What makes NCL better than Carnival or RC?

[putermomy]

I am thinking of NCL, however I think Carnival is a hit or miss, Royal is ok, but tell me what you love about NCL!

[Asawi]

Apart from itineraries to my liking and relatively (although not fantastic!) solo-friendly pricing, for me the "freestyle" dining. Not having a set dinner time and not having to share a table with anyone suits me fine!

Edit: I know other cruise lines has taken up similar programs, but NCL still appeals more to me.

Edited August 19 by Asawi

[9tee2Sea]

Its not the ships per se ( they are all pretty much the sam these days), it's the feel.  I like the feel on NCL.  Feel more comfortable, feel like there is more to do.  Of course, if one is doing the Luxury Part of the ship, the feel is totally different.

[BirdTravels]

25 minutes ago, putermomy said:

I am thinking of NCL, however I think Carnival is a hit or miss, Royal is ok, but tell me what you love about NCL!

NCL Freestyle Cruising 

 

NCL has led the way in innovating and evolving the cruise industry to match the desires of the contemporary cruiser. NCL does not cling to old fashion fixed time dining with group dinners. NCL does not cling to the concepts of Formal Nights with an expectation that people get dressed up to have Mac and cheese. 
 

Full disclosure, I am a NCL Diamond member. I am also a RCCL and MSC  Diamond member and a Platinum member on Cunard. And have already cruises on MSC, RCCL and NCL this year. 

[depplep]

Having only been on one NCL cruise I'm no authority, but they absolutley do their dining better than Carnival or RCL. Also, the crew and food we found to be infinitely better than Carnival or RCL. The only thing we thought RCL did better was the glitz and glamour of their ships. We found the Encore to be nice but no WOW for us. We would definitely sail NCL again as we also appreciated their Free at Sea compared to the costly packages on RCL.

[suech1970]

They have the BEST bartenders….their Dark & Stormies are the best at sea.

We love their entertainment and the very relaxed, comfy atmosphere. We have always had excellent service.

[putermomy]

Thanks everyone...it says free excursions and free open bar.....there has to be a catch??

[ColeThornton]

3 minutes ago, putermomy said:

Thanks everyone...it says free excursions and free open bar.....there has to be a catch??

 

 

There is.  Read the Terms and Conditions.   😉

[drew69]

RCCL and NCL are of comparable level, vibe, feeling, etc.  Have sailed both and it comes down to itinerary, price, and particular preference on the ship(s) and amenities.

 

Carnival is more the lower end of the cruise line spectrum in terms of quality, vibe, etc.  It is basically Walmart of the Seas.

 

 

[SteveH2508]

8 minutes ago, putermomy said:

Thanks everyone...it says free excursions and free open bar.....there has to be a catch??

Yep - they ain't free!

[MNcruisingcouple]

For us it's the free style dining and the included beverage package.  No, the beverage package isn't free but, when we've compared, it's a much better value compared to the RCCL or Carnival.

[Ellis1138]

What I love about NCL over the others:

1) Their Access Desk response to my medical issues. They make sure I have what I need.

2) The food allergy response after I fill out the form. Other lines and land restaurants tell me what I can and can't have. NCL will make me a special version of what I want out of anything they make from scratch as long as they have 24 hours notice.

3) Freestyle and casual. No formal nights, no set dining times. 

 

[complawyer]

after 30 cruise with NCL over  the past 14 years, i dont think you can use "better or worse" as a criteria.

just different. It probably is an overgeneralization, but when you hear of mishaps at sea, it's usually on a carnival ship. RCCL, while loaded with proverbial "bells and whistles", IMO, has gotten way to big. I really dont want to be on a ship with over 5,000 of my closest friends.

i have posted many times before, i choose NCL as i believe (only my opinion) that as far as itinerary, price, and size of cabins, Norwegian gives  you the best bang for your buck. 

suites, the haven complex and the attendant perks are wonderful additions. 

to me, the concierge being able to get me off the ship within 15-20 minutes of docking in and of itself is worth the price of admission.

 

the catch for excursions and open bar are as follows, and neither are really free
 

(1) while it claims "free excursions", the reality is $50 off each excursion, and then only to the person who made the reservation and only to that person. so if you book an excursion costing $50 or less, technically it's free. ( although they really are rarer then hen's teeth)

 

there is a "service charge" tacked onto the drink package. while on board you can order drinks with no charge, you have prepaid the service fee up front. the total amount is disclosed when you do your booking. also you are limited to drinks $15 or less (although that does give you a very wide choice) anything  over the $15 limit, you pay the difference and 20% tax.

you can also waive the drink package and pay per drink as you go along

 

still not a bad deal, and i rarely go over the $15 limit!. My problem is with the unlimited drink package, i have a tendency to drink more per day then i would normally drink in a year,

that being said, thank god for chivas regal!

 

[schmoopie17]

$250 refundable deposits.

10% Veterans discount.

[Oakman58]

I think the biggest plus for NCL is the Free at Sea.  For a non-drinker RCI would be my choice, their entertainment blows the other two lines out of the water.

[schmoopie17]

17 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

their entertainment blows the other two lines out of the water.

Some people might argue that your first three words are more appropriate, given the shift away from production shows to lame game shows.

[pghflyer]

1) No real dress code

2) Real free dining times (the RCL version on their smaller ships....all I have tried....is terrible)

3) All inclusive packages

4) More unique itineraries and ports

[complawyer]

whatever entertainment offered on my ncl cruise or any other cruise line, doesnt even enter into my thinking as to whether to book or not.  itinerary and price, are my only criteria 

 

and schmoopie, good luck, ive had my posts suspended for up to a week, for writing less innocuous posts as  your most recent response to this one.

[amypintx]

We are platinum on Carnival (mostly because that’s where my husband gets the best casino offers) but have cruised NCL the past 2 summers for their longer European itineraries (Breakaway and Dawn). I agree with the comment that it’s not necessarily “better” or “worse”, just different. It also depends on how you cruise and what's important to you in a cruise. We spend time in the casino, don’t really go to the big entertainment shows, and essentially consider the ship as a moving hotel that enables us to see a bunch of amazing places while only unpacking one time. For lots of people, the ship itself is the destination so they might have different opinions than me.  Here’s my thoughts on the differences we’ve experienced. (If I’m wrong about any of the things we couldn’t do on NCL, let me know! We’re still learning and maybe we just couldn't figure out how!)

 

NCL - WAY better itineraries in Europe/Med/Asia especially in the summer (I’m a teacher and that’s my only time to go on a longer cruise.)

 

NCL - “Free at Sea” beverage package is still cheaper than Carnival even though it’s not actually “free” and it's unlimited (you can also get 2 drinks at a time)

Carnival - limited to 15 per day which isn’t a big deal except on sea days if you start in the morning with a bloody mary and have a couple of drinks every hour throughout the day. I’ve never even been close but my brother in law hit it on a sea day this summer

 

Carnival - it’s way easier to see your Carnival casino offers on your own… they’re right there on the website when you login to your account.

NCL - at least for us, we have to call the casino line and then they check to see what we can get (Or maybe I just don’t know how… someone tell me if we’re supposed to be able to see our offers online on our own! 🤣)

 

NCL - customer service phone line is FAR superior to Carnival. I’ve never had to wait long and the person has always been helpful and quick.

 

Carnival - some older Carnival ships still have self-serve laundry facilities which is SO nice for longer itineraries

NCL - no self-serve laundry 

 

Carnival - Can use the app to get on wait list for MDR dinner

NCL - can’t use the app for wait list but I’ve never actually have to wait longer than 10 minutes.

 

Carnival - 10% off gift cards offered through AARP help to reduce the cruise cost (can use them to pay for the cruise and for onboard purchases).

 

NCL - more variety in MDR dining options. I could always find something on the menu that sounded good. 

Carnival - their "new” menus the past couple of years are lacking in my opinion. We’re not foodies and I would never be one of those people who say their cruise is ruined by the food options but if I had to pick between the 2, I’d vote for NCL.

 

Tendering is a nightmare on both - 🤣

[Viajera7]

For full transparency, I am on the second highest level on the following lines: Carnival, NCL, Princess and Royal.So I think I am pretty objective about the pros and cons.

 

Since you asked about NCL, this is what I like:

 

Freestyle. Other lines have tried to copy this but NCL does it better. The only time I had to wait a long time was on the 16 day Getaway cruise from London last year and I got a beeper. 
 

Free at Sea. I like the $50 for excursions. Especially when I am traveling solo which is most of the times.

 

Best program for solo travelers and solo cabins or studios.

 

Best activities during cruises like trivias, etc.

 

Perk for higher tiers like Back Stage Tour, Dinner with the Officers, 2 Specialty Dinners, etc. I think they need to add something extra for Diamonds.

 

[pghflyer]

5 hours ago, Viajera7 said:

Perk for higher tiers like Back Stage Tour, Dinner with the Officers, 2 Specialty Dinners, etc. I think they need to add something extra for Diamonds.

 

Great point, the status program is far ahead of any I have seen up through Platinum level with really substantive and valuable perks at an achievable threshold.........but once you hit Platinum, then you have to cruise DOUBLE (75 more nights, Sapphire) just to achieve a mere Dinner with Officers (no thanks), then DOUBLE (200 more nights, Diamond) again to achieve a Mixology Experience (I have free drinks already, meh, and how many times will I do this?) and a one-time one-category cabin upgrade (worth what $500-$1000?), then DOUBLE (350 more nights, a whole year!!!, Ambasador) again to get a one-time 7-day balcony cruise (maybe about $2-3K?).  

 

Platinum is still comparable to a lot of the higher levels in other programs, but definitely it seems like they don't make much of an extra effort to award you after those 75 Platinum nights.

Edited August 20 by pghflyer

[Oakman58]

While I like NCL's Freestyle dining, I much prefer set dining times.  I like having the same waiter and asst waiter every night.  They quickly learn what you like and, in my experience, offer much better service.

For many years, my preferred cruise line was NCL. With all the cutbacks over the years, I no longer have a preferred cruise line.  I have a cruise booked for this September on NCL, a November cruise with Royal Caribbean, a January cruise with Princess, and a 15 day cruise with Carnival in March.

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 8/19/2024 at 10:32 AM, putermomy said:

I am thinking of NCL, however I think Carnival is a hit or miss, Royal is ok, but tell me what you love about NCL!

 

A rotting row boat full of holes is better thab carnival.  poor food, nasty dirty ships, bad service, worst casino at sea, crappy shows, just to start.

[poohdreaming]

All cruises are about the same. However, if you are solo, I believe NCL does the best in hosting solo travelers. NCL charge an extra $20 per day for their admin fees if using a casino certificate. The dining and drinking package is not free, but you do not have to choose these if you do not want it.

[Oceansaway17]

On 8/19/2024 at 10:32 AM, putermomy said:

I am thinking of NCL, however I think Carnival is a hit or miss, Royal is ok, but tell me what you love about NCL!

NCL is very nice about making changes and giving refunds.

They have nice low deposits and their newer ships in Europe have good itineraries too.

 

RCI is doing more Caribbean and also more 3/4 day cruises.