First time on NCL but longtime cruiser on Carnival

[kd1044]

I have done both Carnival and NCL and in my opinion NCL is a notch above.  I usually book suites and the Butler and Concierge is better on NCL.  I also like the smaller ships.  I am planning on booking a Carnival Cruise in 2025 so I will see if my opinion changes.

[Andoria]

CCL is my preferred line mainly because the food is better. I'd cruise with them more often if they had a 7 day out of Boston or NY.

 

Last NCL cruise I was on, the food was much better but I had a studio cabin and it was like staying in a college dorm. Noise-canceling headphones didn't help.  I should've realized that the studio cabins probably aren't geared for those over 50.  

 

 

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

19 hours ago, Andoria said:

Last NCL cruise I was on, the food was much better but I had a studio cabin and it was like staying in a college dorm. Noise-canceling headphones didn't help.  I should've realized that the studio cabins probably aren't geared for those over 50.  

This is the biggest fear I have in booking a Studio Cabin on NCL’s bigger ships. It’s pretty much why my first cruise with them is on one of the smaller ships, Norwegian Jade - instead of Studio Cabins they have what’s called a Solo Cabin. These are basically a ‘regular cabin’ but is restricted to single-occupancy. Booking these as a solo traveler saved me more than $600 over a ‘regular inside’ on a 25-night cruise. 
 

Edited April 4 by dmwnc1959

[schmoopie17]

On 3/30/2024 at 9:02 AM, Joanne G. said:

 

Another point for NCL is that, in my experience, their deposits are low and refundable.   Carnival's deposits have various restrictions unless you accept a much higher cruise fare in order to have a refundable deposit.  

That's one of the key reasons we stick with NCL...along with the Veteran discount.

 

Refundable deposits are a big thing for people who like to change their minds regularly.

Then change them again. 

That would be us.

[dmwnc1959]

11 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

That's one of the key reasons we stick with NCL...along with the Veteran discount.

 

Refundable deposits are a big thing for people who like to change their minds regularly.

Then change them again. 

That would be us.

That was one of the main reasons between my indecision between my booked Panama Canal cruises with NCL and Princess Cruises.
 

My veteran OBC for a long cruise with Princess was $250, whereas my veteran discount on NCL with a 25-night cruise was $270. 
 

Edited April 4 by dmwnc1959

[dbrown84]

26 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

This is the biggest fear I have in booking a Studio Cabin on NCL’s bigger ships. It’s pretty much why my first cruise with them is on one of the smaller ships, Norwegian Jade - instead of Studio Cabins they have what’s called a Solo Cabin. These are basically a ‘regular cabin’ but is restricted to single-occupancy. Booking these as a solo traveler saved me more than $600 over a ‘regular inside’ on a 25-night cruise. 
 

they have solo cabins on all the ships, including the ones with studio cabins

[dmwnc1959]

4 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

they have solo cabins on all the ships, including the ones with studio cabins

Didn’t know that. Guess I only ever first checked Studios! I’ll have to look into those when deciding on my next NCL cruise. I’m still leaning toward the smaller ships, even with the 2026 cruise I have booked with Holland-America on Noordam. 

[Independent]

On 3/30/2024 at 7:54 AM, Joanne G. said:

Enjoy your cruise!  Just be aware that a 4-day cruise on Carnival, presumably in the Caribbean, could be a very different experience than a longer Carnival cruise.  I have been on many Carnival Caribbean cruises of 7 or 8 or 10 days, and I have never encountered the drunken party crowd that Carnival is known for - accurately or not.  

 

Or maybe you want to be part of that party crowd!  Nothing wrong with that, and have fun.  

Oh, this is an interesting point!  We tried a Carnival Western Caribbean cruise some years ago, and decided it was Not For Us.  There were many positives, but we just didn’t enjoy what seemed like way too much noise and way too many crowds. That wasn’t a good fit for us.  You make me think that perhaps we should have another look sometime, and stop setting our online travel agency search filter to ‘exclude Carnival’.  Thank you for the info!

[zqvol]

9 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Didn’t know that. Guess I only ever first checked Studios! I’ll have to look into those when deciding on my next NCL cruise. I’m still leaning toward the smaller ships, even with the 2026 cruise I have booked with Holland-America on Noordam. 

I have been in studios cabins 3 times. Quietest places on the ship. Never heard a sound. 

[wolft927]

So my wife and I (44,42) have cruised all the major lines multiple times. Comparing NCL to CCL I will say the difference really only comes down to a few things. 

 

1 The Ships! What design and décor do you prefer? The Breakaway Plus class ships have a more elegant feel I believe vs Mardi Gras class. If you go a class smaller on CCL you are in the Dream Class and I believe the Breakaway class again still a bit more elegant but in size closer. 

 

2 Dining! Now saying one lines food is better then other because opinions vary, but I do love all the free options for food on carnivals pool decks, Guy's Burger and the Mexican place stand out for us. Now specialty dining goes to NCL hands down. 

 

3 Passengers! So, Carnival has a bit of a younger crowd. I have not sailed anything less then 7 days ever so cant judge on shorter sailings. I have never had any issues on either line, but i will say carnivals pool decks are a bit more of a party atmosphere then NCL. 

 

4 Drink Packages! So this is a big one for me. So NCL you get the free at sea and the drink package for two for a 7 day cruise runs about $352.00, and is truly unlimited. Carnival is not included and runs approximately $989 for two including the gratuity, and only allows 15 alcohol drinks per day. Now it does include specialty drinks and water but its almost double. Don't get me started on RCCL drink package (last cruise was almost $1200 for the both of us)  

 

5 Suites! Now I have stayed in the Ocean Suite on CCL and was a nice cabin but the perks are just not there. NCL our last 4 cruises have been in the Haven so hard to compare, and Haven is much more expensive then a CCL Ocean or even grand suite. 

 

I would say if you like CCL you will like NCL, now flip that around depending your taste you may not care for CCL. But, as for my wife and I, we will cruise any cruise line if the price is right. First MSC cruise coming up in September so we shall see. 

 

[Andoria]

20 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

they have solo cabins on all the ships, including the ones with studio cabins

This is fairly new correct? I believe the solo cabins were announced after I already made final payment on a studio cabin.

 

I will book a solo cabin in the future.

[dmwnc1959]

3 minutes ago, zqvol said:

I have been in studios cabins 3 times. Quietest places on the ship. Never heard a sound. 

I’ve read a lot of reviews over the years while checking NCL ships, it seems that the ones by the exit doors from the studio area are the most problematic. All of the ‘prime locations’ that weren’t adjoining cabins were already taken. 

[dbrown84]

6 minutes ago, Andoria said:

This is fairly new correct? I believe the solo cabins were announced after I already made final payment on a studio cabin.

 

I will book a solo cabin in the future.

yes, they just became available in January.

[PATRLR]

On 3/30/2024 at 4:09 PM, 7Contraveler said:

Absolutely NOT.. its like saying a ford car is the same as a BMW. 

presumably you feel the BMW equates to NCL?  Ummm no.

 

NCL and CCL are like Ford and Chrysler. Very similar products both targeting very similar demographics.

[bkrickles1]

3 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

presumably you feel the BMW equates to NCL?  Ummm no.

 

NCL and CCL are like Ford and Chrysler. Very similar products both targeting very similar demographics.

I'm going with Honda!

[dmwnc1959]

41 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I'm going with Honda!

My 2020 Honda Accord - in a stunning radiant red - gets a LOT of compliments. When the sun hits it, it just glows. Absolutely love Honda.
 

That aside, I’ve never really looked at cruise lines as car brands lol but more like hotel chains. And based on the ship construction and design classes, that can differ quite a bit. If I ever go back to Carnival Cruise Line it will only be on one of the newest Excel-class, but with NCL, Princess Cruises, and Holland-America I’m fine with the small ships. I look at the onboard accommodations exactly the same, I’m just renting the room for a week or three and not buying a house. 

[bkrickles1]

4 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

My 2020 Honda Accord - in a stunning radiant red - gets a LOT of compliments. When the sun hits it, it just glows. Absolutely love Honda.

I just leased my 6th Honda Accord in a row. A 2024 Sport Hybrid. 

I really wanted the red with black leather but inventory is still awful where I live, so I settled on the white. 

The black 19" wheels and spoiler look real good. 

I will hopefully enjoy my sailing on Getaway in 15 days as much as I've enjoyed every one of my Hondas. Lol 😂 

[dmwnc1959]

8 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I just leased my 6th Honda Accord in a row. A 2024 Sport Hybrid. 

I really wanted the red with black leather but inventory is still awful where I live, so I settled on the white. 

The black 19" wheels and spoiler look real good. 

I will hopefully enjoy my sailing on Getaway in 15 days as much as I've enjoyed every one of my Hondas. Lol 😂 

Love Honda, I’ll be sticking with them for a

while. 🥰
 

And after the beating I gave NCL in some of my posts and threads, I’ll probably be sticking with them as well. I have a feeling Norwegian Jade is going to be a wonderful little ship. Can’t wait for the NCL 2026-2027 itinerary release dates, since HAL has me for 2026. 😁

[sportscruiser]

OP, I just returned from my first solo cruise on NCL Viva last Sunday. First sailing was on RCL(old ship), then 4 with Carnival and my last two on NCL. I booked a solo studio cabin for this Southern Caribbean itinerary. I never sailed solo on Carnival but not sure that they could do any better than NCL in this area. Overall, I have mixed feelings between the two lines though. NCL does some things better and CCL does others better. All is subjective but these were my my impressions of the differences between the two lines

 

ITINERARY: edge to NCL

I sail mostly for the itinerary since I haven't been to a lot of the places both lines sail. That's why I switched to NCL for the last two cruises. In July, I went to Bermuda and they did an extra overnight than Carnival. On the So. Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan, Carnival stopped sailings to this area during COVID, but I think the islands NCL sails to were better than what Carnival was visiting anyway.

 

DRINKS: edge to NCL

I'm not a big drinker but I do like the "Free at Sea" beverage package since it also includes soda (which I drink alot) and I could have alcohol without having to worry about the cost. I've never had the CHEERS package on CCL since both people in the room have to purchase and even if I was a solo, it's still more costly for me than NCL since I'm just paying gratuity. I wouldn't drink 15 alcoholic drinks a day so the Carnival plan doesn't work.

FOOD(Availability/Taste): overall edge to Carnival

TASTE: I sailed on the Joy last July and Viva this time. I had some of the same meals and taste was better on the Joy. I ate at Indulge, The Local, Palomar(Speciality), Food Republic(Specialty), and both main dining rooms(Hudson,Commodore). Main Dining rooms on Carnival had better choices and better taste than any main dining room on NCL. Did the steakhouse on both lines and edge was to Carnival; steak was the same, both good, sides on NCL had good taste but they were teeny tiny(sides and desserts) compared to the same sides on CCL. Best meal I had this last trip was at Palomar. Love the soft serve ice cream but on both ships they would pull the cones whenever the buffet closed which seemed always to be early. On Carnival, I've gone fairly late at night to get it and it would be available. Although that may have changed since 2022.

AVAILABILITY: This was where NCL lacked, big time. This trip was port intensive and when you'd get back from port, maybe around 2pm-3pm, there were only two places to get food, The Local and the little Surfside Grill(the buffet portion would close around 2pm). The wait lines for both were ridiculous. I really just wanted something quick to hold me over to dinner. On CCL they have Guy's, Blue Iguana, Shaq's Chicken, Pizza, Deli, and possibly the buffet(I don't remember Carnival's buffet closing as early as the one on the VIVA). MANY people were complaining about the lack of food availability when returning from ports! Only late night food is at the Local which is a sit down restaurant, and they don't even have pizza slices.

ROOMS: edge to NCL 

I like the bathrooms better on NCL with actual shower doors as opposed to curtains, and more modern looking than CCL bathrooms. Carnival's rooms are probably a little bigger and I like their OV better than NCL since the window on NCL was BEHIND the bed. On Carnival they're on the side and you can look out at the view while still in bed. But what really gives the edge to NCL is that they have automatic closing doors so there was no being woken up at all hours by door bangs!! No towel animals on NCL and though that isn't a deal breaker for me, I do enjoy them.

OVERALL ENTERTAINMENT: edge to Carnival

I'm not a raucous party person by any means, but do enjoy some fun. Broadway type shows are better than Carnival's; Syd Norman's on was good. Comedians were ok; NCL didn't have a true sailaway party; thought the comedy, trivia, game type shows better on Carnival. The bars on the Viva seemed to close really early, only a few stayed open later, in main atrium. Pool bar would close by 9pm, didn't really have any "pool contests"(I don't participate but they can be fun to watch sometimes). This all might be because there were no sea days, all port days but even on the Joy I don't remember seeing anything going on at the main pool.

SOLO: edge to NCL

Since I never sailed solo on Carnival since they don't have studio cabins. I loved being in the solo studio area, secure entry to the area(as long as people fully closed the door on their way in/out), in the lounge they had quiet places to relax if you wanted, an area to play games or to socialize(there were 3 different areas), they had pre-mixed drinks and wine in dispensers, soda dispenser(when it worked), and coffee dispenser(when it had milk). Loved not having to wait in bar lines to get a soda to take back to the room. Small pastries in the morning, pound cakes in the afternoon(used to be cookies; I can confirm there are NO cookies on Viva. Only time they were available was at the CC meet & greet, which I missed, but heard they were provided). NCL also has a solo host that organizes meet times, group activities, dinner reservations, etc. Alot of solos in the studio area were actually there with others. I'd say maybe the whole area was 1/2 and 1/2 between the two groups.

 

So if the solo price is better or one or the other than go with that line but don't be afraid to try to NCL as a solo! My next trip in July is with a friend and back on Carnival but the solo trip was a great experience and I'll probably try another solo sometime but would probably only do it on NCL....unless Carnival or Royal has a better itinerary and not too pricy for a solo.

[Two Wheels Only]

2 hours ago, PATRLR said:

NCL and CCL are like Ford and Chrysler. Very similar products both targeting very similar demographics.

 

Carnival is more like Daewoo or Tata. 🤨

 

They'll probably get you there and back but.....

[vswan]

Took my first solo cruise on NCL in a solo balcony cabin in January. Loved it, and when my PCC called to check how it went I booked again for next year on a similar ship, same embarkation port, different itinerary - in a similar cabin.

 

Just went on my first Carnival cruise for spring break with my daughter and grandson (platinum on NCL). I enjoyed it very much, but going solo I would choose NCL. Drink package is affordable, solo program is well organized and it just seems to fit me.

 

Not all NCL ships have the studio solo cabins or lounge - especially the smaller ships. This is when the solo inside, OV and balcony cabins can help bring the price down a little - note I said little, not only paying the one person rate somewhere in between one and two passenger rate.

[Russiamomm]

6 hours ago, zqvol said:

I have been in studios cabins 3 times. Quietest places on the ship. Never heard a sound. 

Same.  I’ve been in the studios four times.  Very quiet.  

[Travelling2Some]

On 4/3/2024 at 3:59 PM, Andoria said:

Last NCL cruise I was on, the food was much better but I had a studio cabin and it was like staying in a college dorm. Noise-canceling headphones didn't help.  I should've realized that the studio cabins probably aren't geared for those over 50.  

 

Interesting.  I never thought of that.  Probably being on a longer non-Caribbean itinerary would make a big difference though.

[YVRteacher]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:31 PM, IAcruising said:

 

There is a fellow poster whose consistent complaint on NCL is that he can't get through a burger without the bun falling apart. I now find myself on a constant search for the illusive good bun.

 

 

The good buns are in the American Diner. Brioche! No falling apart. Then again, my Garden Cafe sesame seed buns don’t fall apart either. I guess I just know how to eat a burger.

[IAcruising]

24 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

The good buns are in the American Diner.

 

Excellent. Now, how about the cheeeese?