Carnival or Norwegian... Advice?????

[Last Salmon Man]

Morning all!

 

We have narrowed down our next cruise, will be March 2020 Mexican Riviera.  We have done 4 carnival cruises (Splendor, Miracle, Vista and Magic)  and we have loved everyone of them.  We have our eye on the Panorama, but also noticed the Norwegian Joy has the same cruise, same dates, and today they have a sale for 5 free upgrades including beverage package, 3,4 guest free, excursion credit...etc

 

For the four of us on the panorama, balcony we want is $3,200.  On the joy, $3,000.  On paper, seems like Norwegian is a no brainer, but I have heard mixed things about food on Norwegian, and everything costs extra once your on board.  

 

Would really appreciate any info or advice from any of you cruise veterans that have sailed both lines, or possibly on the Joy.  It's hard to stray from Carnival when we have always had our expectations met or exceeded.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Stick93]

Been on both. But here is the question if you are booking with money in mind this is a no brainer as you have much more included with Norwegian. If you are loyal to Carnival than stay with what you know. They are both Vacations. Thousands of people are having great vacations on both lines. There are prob going to be differences but that is sometimes said from ship to ship on the same cruise line. I will always look to save money so that I can do more on the ships or at the ports or just save for the next vacation. 

 

I have loved all my cruises on carnival and Norwegian. You won’t lose with either as they are both great vacations. No such thing as a bad day on the ocean! 

[ray98]

There is nothing wrong with the product NCL offers.....they do some things better and some things worse than Carnival.  I have been on many on both lines.  Do the math including everything and see what is the best deal.

[Moz]

Have traveled several times both cruise lines more alike than different.  Norwegian is a better bargain with all the perks offered especially if you were to pay extra for cheers on Carnival.  There are several free restaurants on Norwegian with a wonderful 24 restaurant which offers a large menu.  I preferred the clientele on the Norwegian line but that's me.

[keywest1]

I'd advise you to branch out and try another line while the prices are so close to Carnival's.  Since both are big new ships, the cruises will be easier to compare/contrast.  We have sailed mostly Carnival, but in the last couple of years found deals on RCCL and NCL.  We found them all similar, with RCCL being our overall favorite.  We are going back to Carnival for our next couple of cruises and then branching out to try MSC.  

Glad to see you loved Splendor--we did too!  

[Darcy03231]

We've sailed both lines and have found if the price is about the same, we book Norwegian.  I thought the food in the included restaurants and on the buffet was excellent - - in fact everyone in our group (10 of us) thought the food was better on Norwegian.    One couple ate in the specialty restaurant one night and  said that they didn't think it was that much better than what was available in the dining room.   

[Mutumbojimbo]

Did you do a mock booking with the "free" add-ins? Several times I've tried booking a Norwegian cruise (we loved our trip on the Sky)  only to find that the advertised fare did not include them as it was for a guarantee stateroom and did not qualify for the "freebies", and the lowest price that did include the add-ons was several hundred dollars higher. If you did the mock booking, then I would not hesitate to cruise with NCL. I didn't feel that we paid for anything on board that we would not have had to pay for on Carnival.

[Cruiser_1977]

^^^ this! Do your mock bookings all the way through until you need to make payment! Then if is NCL is still cheaper, do it. I have sailed both and the similar far outweigh the different. Food is subjective, as is entertainment. Both are newer ships with bells and whistles, I don't think you could make a "wrong" choice!

Edited August 6, 2019 by JennyB1977

[evandbob]

I find Carnival and NCL are about equal overall.  Maybe the comedy is better on Carnival than on NCL, but overall NCL offers more and better entertainment.  I think their specialty and MDR restaurants are about the same food wise.  Perhaps Carnival's balcony cabins have a bit more space and storage.  Casinos are both similar in ROI payouts.

 

One thing I like better on NCL is their Platinum perk of 2 free specialty restaurants dinners for 2 every cruise!.  As a Diamond on Carnival (or maybe it was a 25th cruise milestone) I got one free Steakhouse dinner for 2 once.

 

Oh yeah, and NCL usually has the fishes pointing to the front of the ship on their carpeting.

[pacruise804]

We have done one NCL and are getting ready to take our 4th Carnival.  We like the fun atmosphere on Carnival better than the party atmosphere of NCL, but there are things Norwegian does well.

 

If you are curious about trying another line and the price point is what you want, I recommend trying them.  Be sure to read the fine print - we found they offered a lot of "deals" but they weren't always a deal for us (ex: shore excursion we could still do our own thing cheaper).

 

Enjoy your vacation whatever you decide.

[Stick93]

10 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 

Oh yeah, and NCL usually has the fishes pointing to the front of the ship on their carpeting.

 

Hahahah. I always saw the fish and just thought it was cute.

 

You learn everyday. 

[BNBR]

2 hours ago, Last Salmon Man said:

Morning all!

 

We have narrowed down our next cruise, will be March 2020 Mexican Riviera.  We have done 4 carnival cruises (Splendor, Miracle, Vista and Magic)  and we have loved everyone of them.  We have our eye on the Panorama, but also noticed the Norwegian Joy has the same cruise, same dates, and today they have a sale for 5 free upgrades including beverage package, 3,4 guest free, excursion credit...etc

 

For the four of us on the panorama, balcony we want is $3,200.  On the joy, $3,000.  On paper, seems like Norwegian is a no brainer, but I have heard mixed things about food on Norwegian, and everything costs extra once your on board.  

 

Would really appreciate any info or advice from any of you cruise veterans that have sailed both lines, or possibly on the Joy.  It's hard to stray from Carnival when we have always had our expectations met or exceeded.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Usually NCL is much more expensive because of all the free upgrades.  But if you are getting all the upgrades, on the Joy, which is their latest and greatest ship... for cheaper than Carnival?  This isn't even a debate.  NCL all the way, hands down, not even worth considering Carnival.  The Joy is a better ship, you'll get specialty dining, drinks, excursion credits, etc.... and for less?  Come on!

[NightOne]

41 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

Usually NCL is much more expensive because of all the free upgrades.  But if you are getting all the upgrades, on the Joy, which is their latest and greatest ship... for cheaper than Carnival?  This isn't even a debate.  NCL all the way, hands down, not even worth considering Carnival.  The Joy is a better ship, you'll get specialty dining, drinks, excursion credits, etc.... and for less?  Come on!

 

A better ship eh? So you've been on the Panorama and Joy? And Joy is so much better why? 🙂

[BNBR]

5 minutes ago, NightOne said:

 

A better ship eh? So you've been on the Panorama and Joy? And Joy is so much better why? 🙂

 

Panorama is Vista class. Which is generally considered a disaster on these forums.  The breakaway plus class from NCL is essentially a somewhat familiar Carnival layout but on steroids with much better venues. 

 

I wouldnt even consider Carnival if pricing was the same. If pricing is cheaper for NCL Joy and you get all the perks? It's not even worthy of debate. 

[NightOne]

16 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

Panorama is Vista class. Which is generally considered a disaster on these forums.  The breakaway plus class from NCL is essentially a somewhat familiar Carnival layout but on steroids with much better venues. 

 

I wouldnt even consider Carnival if pricing was the same. If pricing is cheaper for NCL Joy and you get all the perks? It's not even worthy of debate. 

 

I've been on Vista class and Breakaway Plus class and I would NOT agree that Breakway Plus has much better venues. Some are better and some are worse.

 

 

I ran the numbers for 4 people in a balcony mid-March 2020 and they are about the same (around $3300) for Panorama and Joy with the Joy including the perks so I agree that would be the better option on these but not because one is a better ship. 🙂

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by NightOne

[fabby50]

We too have done several cruises on both lines - we like them both.  We did a Christmas Mexico cruise in 2018 on NCL and got the 5 free perks.  Since we're platinum on NCL, we also got free laundry and 2 more specialty dining credits.  We basically walked off the ship with no bill except for a spa service we each did.  We really liked that!

Edited August 6, 2019 by fabby50

[Stick93]

I've been on Breakaway, Escape and Horizon -

 

Breakaway was the prettiest of the ships but NCL did a great job of correcting the design flaws in the Escape. The entertainment venues are grander on NCL. But the Horizon has an Alchemy bar and that is worth everything! There is no Martini bar on the Escape, there is one on the Breakaway. Horizon was a new ship last year when we were on  it but it is plain and has no identity or themes like some of Carnivals older ships. 

 

I would go on any of these ships again or their sister ships but if  I was getting a cheaper price with perks for NCL...I forget the Alchemy bar and for a few bucks teach the bar staff on NCL how to make me a "funship" drink so at least my belly feels its on Carnival. I make them at home when I am feeling down.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Joy for sure - sounds like they're close to the same price, and I'd take NCL even if it were a bit more. You owe it to yourself to see what other lines have to offer.

 

Of course, easy for me to say... we were already platinum with Carnival (I think!) before we "jumped ship" 🙂

 

Tom

[Aquahound]

In your case, I'd book Joy.  I cruised an older sister, Escape, and loved it. 

 

The negatives to NCL's newer ships are the same as Carnival's in that they are crowded and have horrible pool space. 

 

However, I think NCL has some of the best entertainment at sea...almost as good as RCI's new ships.  There is live music all over the ship and the main theater acts are very high quality.  The included perks make it a no-brainer to me.  Just realize the "free" beverage perk comes with a daily service charge.

[jbethel11]

The only things holding me back from being a loyal NCL cruiser is Guy's Burger Joint and the price!

[Last Salmon Man]

thank you all for the replies!

 

I did a mock booking, but as suggested, I completed the mock booking all the way to the payment page and the price jumped to 3250.  So, the final price is about $25 more than the panoroma.  Even with the additional $300 in gratuities, we are still going to pull the trigger and book the Joy before the take 5 promo ends.  As I understand it, we can cancel with no penalties up to 120 days out if we change our mind.  

 

Will definitely be back on carnival.  Kids will be bummed because they were excited to get gold sail and sign cards on their next carnival, but they will get over it!!

 

Thank you for all the advice!!

[jbethel11]

10 minutes ago, Last Salmon Man said:

thank you all for the replies!

 

I did a mock booking, but as suggested, I completed the mock booking all the way to the payment page and the price jumped to 3250.  So, the final price is about $25 more than the panoroma.  Even with the additional $300 in gratuities, we are still going to pull the trigger and book the Joy before the take 5 promo ends.  As I understand it, we can cancel with no penalties up to 120 days out if we change our mind.  

 

Will definitely be back on carnival.  Kids will be bummed because they were excited to get gold sail and sign cards on their next carnival, but they will get over it!!

 

Thank you for all the advice!!

Don't worry, Free at Sea won't go away tonight. They always say "Hurry Sale Ends Soon!" to pressure you into booking, and then say "Just Extended".

[BigEasyCC]

We did the Breakaway this past January with all the freebies. We loved the restaurant variety, the waterfront seating, the dueling pianos, there was sooo much to do.With the drink package it was great just to try a new drink and not feel obligated to finish it if I didn't really like it. (My grown son was on a mission to try as many drinks as he could. We walked him back to his studio room a few times.) We enjoyed the larger ship but we like our Carnival too. We are going on the Panorama for our 10th Anniversary next year. (Second marriage) You'll enjoy the Joy I'm sure. 

[skridge]

4 hours ago, Last Salmon Man said:

Morning all!

 

We have narrowed down our next cruise, will be March 2020 Mexican Riviera.  We have done 4 carnival cruises (Splendor, Miracle, Vista and Magic)  and we have loved everyone of them.  We have our eye on the Panorama, but also noticed the Norwegian Joy has the same cruise, same dates, and today they have a sale for 5 free upgrades including beverage package, 3,4 guest free, excursion credit...etc

 

For the four of us on the panorama, balcony we want is $3,200.  On the joy, $3,000.  On paper, seems like Norwegian is a no brainer, but I have heard mixed things about food on Norwegian, and everything costs extra once your on board.  

 

Would really appreciate any info or advice from any of you cruise veterans that have sailed both lines, or possibly on the Joy.  It's hard to stray from Carnival when we have always had our expectations met or exceeded.

 

Thanks in advance!

Be careful with the "sale" on Norwegian.  The cruise I looked at did not give you the 3rd and 4th free.  It also gives only 2 free upgrades for an outside stateroom.  I guess you have to have a balcony or suite to get the 5 upgrades.

 

[Last Salmon Man]

4 minutes ago, skridge said:

Be careful with the "sale" on Norwegian.  The cruise I looked at did not give you the 3rd and 4th free.  It also gives only 2 free upgrades for an outside stateroom.  I guess you have to have a balcony or suite to get the 5 upgrades.

 

We are looking at the March 29th sailing with a balcony.