egress.

 

There's also a mezzanine level as it's a 2-stage theater, although some of the prime seats upstairs are reserved for Haven/suite guests and marked accordingly. We sometimes look for seats there as at the end of the show, fewer masses on the exodus. Mind (watch) your steps on the top.

 

Before final payment due, it's advised to come back to CC to check for any changes that might impact/affect your enjoyment :D - NCL is full of surprises, some being not so pleasant, as you will have the chance to cancel & not be a captive audience like others caught with the latest round of changes - and, read the reviews/feedbacks & dailies posted (sometimes, not always) for insider's tips.

Edited July 15, 2016 by mking8288

[graphicguy]

As mentioned, biggest difference is the entertainment. NCL really excells (best of any cruise line) at entertainment. Carnival does fine with it, but NCL is a very significant step up in that dept. FAT CATs (nightclub) was always my last stop for blues, Jazz, and just all around good live music venue.

 

Shows, from the recent Illisionalrium, to Million Dollar Quartet were wonderful, and would cost $100+/ticket in Vegas.

 

I've sailed CCL, NCL (just returned from the Getaway), RCCL, HAL and Celebrity.

 

They are all fun in their own right. Lately, I've preferred NCL, though. There's just a certain "VIBE" that I like more with them.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I'm platinum on Carnival and have cruised twice on NCL and have three more booked. They're more alike than different. If you' go up to the top of the NCL forum and search the boards (just type "Carnival" in the search box) you'll find tons of threads comparing Carnival and NCL.

 

If you're going to the MDR, no need for a reservation, but I'd definitely make one for any specialties you want to dine in unless you eat outside of the prime times. There should be no problem sitting in the back of the theatre and slipping out if you want to. Your reservation gets you a seat in the room, but not a specific seat.

 

As far as timed embarkation, my boarding docs have shown a time, but I haven't paid attention to that and I don't think most people do. I tend to show up after 1:00 p.m. and pretty much walk right on.

 

The rooms are a lot smaller (at least on the NCL ships I've been on so far) on NCL than Carnival. Service is the same. Entertainment is better on NCL by miles and miles. MDR food is about the same though NCL obviously has a lot more variety for dining.

 

I've never seen herds of drunken teens or anyone rappelling from balconies on either line. LOL. I've also never seen out of control drunken adults on a cruise, so I guess I've been lucky all my CCL cruises. LOL.

 

You likely won't get a towel animal every night and the waiters don't dance. There are fewer announcements on NCL and they're not constantly trying to get you to buy something, which is nice.

 

One of the things I love about NCL is being able to purchase a spa pass for the week to enjoy the therapy pool, hot tubs, heated loungers, etc. I don't even know if Carnival has an option like that. I'm not familiar with Dawn's spa so don't know what they have to offer, but if you like to do that, do a little research to see if it's worth it for you.

 

Have a great cruise!

[emcelh]

Am glad to hear about the lack of a formal night - cruising with kids means we've never been interested in that much.

 

How do the reservations for shows work? On CCL, we liked to just wander in and sit in the back, in case it wasn't our thing, then we could just slip out. Was never a problem, the theaters were never totally full. Will that not be possible on NCL?

 

 

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If you're on the Dawn there's no need for show reservations (actually, they don't take reservations). It's only on the newer ships where there are multiple smaller venues that reservations are recommended.

[B4May]

Awesome, they do sound very similar, which is great. We love cruising on Carnival but New Orleans is the closest port to us and I wanted to change up our destinations.

 

I will definitely look into that spa pass, nothing like that existed on our previous cruises and it sounds awesome! Thanks for mentioning it. [emoji4]

 

 

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Edited July 15, 2016 by B4May

[Cruisermom2nick]

I compared the 2 on my blog-

http://thecheerfulcruiser.blogspot.com/2016/05/comparing-norwegian-and-carnival-cruise.html

[erocrobro]

You had to get dressed up on Carnival?

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

Not overly dressy, but they did have a tighter dress code than on NCL. Also, there was a formal night, which I did not miss at all.

 

 

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[Tudorcruisers]

We were on Epic June 2015 and expected the dress in the evenings to be very casual and we would have been smart causal but everyone was dressed so nicely and people had really made an effort. It was so much more like people going out to a restaurant, didn't see shorts etc. I guess it just depends on the other passengers as well.

[wallygator21015]

NCL - nickel & dimming

 

The new CEO - Frank J. Del Rio, for NCL has declared his intention to gouge his already booked passengers for another $50. - $100. per cabin on every cruise.

 

Passengers absolutely have no way of determining if the people who waited on them are receiving their tips? Unless you choose to hand deliver your tips directly to the employees directly, there isn't anyway to know if there is any chicanery or razzle-dazzle involved?

 

It is up to the whims of NCL Corporate who they pay or not pay!

 

Disproportionate Cutbacks:

 

With two Platinum Rewards Members of Latitudes sharing the same cabin:

 

Only one small box of candy per cabin? Used to be twice the present size.

Only one bottle sparking wine per cabin?

No more Platinum Cocktail party on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more fireworks displays on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more lobster tails in the MDR? Now you can pay $ 25. For it.

No more shrimp cocktails in the MDR?

The New Menu in the MDR is awful.

No more free room service, now $7.95 per order?

New 18% surcharge on all specialty restaurants?

New 18% surcharge on all drinks

new 18% surcharge on all food purchased at coffee cafe

This amounts to double tipping!

Not called a tip but a surcharge!?

Who is receiving the benefit of this surcharge? Certainly not the folks who waited on you!

 

Also, if you use one of their machines in the casino to cash in a voucher, you will be charged one dollar per voucher.

 

The daily tip charge has also gone up twice in one year?

 

Everywhere you look, NCL has made cuts to their product and found new ways to charge more money and provide less products to their passengers.

 

 

 

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[S.S.Oceanlover]

NCL - nickel & dimming

 

The new CEO - Frank J. Del Rio, for NCL has declared his intention to gouge his already booked passengers for another $50. - $100. per cabin on every cruise.

 

Passengers absolutely have no way of determining if the people who waited on them are receiving their tips? Unless you choose to hand deliver your tips directly to the employees directly, there isn't anyway to know if there is any chicanery or razzle-dazzle involved?

 

It is up to the whims of NCL Corporate who they pay or not pay!

 

Disproportionate Cutbacks:

 

With two Platinum Rewards Members of Latitudes sharing the same cabin:

 

Only one small box of candy per cabin? Used to be twice the present size.

Only one bottle sparking wine per cabin?

No more Platinum Cocktail party on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more fireworks displays on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more lobster tails in the MDR? Now you can pay $ 25. For it.

No more shrimp cocktails in the MDR?

The New Menu in the MDR is awful.

No more free room service, now $7.95 per order?

New 18% surcharge on all specialty restaurants?

New 18% surcharge on all drinks

new 18% surcharge on all food purchased at coffee cafe

This amounts to double tipping!

Not called a tip but a surcharge!?

Who is receiving the benefit of this surcharge? Certainly not the folks who waited on you!

 

Also, if you use one of their machines in the casino to cash in a voucher, you will be charged one dollar per voucher.

 

The daily tip charge has also gone up twice in one year?

 

Everywhere you look, NCL has made cuts to their product and found new ways to charge more money and provide less products to their passengers.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

That 31 million dollars Mr Del Feo made has to come from somewhere

 

Bill

[erocrobro]

#cough #cough - these NCL waiters/waitresses and gallery crews on the Breakaway, they came into Savor last year and paraded, then, went across into Taste & repeat, on the last evening ... waiving hankerchiefs, awful looking

 

This May, we went to Manhattan MDR instead on the last Sea Day - the only dancing, don't know if they're performing again or not. Boy, they certainly didn't look comfortable doing it. At least on the Carnival Splendor, they're really into the dancing with the music on.

.

 

 

Yikes! I didn't see anything like that on the Getaway, but maybe we just got lucky and missed it.

 

 

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[CruisinHarvey]

NCL - nickel & dimming

 

The new CEO - Frank J. Del Rio, for NCL has declared his intention to gouge his already booked passengers for another $50. - $100. per cabin on every cruise.

 

Passengers absolutely have no way of determining if the people who waited on them are receiving their tips? Unless you choose to hand deliver your tips directly to the employees directly, there isn't anyway to know if there is any chicanery or razzle-dazzle involved?

 

It is up to the whims of NCL Corporate who they pay or not pay!

 

Disproportionate Cutbacks:

 

With two Platinum Rewards Members of Latitudes sharing the same cabin:

 

Only one small box of candy per cabin? Used to be twice the present size.

Only one bottle sparking wine per cabin?

No more Platinum Cocktail party on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more fireworks displays on Breakaway or Getaway?

No more lobster tails in the MDR? Now you can pay $ 25. For it.

No more shrimp cocktails in the MDR?

The New Menu in the MDR is awful.

No more free room service, now $7.95 per order?

New 18% surcharge on all specialty restaurants?

New 18% surcharge on all drinks

new 18% surcharge on all food purchased at coffee cafe

This amounts to double tipping!

Not called a tip but a surcharge!?

Who is receiving the benefit of this surcharge? Certainly not the folks who waited on you!

 

Also, if you use one of their machines in the casino to cash in a voucher, you will be charged one dollar per voucher.

 

The daily tip charge has also gone up twice in one year?

 

Everywhere you look, NCL has made cuts to their product and found new ways to charge more money and provide less products to their passengers.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Hope you feel better now. I suggest you don't book another NCL cruise. Your post had nothing to do with the OP's question.

[hftmrock]

 

 

I know no soda/water can be brought on board; we got UBP as our Free at Sea promotion so I'm not worried about that.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Be aware UBP does not include bottled water so you will still need to buy if you want water

[Loving My Life]

Ok, so this probably isn't a fair comparison as I sailed on the Spirit, which is their oldest ship, and sailed the Med, which is very port intensive, but we felt the exact opposite as many of these posts.

 

Cabins. The cabins and balconies on both lines felt similar in size. Also, there was a shower door on NCL vs a shower curtain on CCL, so a point to NCL for cabins.

 

Food. We thought the food in the main dining rooms was significantly better on CCL. We ate in the dining room twice on our NCL cruise, didn't care for any of our choices, so went to specialty restaurants the rest of the nights, which were very good. Loved having so many specialty restaurants. Not sure I'd sail NCL without a dining package. Buffet was better quality on NCL but not a lot of variety. Desserts were rather tasteless on NCL. Over all, definite point to CCL for food.

 

Entertainment. We thought the entertainment was...how to say this nicely...pathetic on NCL. Now, it was the Med as I said, and evening entertainment was not high on our list of priorities, BUT in 12 nights, there wasn't one comedian. The illusionist was very good, but other than that, we left every show after 5 minutes or didn't go at all. I'm sure entertainment is much better on the newer, bigger ships, but if you are not sailing on one, it's something to keep in mind. Definite point to CCL for entertainment if not on getaway, breakaway, etc.

 

Service. Although the service has always been top notch on CCL, I thought it was even better on NCL. LOVED coming back to the ship and being offered cold towels, water, and frozen treats. Also had full suite perks for hosting the M&G, so loved having the concierge, breakfast and lunch in Cagneys, canapés and other treats every afternoon, priority tendering, and all of the other perks. Big point to NCL for service.

 

Guests/Behavior. This was exactly the same on both lines. Families, young adults, middle aged, older adults. Not many kids because we sailed when school was in session. Have yet to see obnoxious, unruly children or drunk, disinhibited college students with out-of-control behavior on either line, just couples and families relaxing and having fun.

 

Over all, they were quite similar, but I think for us, NCL edged out CCL, but I would happily sail either line in the future and also want try other cruise line as well.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Loving My Life