Ncl Vs Carnival

[loveshack]

First off - I LOVE CARNIVAL!! Can't beat it for the price and we are taking our little ones for the first time in October. With that being said - my DH and I always take a few days (sometimes a week) every year for ourselves. Our 26 YO takes care of the little ones for us while we are away so no worries about them.

 

My DH has "issues" with having to be in the dining room at a certain time to eat dinner. He hates being on any kind of timetable to eat and we heard about NCL's freestyle dining. Thought about trying it. AND before anyone asked, yes, we do the LIDO quite a bit and enjoy it, but since I am the one who always cooks, cleans and is the maid at our house, it is nice to go to the dining room and eat and be waited on and I LOVE IT!!!

 

Guess I will get to my question - What is the biggest difference (besides price) on carnival vs NCL. We don't "party" too much and we enjoy relaxing in our cabin, casino and EATING!:p

 

Any help would be appreciated.

THANKS! :)

[BDSou812]

The freestyle dining is definately a big plus!

[skylock]

NCL would probably be perfect for you.

 

There are many free dining rooms to choose from. You go up the the place you have chosen for the night, at the time you want, tell them how many in your party and you are seated. And it is just like a nice restrauant at home.

 

You can request a certain waiter if you found one you liked. We usually ask our waiter at breakfast or lunch where they will be that night and go there.

 

We have never had more than a 15-20 min wait and that was only when we requested a certain waiter.

 

We often have diner, go to the show and then return to the dining room for coffee and dessert.

 

I like Carnival for the price, but my preference is NCL for the dining options.

[loveshack]

Great - sounds like we will like it too. But, I won't shy away from carnival - I do love my carnival cruises!

[Clutterlady]

The freestyle dining is definately a big plus!

 

Have to agree..........although we really enjoyed our first Carnival cruise last year we were really turned off with traditional dining. Felt very lucky we had great table mates but really enjoy eating when we're really hungry:)

[GottaLuvCruising]

Are you planning a one-week cruise? If so, you could also consider Princess for their "Personal Choice" dining (works the same as "Freestyle"). Princess staterooms are generally larger than NCL and fares are often lower. If still in effect, Princess "fuel surcharge" for a family of four on a one week cruise would run $70, while NCL will be $140.

[versuco]

We have sailed with Carnival 3 times and Norwegian 2 times. We always have had a great time on both. Freestyle dining is great, you just have to make sure you get reservations if like to dine between 6PM & 8PM. We never had problems getting reservations once we decided where we wanted to go, just call the reservation # in the morning and you are set.

As far as the rest of the cruise experience, Carnival really is the FUN SHIP, but we always found something to do on Norwegian, try the bowling alley, what a blast that is when you are at sea. We have also sailed with Royal Caribbean and Princess and have never had a bad cruise. You can go on any cruise and make the best of it, don't sweat the small stuff. The worse day at sea is still better than your best day at work.

Whatever you decide, have a great time.

[Kurbanfan]

We pretty much loath the traditional dining also. We sailed on Princess in Dec. and did their "anytime" dining and it was the best!!!! We got ready when we wanted and never had to wait. We had a party of 6. I'm sold:D

Next cruise we will be trying NCL also for their freestyle dining.

We have been on 10 Carnival cruises which we loved. But it got old having to be on a dining schedule while on vacation with pretty much the same menu for the last 10 cruises lol!

Good luck in which ever one you choose!

[kato92]

I found the freestyle dining as a big plus...especially with the number of restaurant choices. I still enjoy Carnival for the prices...and other reasons...as you can see my next cruise is on Crnival. I wish Carnival had freestyle dining

[Anni_M]

The biggest difference is the room size. NCL is much smaller. We went on the Norwegian Dawn for 11 days (GORGEOUS ship - indoor pool and everything!) but the room size.......We were so dumb and only got one room for me, hubby, 7 and 9 year old.

I don't mind a set dinner time, and the freestyle was fine too. No complaints either way, but I think the food is better on Carnival

Anni

[MonaCK]

We had a blast on our NCL cruise next week. I think you'll have a good time. And regarding the size of the cabin - my cabin on the valor was either smaller, or not laid out as well, as my cabin on the Sun was this past week.

[angelsx4]

I love them both for different reasons! We took our 4 kids 2 years ago on the Star. It was wonderful not having to be there at a certain time, but there are times when the wait is longer and you may be asked to try a different dining room, like the Versailles over the Aqua. They're the exact same menu, just different ambiance. I missed the getting to know a consistent waitor and them knowing my preferences each night, would sometimes get a less friendly staff, no dancing with the passengers, etc.... But the flexibility was great, especially with the kids. We also never dined with any other families. If you don't mind dining with others, they may put you at tables still with total strangers, they'll ask you that before they seat you. Dh and I ate at Teppanyakis, which like a Benihana's. It was EXCELLENT, and very fun, worth the extra money too. IMO, Carnival does a better job with their food. But, NCL was still really good. It was a really relaxing cruise too. Hand scooped icecream over the softserve available in different flavors every day. Great burgers next to the pool. We were allowed to use our teenage dd's smoothie card for us too. The kids program was a blast. So, several things are the same, the main difference is the set dinner times. I'm comparing NCL to my experience on the Elation, which was great! I felt the Star was a little more PG, PG-13. The comic wasn't raunchy at all even though he said it was mature, where we've walked out of one on the Elation because it was SO bad. Either way you'll have a great time!

[loveshack]

Thank you all so very, very much for the information. I didn't realize that Princess had "choice" dining and I am going to check them out as well. I am really looking forward to having 2 cruises this year - I would like to try both princess and NCL - maybe I'll try to hit hubby up for THREE this year!! Princess, NCL and Carnival!!! :D :D :D

 

Does Princess offer the Past guest discount from carnival?

[gibsones175]

I have sailed on the NCL SUN. I found that they had a problem keeping the food warm until served in the dining rooms. Also, if you did not book the specialty resturants by Tuesday on the week cruise they were all sold out for the rest of the week. My wife and I passed by the steak house on several nights about 8PM , the resturant was 1/3 full but we could not get in , they said thet were booked up. The freestyle dining is great being able to eat at your leisure and you could order as many of any of the items as you wanted ie: 3 lobster tails, 2 shrimp cocktails etc.

[Yoli=)]

Yes, I understand the freestyle part of the cruise. But with carnival the dining is free and I understand that with NCL there is a charge for some of the restaurants?

[kato92]

Yes, I understand the freestyle part of the cruise. But with carnival the dining is free and I understand that with NCL there is a charge for some of the restaurants?

 

There is a charge for some of the restaurants on NCL just as there is a charge for the supper club on Carnival. I think the charge on NCL was $20 or $25(2 years ago). These were the upscale restaurants on NCl. I think there were 3 or 4.

[halos]

I LOVE Carnival and heard so much negative about NCL that I swore I'd never try them. Then we came upon a deal that we couldn't refuse for a 15 day repo on the NCL Spirit.

We went with a large roll call from here and I couldn't believe what a great time we had.

The ONLY difference between the two lines is the dining. We didn't mind the freestyle at all and during that 15 days cruise, even though we made reservations only 3 nights, we never had more than a 10 minute wait to be seated...and we went in groups of 4 to 10 people. Although I thought the service wasn't nearly as good in the dining rooms as on a traditional dining ship, there were pluses that outweighed the negatives. There were far more dining choices on NCL and if we ran into people we knew on the way to dinner, they could join us...you can't do this on a traditional line. We had a blast on our NCL cruise with the crew, who were so much fun. It was the most fun we've ever had on a cruise. We came home exhausted because we didn't rest for one minute on that ship.

Now that NCL is giving themselves a make-over, I imagine that cruising NCL will be even better.

This was posted someplace on Cruise Critic. I copied it and kept it, so I'll post it here if you haven't seen it:

 

Cruise News

Home > Cruise News > NCL Rolls Out Freestyle ... 2.0

 

December 19, 2007

NCL Rolls Out Freestyle ... 2.0

Move over Freestyle Cruising: At a press conference today onboard Norwegian Gem, which is currently sailing its two-night post-christening inaugural cruise from New York, NCL CEO and President Colin Veitch announced the arrival of an enhanced version of the line's signature Freestyle Cruising concept -- Freestyle 2.0.

 

Freestyle 2.0 is a fleetwide initiative to upgrade several aspects of the guest experience, including dining, staterooms, and onboard activities and amenities; NCL will also revamp its tiered Latitudes past passenger program. The initiative is the result of customer and travel agent feedback, and is being helped along, at least financially, by the $1 billion investment Apollo Management offered the company earlier this year.

 

Here's a glimpse of what's to come:

 

Dining

Freestyle Dining is the largest component of the current Freestyle Cruising movement, and that will not change -- most of the 2.0 improvements involve food and beverage. In fact the line expects to spend $50 million on dining-related upgrades before its next new-build (the first in the prototype class now known as F3) launches in winter 2009. Look forward to:

 

No more buffets. Well, sort of. The lido eateries on NCL ships are being transformed into action-station-only restaurants. We've seen the shift throughout the industry from standard buffets with long lines to those peppered with action stations -- but this move will completely eliminate heated holding trays, with all cuisine carved or cooked to order. Staffers on hand carry trays. At night, tablecloths and candlelight will transform the space into another alternative for dinner, with full bar service.

 

Each specialty restaurant will get a signature dish. For example, the steakhouse will offer a 48-ounce porterhouse -- an entree Veitch calls the "Fred Flintstone" cut.

 

A tapas-style food sampling will be offered on embarkation day from all of a ship's specialty restaurants.

 

Lobster will be available in at least one restaurant every night of the cruise. The main dining rooms will serve lobster multiple times each sailing (generally on sea days).

 

All guests will be welcomed onboard with a glass of bubbly -- a nice touch.

 

The room service menu will be expanded.

 

Staterooms

NCL will upgrade mattresses, sheets, pillows, duvets, towels and bathrooms in all cabins on all ships. Coffee makers will be added to any cabins in the fleet that don't already have them, and all suites will get sofa beds. Guests booked in balcony cabins and mini-suites will receive priority check-in and disembarkation, a person Cruise News

Home > Cruise News > NCL Rolls Out Freestyle ... 2.0

 

December 19, 2007

 

 

NCL Rolls Out Freestyle ... 2.0

Move over Freestyle Cruising: At a press conference today onboard Norwegian Gem, which is currently sailing its two-night post-christening inaugural cruise from New York, NCL CEO and President Colin Veitch announced the arrival of an enhanced version of the line's signature Freestyle Cruising concept -- Freestyle 2.0.

 

Freestyle 2.0 is a fleetwide initiative to upgrade several aspects of the guest experience, including dining, staterooms, and onboard activities and amenities; NCL will also revamp its tiered Latitudes past passenger program. The initiative is the result of customer and travel agent feedback, and is being helped along, at least financially, by the $1 billion investment Apollo Management offered the company earlier this year.

 

Here's a glimpse of what's to come:

 

Dining

Freestyle Dining is the largest component of the current Freestyle Cruising movement, and that will not change -- most of the 2.0 improvements involve food and beverage. In fact the line expects to spend $50 million on dining-related upgrades before its next new-build (the first in the prototype class now known as F3) launches in winter 2009. Look forward to:

 

No more buffets. Well, sort of. The lido eateries on NCL ships are being transformed into action-station-only restaurants. We've seen the shift throughout the industry from standard buffets with long lines to those peppered with action stations -- but this move will completely eliminate heated holding trays, with all cuisine carved or cooked to order. Staffers on hand carry trays. At night, tablecloths and candlelight will transform the space into another alternative for dinner, with full bar service.

 

Each specialty restaurant will get a signature dish. For example, the steakhouse will offer a 48-ounce porterhouse -- an entree Veitch calls the "Fred Flintstone" cut.

 

A tapas-style food sampling will be offered on embarkation day from all of a ship's specialty restaurants.

 

Lobster will be available in at least one restaurant every night of the cruise. The main dining rooms will serve lobster multiple times each sailing (generally on sea days).

 

All guests will be welcomed onboard with a glass of bubbly -- a nice touch.

 

The room service menu will be expanded.

 

Staterooms

NCL will upgrade mattresses, sheets, pillows, duvets, towels and bathrooms in all cabins on all ships. Coffee makers will be added to any cabins in the fleet that don't already have them, and all suites will get sofa beds. Guests booked in balcony cabins and mini-suites will receive priority check-in and disembarkation, a personal escort to their staterooms, and a special "At Your Service" hotline (not a concierge, per say, but a team of folks who can field questions and delegate requests).

 

And suite and Courtyard Villa holders, who already receive perks such as butler and concierge service, will get extra benefits including a private breakfast and lunch menu available in the Courtyard and in Cagney's Steakhouse; previously, the Courtyard had only light snacks for breakfast, such as pastries and fruit.

 

Activities & Amenities

The line will launch NCL "U" -- an education and enrichment program that will offer new classes, including organic cooking, improv with Second City, and how to be a bartender or sommelier. The health and wellness program will be expanded, and even the pool deck experience is getting an overhaul -- each deck chair will have a flag on it so when you need a cool drink, you don't have to signal or wait for a bartender. Chilled towels and Evian spritzes will also find their way poolside.

 

Some of the enhancements, such as the action-style "buffet" restaurant, are already in place on Norwegian Gem. Though there's no target date for a complete fleetwide rollout (it will take time as dry dock is required for some ships -- especially in the lido eateries), Veitch says Freestyle 2.0 changes will be largely implemented on all ships by the summer of 2008, and that more details on specific additions and changes will be revealed in the coming months.

 

Oh, and those F3 ships that we mentioned earlier? Veitch tells us we can expect to see even more changes -- Freestyle 3.0 -- with that class, a new prototype for NCL.

 

We'll keep you posted.

 

--by Melissa Baldwin, Managing Editor

al escort to their staterooms, and a special "At Your Service" hotline (not a concierge, per say, but a team of folks who can field questions and delegate requests).

 

And suite and Courtyard Villa holders, who already receive perks such as butler and concierge service, will get extra benefits including a private breakfast and lunch menu available in the Courtyard and in Cagney's Steakhouse; previously, the Courtyard had only light snacks for breakfast, such as pastries and fruit.

 

Activities & Amenities

The line will launch NCL "U" -- an education and enrichment program that will offer new classes, including organic cooking, improv with Second City, and how to be a bartender or sommelier. The health and wellness program will be expanded, and even the pool deck experience is getting an overhaul -- each deck chair will have a flag on it so when you need a cool drink, you don't have to signal or wait for a bartender. Chilled towels and Evian spritzes will also find their way poolside.

 

Some of the enhancements, such as the action-style "buffet" restaurant, are already in place on Norwegian Gem. Though there's no target date for a complete fleetwide rollout (it will take time as dry dock is required for some ships -- especially in the lido eateries), Veitch says Freestyle 2.0 changes will be largely implemented on all ships by the summer of 2008, and that more details on specific additions and changes will be revealed in the coming months.

 

Oh, and those F3 ships that we mentioned earlier? Veitch tells us we can expect to see even more changes -- Freestyle 3.0 -- with that class, a new prototype for NCL.

 

We'll keep you posted.

 

--by Melissa Baldwin, Managing Editor

[qprrules]

Wow, this must be the new friendlier Carnival board.:eek: Very brave question! Have a great time on whatever you choose;)

[Kurbanfan]

Wow thanks for the info Halos! Sounds great! Can't wait!

[Tenn/cruiser]

I have only cruised on Carnival. I have a friend that has VIP status with Carnival so she has been on numerous cruises. Last summer she went to Hawaii withe NCL. She said they couldn't hold a candle to Carnival. That was her quote not mine. I don't want to offend anyone. She said that getting a reservation was very hard and sometimes the wait in the dining rooms could be more than an hour because it seemed everyone wanted to dine at the same time. This was only her experience. There are alot of happy NCL cruisers. I have considered them myself but I am afraid after hearing about her experience. I took pictures of one of the NCL ships leaving Miami and it was absolutely beautiful. The Lido was very impressive. Everyone has different opinions. For now I am going to stick with Carnival. You may have a set dining time but you don't have an hour wait when you go to eat.

[halos]

Wow thanks for the info Halos! Sounds great! Can't wait!

I was excited when I read it :D Are you booking an NCL soon?? I'd love to hear your reaction to it. I don't know if my first cruise on there was a fluke or not, but I REALLY loved it.

[halos]

I have only cruised on Carnival. I have a friend that has VIP status with Carnival so she has been on numerous cruises. Last summer she went to Hawaii withe NCL. She said they couldn't hold a candle to Carnival. That was her quote not mine. I don't want to offend anyone. She said that getting a reservation was very hard and sometimes the wait in the dining rooms could be more than an hour because it seemed everyone wanted to dine at the same time. This was only her experience. There are alot of happy NCL cruisers. I have considered them myself but I am afraid after hearing about her experience. I took pictures of one of the NCL ships leaving Miami and it was absolutely beautiful. The Lido was very impressive. Everyone has different opinions. For now I am going to stick with Carnival. You may have a set dining time but you don't have an hour wait when you go to eat.

 

 

 

NCLA (Hawaii cruises) are a different item all together from NCL.

I believe though that NCLA is trying to clean up their act as well (from what I hear).

Don't ever be afraid to try a line based on one or even a few bad experiences. How many times do you read complaints against CCL on these boards??? I listened to the negativity about NCL for 3 years on here and based a decision NOT to cruise the line in response to those negative comments. It seems I wasted 3 years...NCL wound up being really a great line. The only way to know is to try it yourself. :)

 

Oh and I don't doubt the word of your friend, but waiting an hour to eat is NOT the norm. :)

[Kurbanfan]

I was excited when I read it :D Are you booking an NCL soon?? I'd love to hear your reaction to it. I don't know if my first cruise on there was a fluke or not, but I REALLY loved it.

 

Not until Dec. But we are looking at the NCL Spirit out of Orleans or the NCL Star out of Los Angeles (which would save me a boat load of money on airfare)

We were sold on the "anytime" dining on Princess. It fit our needs perfectly!

As for fluke.....I heard the same crap about Princess but we found it to be a myth.....but then again we have fun anywhere we go lol!

[halos]

Not until Dec. But we are looking at the NCL Spirit out of Orleans or the NCL Star out of Los Angeles (which would save me a boat load of money on airfare)

We were sold on the "anytime" dining on Princess. It fit our needs perfectly!

As for fluke.....I heard the same crap about Princess but we found it to be a myth.....but then again we have fun anywhere we go lol!

 

I think the Spirit is currently having mechanical issues...don't book it until they fix it!!!!!! Keep your eye on the boards for updates on it. I hope they do fix it and you book it. The ship is gorgeous. I don't know if the same crew will be on there when (and if) you sail that ship, but they were SO great. I can't say enough about them.

I think Carnival had a slight edge on food quality/taste but not so much that it made a big difference to me. And with the NCL 2.) thing going on, that may change. I think my DH will love the idea of that Fred Flintstone steak. LOL!:D

[halos]

Not until Dec. But we are looking at the NCL Spirit out of Orleans or the NCL Star out of Los Angeles (which would save me a boat load of money on airfare)

We were sold on the "anytime" dining on Princess. It fit our needs perfectly!

As for fluke.....I heard the same crap about Princess but we found it to be a myth.....but then again we have fun anywhere we go lol!

 

I think the Spirit is currently having mechanical issues...don't book it until they fix it!!!!!! Keep your eye on the boards for updates on it. I hope they do fix it and you book it. The ship is gorgeous. I don't know if the same crew will be on there when (and if) you sail that ship, but they were SO great. I can't say enough about them.

I think Carnival had a slight edge on food quality/taste but not so much that it made a big difference to me. And with the NCL 2.0 thing going on, that may change. I think my DH will love the idea of that Fred Flintstone steak. LOL!:D