Carnival Vs NCL

[Smokett]

I have been on 8 cruises and all of them have been on Carnival so I pretty much know the ins and outs and how they do things. However,in November I will be going on my first NCL cruise. I'm pretty excited to be venturing out! LOL My problem is that I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Can those of you that have sailed on both tell me what are things that are the same on both lines and what might be different? Does NCL have the free ice cream like carnival? Do their activities like bowling cost extra? Is there an elegant night on NCL? How will I know which restaurants cost money?

 

Also my mom got the specialty dining package free with her cruise. Can she use this during lunch or is it only for dinner? Can she order her meal to go if she doesn't want to sit in the restaurant?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[jpcdds6]

Which ship are you sailing? Which category cabin? SDP is usually reserved for dinner meals. Check out the NCL website to answer all of your questions. It's freestyle. You can dress any way you want. Relax and have a great cruise.

Edited September 27, 2016 by jpcdds6

[nets33]

NCL and Carnvial are very similar in many ways. Here are the main differences:

 

• NCL does not have any set dining times. Every restaurant is set up as "your time" dining. The beaut of that is that you have your choice of multiple main dining rooms and you can go to any of them for dinner.
  
• NCL does not have a set formal night - they do have a "dress up or not" night. You'll see people that dress up very formally while others are in cruise casual wear.
  
• The dining rooms that cost extra money are again clearly indicated on the Daily. Not sure what ship you are on here are a few of the specialty restaurants that are on most ships - Le Bistro, Moderno, Tappenayki, Cagney's. (If you look at NCL's website you can find out the specialty restaurants for your ship).
  
• Some activities will cost more. The Freestyle Daily will include an indicator to let you know what items are extra charges. The last time I bowled I believe the charge was $5 (it may be different now)
  
• I believe all ships have a self-serve ice cream machine in the buffet. They usually offer ice cream for dessert during dinner as well.
  

I've said most of the mainstream lines (Carnival, RCI, Princess and NCL). NCL is my favorite.

Edited September 27, 2016 by nets33

[Lido_Deck]

I have been on 8 cruises and all of them have been on Carnival so I pretty much know the ins and outs and how they do things. However,in November I will be going on my first NCL cruise. I'm pretty excited to be venturing out! LOL My problem is that I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Can those of you that have sailed on both tell me what are things that are the same on both lines and what might be different? Does NCL have the free ice cream like carnival? Do their activities like bowling cost extra? Is there an elegant night on NCL? How will I know which restaurants cost money?

 

Also my mom got the specialty dining package free with her cruise. Can she use this during lunch or is it only for dinner? Can she order her meal to go if she doesn't want to sit in the restaurant?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Bad News: Unfortunately, you will be on the Epic, which I consider one of the worst ships in the entire cruise industry. The cabins are much smaller than on Carnival, "the bathroom" doesn't really exist because it is broken up into components spread out in the small cabin. You might feel claustrophobic out on the decks because there is no openess like you have on Carnival. Just lots of glass walls with open slots in them that are either too short or too tall. I call it the "Luxury Prison Ship" because you are enclosed even outside.

 

Good News: The food is much better with NCL, especially the buffet. The production shows on the Epic are much better than anything you will find on Carnival. Burn the Floor and Priscilla Queen of the Desert are not to be missed.

[Warm Breezes]

I have been on 8 cruises and all of them have been on Carnival so I pretty much know the ins and outs and how they do things. However,in November I will be going on my first NCL cruise. I'm pretty excited to be venturing out! LOL My problem is that I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Can those of you that have sailed on both tell me what are things that are the same on both lines and what might be different? Does NCL have the free ice cream like carnival? Even better they serve regular ice cream (not soft serve) in the buffetDo their activities like bowling cost extra? Bowling, yes. Rock climbing, no. It depends on the activity.Is there an elegant night on NCL? No elegant night but Manhattan Room and LeBistro have a higher dress code (pants required).How will I know which restaurants cost money?MDR, O'sheehans, and Buffet are included

 

Also my mom got the specialty dining package free with her cruise. Can she use this during lunch or is it only for dinner? I believe just dinner but have not sailed with this package yetCan she order her meal to go if she doesn't want to sit in the restaurant?No Idea

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Overall NCL and CCL are very similar. However the larger NCL ships (Epic and later) are more different in that you will find it advantageous to make reservations for specialty dining and shows as soon as you are able to online (90 days out I believe). NCL inside - balcony rooms are smaller than CCL. Epic has its own unique twist to guest room bathrooms. Some hate it and some don't have a problem with it. IMHO NCL has a better buffet. CCL has better desserts. We love O'Sheehans on NCL just like we love the Deli on CCL. IMHO NCL has better entertainment. Don't miss Howl at the Moon. A favorite of ours on Epic. Freestyle dining is similar to Your Time Dining on CCL. No Traditional Seating. Everything else is pretty similar between the lines.

Edited September 27, 2016 by Warm Breezes

[dolita22]

I have been on 8 cruises and all of them have been on Carnival so I pretty much know the ins and outs and how they do things. However,in November I will be going on my first NCL cruise. I'm pretty excited to be venturing out! LOL My problem is that I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Can those of you that have sailed on both tell me what are things that are the same on both lines and what might be different? Does NCL have the free ice cream like carnival? Do their activities like bowling cost extra? Is there an elegant night on NCL? How will I know which restaurants cost money?

 

Also my mom got the specialty dining package free with her cruise. Can she use this during lunch or is it only for dinner? Can she order her meal to go if she doesn't want to sit in the restaurant?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Ice cream: Yes, there are soft serve machines outside the buffet areas and hard ice cream served in the buffet on the Epic. There's also usually an ice cream option for dessert in the MDRs.

 

Yes, bowling costs money. IIRC, it was $7 or $9 per person for a game + shoes on the Epic in January 2015. Has likely increased a few dollars since then. My DH and I bowled each time we've sailed the Epic and had so much fun, even though bowling at sea presents its challenges. :)

 

Restaurants that cost money are the specialty restaurants. The Taste and Savor MDRs, O'Sheehans, the Garden Cafe buffet, and Shanghai's Noodle Bar are all free. Complimentary room service is available from 6-10 a.m. It's just light stuff like pastries, yogurt and fruit. A $7.95 service charge applies after 10 a.m., but the room service menu is much broader. Not sure if your mom can order at the specialty restaurants and take her meal back to the room.

 

Have fun on the Epic! Sailed twice and would sail again on her in a heartbeat! Some friends of ours joined us last year on their first-ever cruise on the Epic and got hooked on cruising.

[hartwickds]

Bad News: Unfortunately, you will be on the Epic, which I consider one of the worst ships in the entire cruise industry. The cabins are much smaller than on Carnival, "the bathroom" doesn't really exist because it is broken up into components spread out in the small cabin. You might feel claustrophobic out on the decks because there is no openess like you have on Carnival. Just lots of glass walls with open slots in them that are either too short or too tall. I call it the "Luxury Prison Ship" because you are enclosed even outside.

 

Good News: The food is much better with NCL, especially the buffet. The production shows on the Epic are much better than anything you will find on Carnival. Burn the Floor and Priscilla Queen of the Desert are not to be missed.

 

I beg to differ... the Epic is hands down my favorite Norweigan ship. I have sailed on it 3 times...there is so much to do you will never ever get bored

[Lido_Deck]

I beg to differ... the Epic is hands down my favorite Norweigan ship. I have sailed on it 3 times...there is so much to do you will never ever get bored

 

How many NCL ships have you been on other than the Epic?

 

How many total ships have you been on other than the Epic?

[CruisinHarvey]

The Epic is an interesting ship. It cost way more than most ships, even those bigger ships built today. It was in the 1.4 billion dollar range in 2010. You should notice the wood decor and other high priced features. You'll also notice the worst design of a cabin, on any cruise ship. The they tried this wave thing, that only narrowed every cabin. They also tried the one and only no bathroom concept, which completely failed. On other other hand, the main entertainment and dining venues are really are step above other cruise ships. It was built prior to the waterfront concept NCL uses now, so it's much like other ships. The majority of the access to the sea is on the pool deck and above. There is a walk way, like other ships, on deck 7, but its not really intended to be a gathering place for cruisers. There's nothing terrible about this ship. It surely is, and always will be, unique.

[Smokett]

Thank you to all that responded! I really appreciate it.

 

My mom is the only one in our group of 5 that has the specialty dining. We all wanted to eat together at night for dinner so we were hoping she could use her specialty dining meals during lunch but I guess that's not possible. 😕

Does anyone know what time the specialty dining places open?

[destiny217]

http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/2015/12/18/norwegian-epic-freestyle-daily/

 

On the 4th page is Freestyle Dining. Looks like 5 or 5:30pm for cover charge restaurants. This info is from December 2015.

[nets33]

How many NCL ships have you been on other than the Epic?

 

How many total ships have you been on other than the Epic?

 

I also don't have a problem with the Epic. To each their own. That is the beauty of having options when cruising.

[Lido_Deck]

I also don't have a problem with the Epic. To each their own. That is the beauty of having options when cruising.

 

Good for you. I admire people who are in the vast minority, but still express their opinions.

[mabones]

Is there any way your mother can change from her Dining Package to something else? I've heard of others doing that. Its worth a try.

[ray98]

You will find the products very similar. All mainstream cruise lines use the same base model when it comes to how they serve and interact with the customer.

[Smokett]

Is there any way your mother can change from her Dining Package to something else? I've heard of others doing that. Its worth a try.

 

That was the next thing I was going to try! :) Great minds think alike!

 

Thank you all for all your help!

[Barb Nahoumi]

It's been many years since we've cruised on Carnival. Just wondering if their elegant night is optional or a requirement,to dine in the MDR.

[Warm Breezes]

That was the next thing I was going to try! :) Great minds think alike!

 

Thank you all for all your help!

 

I was able to change mine from the internet promo to the UBP promo with no problems.