Carnival vs. NCL (Norwegian)

[mscreneet]

My family normally cruises carnival..All of our cruises have been with Carnival except for 1.

 

We are considering cruising this year on (NCL)Norwegian ...just to give it a try.

 

Just wondering what the big difference is.

Ive heard that they do the freestyle dining which I think we may like.

 

Any other big differences?

Any experiences with children on their ships (I have a 10 and 13 year old)?

 

We are looking at sailing on the Norweigan Sky

 

:cool:

 

Thanks for your help

[HesitantCruiser]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=983025

[ManyMore]

Everyone likes something different so it's always hard to say. I have done 4 cruise lines and NCL was the one I didn't care for. Admittidly it was their oldest ship but I thought the food wasn't good, entertainment or lack there of. The drinks prices were much higher then Carnival as well.

[mscreneet]

Im still undecided

NCL has some pretty good rates right now, but so does carnival.

 

My main concern is that my kids have a lot to do. I dont want them to end up being bored or tired of having limited activity

[UFQ202]

First let me say I love cruising no matter what ship I am on. Never been on a bad cruise only different. I did the Sky in Oct with my brother. Got an OV for $19 dollars per person. Someone made a mistake and they honored the price. I liked the ship and the being able to eat when I wanted. We went to Cagney's, the French and Italian restaurants. If you have a big family it could get expensive going to the speciality restaurants. I liked the private island and the big cookout. Not sure what they have for kids as mine are older. The staff was very friendly and the OV room was smaller than Carnival but was ok for two people. Really loved the shows they had. Some of the best I have every seen on a cruise ship. Don't miss them if you go.

[mscreneet]

Thanks for the info!!!!

There will probably be about 8 of us going at the most.

I dont think they will want to do the speciality restaurants with the extra surchage anyway.

 

Wow $19...LOL. How lucky!!!!

 

 

 

 

First let me say I love cruising no matter what ship I am on. Never been on a bad cruise only different. I did the Sky in Oct with my brother. Got an OV for $19 dollars per person. Someone made a mistake and they honored the price. I liked the ship and the being able to eat when I wanted. We went to Cagney's, the French and Italian restaurants. If you have a big family it could get expensive going to the speciality restaurants. I liked the private island and the big cookout. Not sure what they have for kids as mine are older. The staff was very friendly and the OV room was smaller than Carnival but was ok for two people. Really loved the shows they had. Some of the best I have every seen on a cruise ship. Don't miss them if you go.

[crzjnke]

Our first two cruises were with NCL and were both wonderful! They were so good that we were almost afraid to change lines, but tried RCI for our third. It was great too. Now we're giving Carnival a try in October. Each line has had differences, but we have enjoyed each one. Good Luck!

[red lobster]

I've been on 8 with Carnival and 12 with RCCL, and a few others, and we just took our first NCL this April. We went on the Spirit and had a great time. The cabins are smaller and the food in the mdr is not as good as Carnival, but other things like eating when we wanted and not having to sit with strangers if we did not want to made up for that. The food in the buffet for breakfast was better on NCL, and the kids pool area was terrific, we had our 2 yr old grandson with us. I am having a hard time deciding whether next cruise we want to take Carnival or NCL, they are both great. I have to say the deciding factor is the price and the ports, I am not loyal to any line since they are all good. I felt like I relaxed more with NCL just because there isn't a stringent schedule you have to follow.

[Casino Player]

My family normally cruises carnival..All of our cruises have been with Carnival except for 1.

 

We are considering cruising this year on (NCL)Norwegian ...just to give it a try.

 

Just wondering what the big difference is.

Ive heard that they do the freestyle dining which I think we may like.

 

Any other big differences?

Any experiences with children on their ships (I have a 10 and 13 year old)?

 

We are looking at sailing on the Norweigan Sky

 

:cool:

 

Thanks for your help

 

I have been on one NCL cruise along with enough Carnival cruises to become a VIP later this year. Also, several cruises with two other lines. Staterooms on NCL are smaller than on Carnival. The food on Carnival is much better. The service on NCL was just not there. We came back from a four hour shore excursion then the room was still not made up when we returned. My wife just got off an NCL ship and the room steward didn't place new washclothes in the restrooms when cleaning. The shows were pretty bad except for Dave Heenan the comedian. BINGO, they wanted you to rent a computer that they say keeps track of eight cards for you and shows only one. A true BINGO player wants to see all eight cards.

If the food is bad then why go with them. It will only make you miserable. Want your kids to have fun, Camp Carnival.

[royd1968]

my first two cruises were on norweigan. the spirit and the star, both were to alaska. at the time I was completely happy with both cruises because I had nothing to compare them to. after now returning from the splendor, I would say I am much happier with carnival. everything mentioned in previous posts I agree with, whether it be the food , the service, bingo, etc.... I always keep my final bills to compare cruises, I didnt do anything more on ncl than I did on carnival, and my bill on the star was over $1200 while my splendor tab was $880....I believe the big difference may have been the cost of bingo on ncl....you can end up spending over $100 per session if you want to....I would go again on ncl, but as of now, carnival is my favorite... and as for the kids....on ncl, I saw a huge pack of kids wandering around, not saying they were bored, but seemingly looking for something to do. while on carnival, the kids always seemed to be involved in some sort of activity. freestyle dining was very convienent, but you dont really get to know your fellow cruisers. thats probably good for some people though.

[mscreneet]

sounds like you had a rough time.

Well I hope mine is a little better at least

Weve already booked because we got a really really good deal.

 

 

my first two cruises were on norweigan. the spirit and the star, both were to alaska. at the time I was completely happy with both cruises because I had nothing to compare them to. after now returning from the splendor, I would say I am much happier with carnival. everything mentioned in previous posts I agree with, whether it be the food , the service, bingo, etc.... I always keep my final bills to compare cruises, I didnt do anything more on ncl than I did on carnival, and my bill on the star was over $1200 while my splendor tab was $880....I believe the big difference may have been the cost of bingo on ncl....you can end up spending over $100 per session if you want to....I would go again on ncl, but as of now, carnival is my favorite... and as for the kids....on ncl, I saw a huge pack of kids wandering around, not saying they were bored, but seemingly looking for something to do. while on carnival, the kids always seemed to be involved in some sort of activity. freestyle dining was very convienent, but you dont really get to know your fellow cruisers. thats probably good for some people though.

[live.love.cruise]

Hey,

 

I posted a similar question on NCL. We just returned from a Disney cruise and are looking into either CCL or NCL for our next one. I've cruised CCL before but wanted to give NCL a try. The funny thing is we're considering the same Sky sailing that you booked. Did you book direct or through a TA for that really really good deal? :)

 

What made you pick NCL?

[SunTravels]

My last two cruises were on NCL, my last being on the Sky in December/Jan (new years cruise) and my first 2 were with Carnival. While I miss Carnival and can’t wait to get back on them, I enjoyed NCL (I really think I’d have a hard time not enjoying a cruise). The lines have many similarities, but some of the notes I have from NCL are: Food on our NCL Spirit cruise was awesome, food on the Sky was hit or miss - while I find Carnival's food to be very consistent on the 2 cruises we took. There were tons of kids on our Sky cruise (we were not traveling with kids) but everyone we spoke to said they had plenty planned for the children – but I must admit we did miss the slide and multiple pools that are on carnival (They don’t have the kids water area on the Sky like they did on the NCL Spirit though…and I didn’t see the kids area). Entertainment at night in the show lounge on Sky was better than any other cruise I’ve been on (I’m picky about the big shows and while they were no Broadway, I didn’t have the feeling of wanting to walk out after just a few min.)… the disco left much to be desired, it’s in a strange place where traffic crosses through so there were tons of kids there after 10pm, which I have never found on any other cruise. I LOVE the Freestyle dining…I am not a fan of sitting with the same people every night and being so scheduled for dinner time.

I think you will enjoy NCL, you just need to go in with an open mind and understand that while there are many similarities there are also many differences.

[ib4cruzn]

I have been on one NCL cruise along with enough Carnival cruises to become a VIP later this year. Also, several cruises with two other lines. Staterooms on NCL are smaller than on Carnival. The food on Carnival is much better. The service on NCL was just not there. We came back from a four hour shore excursion then the room was still not made up when we returned. My wife just got off an NCL ship and the room steward didn't place new washclothes in the restrooms when cleaning. The shows were pretty bad except for Dave Heenan the comedian. BINGO, they wanted you to rent a computer that they say keeps track of eight cards for you and shows only one. A true BINGO player wants to see all eight cards.

If the food is bad then why go with them. It will only make you miserable. Want your kids to have fun, Camp Carnival.

 

Weird, I'm just the opposite. Fourteen cruises on NCL (three ships twice) and have no regrets whatsoever. I thought both the service and food was superior to CCL and almost equal to Celebrity. Cabin stewards were outstanding. Sit on the bed and wrinkle it and when you return it's made-up again. Impressive. You typically pay more for this service though.

 

I have to agree about the kids though. Carnival is the choice if you want to take all your children.

[doctordi]

I've been on both Carnival and NCL and taken the children ages 8,7,and 5 on both. The price on NCL over spring break was great, but, I seriously doubt that I will sail with them again. I think that the kids will have much more fun on Carnival - they really seem to understand the needs of families. And families need WASHCLOTHS - I ended up stealing them from the housekeeping carts in order to get 4 per day.:rolleyes:

[GOLDENBONNY]

My family normally cruises carnival..All of our cruises have been with Carnival except for 1.

 

We are considering cruising this year on (NCL)Norwegian ...just to give it a try.

 

Just wondering what the big difference is.

Ive heard that they do the freestyle dining which I think we may like.

 

Any other big differences?

Any experiences with children on their ships (I have a 10 and 13 year old)?

 

We are looking at sailing on the Norweigan Sky

 

:cool:

 

Thanks for your help

 

We will never go on NCL againe:eek::eek: even for free.this line has no class at all,its like a floating 3*resort.

[ucmom3]

We were on the Sky in Sept. 08. It was our second cruise the first being on the Carnival Conquest. The layout on the Sky is very strange. You have to walk through the buffet area or the Italian restaraunt to get to the pool area if you are in the aft of the ship. The buffet left something to be desired, as did the main dining rooms. We had one great meal and that was at Cagneys. The disco seems like it is in the middle of a hall way, no actual walls around it, open air disco. The kids pool, if that is what you want to call it, is VERY small like for a toddler, it is up front of the ship, far from the other pools. We decided after going to the bingo, and sales pitch to buy the computer thingy to play to just skip it, because they basically said you weren't going to win without it. Good luck on your cruise, it does beat working any day. One good point was there weren't hardly any chair hogs by the pools

[GOLDENBONNY]

my first two cruises were on norweigan. the spirit and the star, both were to alaska. at the time I was completely happy with both cruises because I had nothing to compare them to. after now returning from the splendor, I would say I am much happier with carnival. everything mentioned in previous posts I agree with, whether it be the food , the service, bingo, etc.... I always keep my final bills to compare cruises, I didnt do anything more on ncl than I did on carnival, and my bill on the star was over $1200 while my splendor tab was $880....I believe the big difference may have been the cost of bingo on ncl....you can end up spending over $100 per session if you want to....I would go again on ncl, but as of now, carnival is my favorite... and as for the kids....on ncl, I saw a huge pack of kids wandering around, not saying they were bored, but seemingly looking for something to do. while on carnival, the kids always seemed to be involved in some sort of activity. freestyle dining was very convienent, but you dont really get to know your fellow cruisers. thats probably good for some people though.

 

lucky for me we cruised before NCL and we new what is cruising about ,other wise my DH would never cruise againe:p:p

[JPEvans]

We will never go on NCL againe:eek::eek: even for free.this line has no class at all,its like a floating 3*resort.

 

I cruised the Norwegian Gem last year. I enjoyed it very much. Freestyle dining

worked out well for our little group. Cabins were smaller than on Carnival. But the

shower was great! Nice and big with a glass shower door. I thought the food

was as good as any other I've cruised lately. One thing about the menu in the

main dining room on the Gem. On Carnival they had staple items everyday that

you can order if you didn't find something on the regular menu that appealed

to you. The Gem didn't have that. But other wise the food was good. Actually

if you compare a NCL cruise with a 3 star resort, that a accurate assessment. There

are only a handful of true 5 star hotels and resorts in the USA. So most others

are either 4 or 3 stars. 4 stars are considered among the best. 3 stars are probably

considered an average hotel or resort. I've stayed in a couple 5 star resorts. One

was the Ritz Carlton resort in Naples Florida. And i can tell you, of all the cruises i've

taken over the years. Not one can live up to the level of service and amenities

that that place has. And remember NCL is considered a mass market line, along

with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and I don't think NCL thinks they are trying to be

anything else. Cunard on the hand maybe, but NCL, no

[jnadz]

My wife, 3 yo son, and I cruised on the Sky last year and did a b2b to make it a full week (cheapest week long cruise in a balcony I've ever seen, so we couldn't resist).

 

My wife and I have been on RCI 4 times, Carnival 4 times and NCL one time prior to this cruise but this was the first cruise with our son. He loved the kids camp, but we only used it in the evening. Due to the itinerary (in port every day), the kid's camp was empty during the day and if I remember right you had to pay for day time on port days (no sea days on sky).

 

Overall, the room was a little small and the food was about the same as RCI but not as good as Carnival. All this said, with the deals they are offering, I would do it again (but not this year since we just cruised NCL last year).

[anchorsaweigh]

I've cruised on both and by far, CCL's program for kids surpassed NCL. I couldn't help but feel that NCL wanted the kiddos sequestered in an area only to be seen by parents picking them up. Where CCL incorporated the benefits of the ship to the activity of the moment. Therefore children were seen having fun enjoying all of the ships ammenities.

 

NCL - definitely enjoyed the specialty dining and flexibility.

[arpie05]

My thoughts on Freestyle - is yes, you may like it, but Carnival now offers that same option.

We did like it as we could go whenever, but ended up at dinner either waiting for the dining room to open or to be told to come back in an two hours for an open table (but we were hungry now). Yet, we will give Carnival's dine anytime option a try, I think we will from now on select it based on cruise itinerary. We didn't like it, too, because you never have the same waiter so you don't get the same great service - or is that because it wasn't CCL - that is why we are trying it on CCL.

 

Except for the buffet and the main dining room, all the other restaurants will most likely have a charge. You can't tell from the website which have upcharges. On the Star, there was a casual indoor burger place that was free but it does not look like the Sky has one. Also, several of the restaurants were not upcharges when we booked but when they went to their 2.0 upgrade last year, they became upcharges because they added a lobster dish to the menu. No, you weren't only charged if you got the lobster, it was $10 for anyone going even if you didn't order lobster. Everyone was ticked at the time because the restaurants were free when we booked but the sailing before ours it changed. (when the ship switched to the Alaskan/upgraded to 2.0)

 

Restaurant upcharges I think are $10-40, depending on which location. I think Cagney's steak has a restaurant upcharge plus then certain items do cost extra above that.

 

check their automatic gratuties. They could be $11 per person. They are service charges and automatic, can't be removed or decreased.

 

Kids program. Carnival is better! My son was 12 last year. His tshirt for the coloring last day on NCL was a kids size L. (Largest available) That would have fit when he was 6. He sleeps in his CCL one. They didn't do scavenger hunts, dance parties, basically they were stuck up in a room all day playing games.

 

Would I do NCL again, maybe if the price was great but CCL has great prices right now.

 

And I agree the layout stinks on the Star - you have to walk through the dining areas to get anywhere.

[arpie05]

Just checked - NCL is $12 per day..

 

Onboard Service Charges are additional. A charge of $12 per person per day for guests over the age of 3 will automatically be added to your onboard account.

[spamwhiches]

I think this review may give you some sense of what to expect on an NCL ship (this one went to Alaska) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=984630

 

I have sailed the Valor (Caribbean) and enjoyed Carnival too.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Sorry, I see now that you are thinking about the sky, I had bad experiences with the Sky while it was the Pride of Aloha. It would not be my first choice.

[royd1968]

sounds like you had a rough time.

Well I hope mine is a little better at least

Weve already booked because we got a really really good deal.

 

 

no, I didnt have a rough time at all....it was my first 2 cruises, I had nothing to compare them to.....at the time, I thought I was having the best time possible... I have no major complaints against ncl....most of the staff was unbelievable...my room steward on the star was not very good. im sure you will have a great time....but for my money, I thought I got a better deal with carnival.....my dad is dedicated to ncl, so in the near future I will again be sailing ncl so I can join him...