Never sailed NCL! Thinking about booking the Breakaway!

[MsJersey84]

Hello Everyone,

 

My husband and I always have sailed Carnival, but now we want to try something different. Can you please way in on who is better or your different experiences. How is NCL food, nightlife and overall experience compared to Carnival? We are big comedy show and sometimes dance club goers. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and experiences.

[xbatt8]

We are also big time Carnival cruisers. Last April we did the Epic TA from Port Canaveral to Barcelona. It was our first cruise on NCL. We liked the cruise/ship enough that we bought several Cruisenext certificates (their version of the old Future Cruise Certificates). And since we have to cruise at least 4 times to use them, I also bought 100 shares of stock so I could get the OBC that they also offer. 

 

Food was very close to the same. Entertainment was excellent. Broadway quality play, Cirque du soleil dinner show, Burn the Floor dance show, etc. They also had a dueling piano bar (as opposed to a single piano bar). I really like Playlist Productions, but the shows we saw on NCL were awesome.

 

We had a mini suite (not the same as a suite), and it was nice, but not really much nicer than any typical balcony cabin. The only thing we didn’t like is unique to the Epic, so we aren’t worried about it. The curved cabin and the weird bathroom setup took a lot of time to get used to, but again, unique to the Epic.

 

The cruises themselves (for the 3 we have booked so far) are pretty close in price, but the free at sea goodies make them a better price than similar Carnival cruises. On our Breakaway cruise coming up in January, we got all 5 Free at Sea, plus OBC, free calling, etc. Made it a very good deal.

 

So the short answer to your question... We are Diamond Carnival cruisers who - so far - really like NCL’s deals, itineraries, and entertainment. We haven’t sailed the Breakaway, YET, but it is similar to the Epic, which we liked.

 

Bob

[Sauer-kraut]

Not much difference, they are similar.  NCL does my time dining a LOT better than Carni.

[dolita22]

I would say the NCL atmosphere, food, and nightlife is a step up from Carnival. My DH and I sailed the Carnival Glory this year -- his first Carnival cruise, my fourth. We also just sailed the NCL Getaway a few weeks ago -- and have cruised NCL and RCCL previously together. We liked the food in the MDRs, buffet, and steakhouse on the Glory and enjoyed the entertainment -- especially a Latin band that played nightly! We saw them 3 or 4 times that week. The staff were all friendly, too.

 

There are definitely a few more things we like about NCL. For one, there are no dancing waiters in the MDRs on NCL. We weren't sure about them the first time they did it on the Glory, but the second time was annoying. I dunno. We just don't get into that. Some do and enjoy it. We just didn't.

 

Specialty dining: There are a number of specialty dining options on NCL ships, more so than the handful on Carnival. The food and dining experiences at the ones we've eaten at (Cagney's, La Cucina, Margaritaville, Food Republic) has been some of our more memorable at-sea experiences. Also, a super nitpicky thing, but the tablecloths on NCL made the dining experience in the MDRs just that little step up from Carnival that much better to us. Staff in the Carnival MDR were funny and nice, and I think they're comparable to staff in NCL's MDRs.

 

Vibe!: On our Getaway cruise a few weeks ago, we bought passes for the adults-only area, Vibe. It's limited to something like 60 guests. Bartenders get to know you, welcoming you each day you go there. They bring drinks and fruit skewers and cookies and water, and you have a quieter area of the ship that's yours, along with comfortable lounge chairs and two hot tubs. That purchase ($129 each) made our vacation! Don't recall seeing anything like that on Carnival.

 

Comedy shows were always packed on Carnival, so we didn't stop by any of them, and we're in our late 30s so don't really do dance clubs. Sorry! I should note that we are pretty easy-to-please cruisers. 🙂  Put us on a ship in a balcony and we are happy.

 

We enjoyed Carnival and would cruise again, but on a newer ship. The Glory was a bit outdated for us after cruising some of NCL's latest and greatest. Carnival is our second choice, after NCL.

 

If you find the right price and itinerary and you're intrigued by NCL, check it out! You may enjoy it. Happy cruising!

 

[MsJersey84]

9 hours ago, dolita22 said:

I would say the NCL atmosphere, food, and nightlife is a step up from Carnival. My DH and I sailed the Carnival Glory this year -- his first Carnival cruise, my fourth. We also just sailed the NCL Getaway a few weeks ago -- and have cruised NCL and RCCL previously together. We liked the food in the MDRs, buffet, and steakhouse on the Glory and enjoyed the entertainment -- especially a Latin band that played nightly! We saw them 3 or 4 times that week. The staff were all friendly, too.

 

There are definitely a few more things we like about NCL. For one, there are no dancing waiters in the MDRs on NCL. We weren't sure about them the first time they did it on the Glory, but the second time was annoying. I dunno. We just don't get into that. Some do and enjoy it. We just didn't.

 

Specialty dining: There are a number of specialty dining options on NCL ships, more so than the handful on Carnival. The food and dining experiences at the ones we've eaten at (Cagney's, La Cucina, Margaritaville, Food Republic) has been some of our more memorable at-sea experiences. Also, a super nitpicky thing, but the tablecloths on NCL made the dining experience in the MDRs just that little step up from Carnival that much better to us. Staff in the Carnival MDR were funny and nice, and I think they're comparable to staff in NCL's MDRs.

 

Vibe!: On our Getaway cruise a few weeks ago, we bought passes for the adults-only area, Vibe. It's limited to something like 60 guests. Bartenders get to know you, welcoming you each day you go there. They bring drinks and fruit skewers and cookies and water, and you have a quieter area of the ship that's yours, along with comfortable lounge chairs and two hot tubs. That purchase ($129 each) made our vacation! Don't recall seeing anything like that on Carnival.

 

Comedy shows were always packed on Carnival, so we didn't stop by any of them, and we're in our late 30s so don't really do dance clubs. Sorry! I should note that we are pretty easy-to-please cruisers. 🙂  Put us on a ship in a balcony and we are happy.

 

We enjoyed Carnival and would cruise again, but on a newer ship. The Glory was a bit outdated for us after cruising some of NCL's latest and greatest. Carnival is our second choice, after NCL.

 

If you find the right price and itinerary and you're intrigued by NCL, check it out! You may enjoy it. Happy cruising!

i 

9 hours ago, dolita22 said:

Thank you for your insight this was exactly what I was looking for!!