Carnival vs. NCL (Norwegian)

[mscreneet]

Yep. I actually booked through NCL directly.

I ended up with a rate better than what was shown on the website.

I also got the 50% off on the deposit that was required.

A few people in our group were military and union so they got another discount. We also got great upgrades!!!

I have noticed that the reviews on the Carnival board are so much more harsh than those on the NCL board. I posted the exact same question just to see the difference in answers. Im not dedicated to either line I just happen to have cruised carnival more.

 

I cant wait to see how it turns out, the rate I got was awesome so I just couldnt turn it away. If CCL wouldve had a cruise for my same date in a price not to much more than NCL I wouldve chosen them, but we didnt want to return from our Cruise on Thanksgiving day...so we went with NCL

 

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?

[live.love.cruise]

Yep. I actually booked through NCL directly.

I ended up with a rate better than what was shown on the website.

I also got the 50% off on the deposit that was required.

A few people in our group were military and union so they got another discount. We also got great upgrades!!!

I have noticed that the reviews on the Carnival board are so much more harsh than those on the NCL board. I posted the exact same question just to see the difference in answers. Im not dedicated to either line I just happen to have cruised carnival more.

 

I cant wait to see how it turns out, the rate I got was awesome so I just couldnt turn it away. If CCL wouldve had a cruise for my same date in a price not to much more than NCL I wouldve chosen them, but we didnt want to return from our Cruise on Thanksgiving day...so we went with NCL

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

We finally booked yesterday. I didn't receive any special discounts or upgrades but I'm still excited!!! :)

[KatWag]

We have sailed and enjoyed both lines.

 

Things that stand out for me:

 

Suite Perks - Definitely NCL.

Buffet - Definitely Carnival

Educational opportunities - NCL

Smoking Policy - if you are a smoker, Carnival. If you are a non-smoker, NCL

Breakfast in Dining Room - NCL. I like Eggs Benedict and Belgian Waffles. Belgian Waffles on our most recent Carnival Pride cruise were clearly pre-purchased and were not good. Eggs Benedict was poor as well. Both were excellent on our last NCL cruise.

 

Can't comment on kids program.

 

Honestly, we've never had a bad cruise. You'll have a great time on either line. It's just that I think many of us find that we just "fit" a little bit better on one than another. But doesn't mean you can't have a great time on either one.

[dznymom]

I really enjoy both Carnival & NCL and it's almost always a toss up for me. The thing to consider is that an experience on the Sky will be more similar to the Fantasy class whereas the newer NCL ships compare favorably to Carnival's newer ones. I just did the Sky and I, personally, think she is the best choice for the 3/4 nighters to the Bahamas. As always, your mileage may vary :D

[cde48]

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

 

 

We have been on NCL 6 times, and had a great time, each time that we sailed with them...I would suggest that you stay away from their older ship, the Majesty, becuase it doesn't have nearly as much to offer, as the newer ships! The freestyle dining is great, just make sure that if you want to go to a particular restaurant, on a particular night, to make a reservation in that restaurant! We never had a problem getting into any of the restaurants!

[mj cruiser]

We have done both Carnival and NCL. We are pretty easy to please. We went on the Norwegian Pearl. It was beautiful. My son was 10 and always have loved the kids programs on the ships. That cruise only had 1 other boy his age which was a little crazy but it was 9 day in Feb so school was not out and I knew there was not as many kids. We are going on the dream next year spring break which will be our first Carnival with kids. Although I loved the freestyle dining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to try the kids program on Carnival because I heard its awesome! It will be very difficult for us to not have the freestyle but that is just a personal choice. I understood before going the good and bad of the freestyle before going so I was not surprised that some places cost $10 but it was also much cheaper than RCCL so we still saved money. Like I said I had a blast on all of them! I will let you know about the kids program comparison when we get back!

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Your best bet is to book one of each!:D That's what I did!;):cool:

[cde48]

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.

 

After cruising on the Triumph earlier this month, I felt the same way! We have been on many, many cruises and cruiselines, and thought that the service was better on RCI, DCL, Celebrity, NCL, etc...You get what you pay for, and we only payed just under $400. for a balcony on the Triumph, for a seven day western caribbean sailing! So we really couldn't complain much!;)

[bluehenfan]

My DD and her BF were on the Sky and she didn't care for it at all. She has been on a number of cruises and is the least picky person I know, but she said she didn't care for the food, thought the ship was showing it's age even though it was clean and she kept noticing a sewer smell. She also felt she pretty much got what she paid for as the cost was really cheap. Just not her cup of tea. I was curious and looked at a couple reviews from the 4 days she was on it and one loved it and one felt like she did. When I read them I had to wonder if these people were all on the same ship. Experiences were so different. Other then one cruise that was awful due to illness, I've loved all mine. I'm not at work, I'm not cooking and someone is leaving me a mint on my pillow.... can't wait to try Carnival in 20 days!!

[firefly4423]

Hope you have fun on which ever one you choose!

[BonnieVA]

We've been on both lines & found they're more similar than different. We sailed on NCL's smallest ships so don't know how their larger ships compare. But here are the small things we found that separated the two:

 

- Meals on NCL were better but desserts were better on Carnival

- My kids loved both lines & had fun in the kids' groups on both. But they thought the staff on NCL (in kids' groups & throughout the ship) was friendlier

- I agree - staff was friendlier on NCL

- Cabin stewards were the same - always had room made up (& washcloths!)

- We loved being able to eat whenever we wanted (NCL), esp when travelling w/ kids

- Carnival did seem more upbeat, w/ louder & more modern music playing throughout

[Glamourgal]

We have been on 3 NCL cruises and 2 Carnival cruises with another Carnival cruise on the books!! We sailed on the NCL Sunward II, the Spirit and Pride of Aloha which is now the Sky. We loved that cruise and we were on the ship for 11 nights. I actually like the scheduled eating times that Carnival offers but Free Style definitely has its advantages too. You can make reservations in the main dining room with Free Style if you wish. We did that quite often and never had much of a wait. My feeling is that NCL and Carnival are very similar, we have enjoyed every cruise we were on.

[mscreneet]

Thanks for that info.

Weve booked on the sky, im looking forward to it.

 

 

We have been on 3 NCL cruises and 2 Carnival cruises with another Carnival cruise on the books!! We sailed on the NCL Sunward II, the Spirit and Pride of Aloha which is now the Sky. We loved that cruise and we were on the ship for 11 nights. I actually like the scheduled eating times that Carnival offers but Free Style definitely has its advantages too. You can make reservations in the main dining room with Free Style if you wish. We did that quite often and never had much of a wait. My feeling is that NCL and Carnival are very similar, we have enjoyed every cruise we were on.

[LMHC]

We have sailed both lines with our kids and personally I would choose based on price and itinerary. We really enjoyed both. I thought both kids programs were very good and our kids liked both and spent alot of time there. NCL kids program was not open while we were in port so I am not sure if this would make a difference for you, but we take ours on excursions anyway for family time and new experiences. We also enjoyed the Freestyle dining which made for less planning around schedules. Our kids were made to feel more special by Carnival staff as you have the same waitstaff all week, but flexibility was a bigger plus. Carnival is coming out with their version of anytime dining on some ships so you may check. We enjoyed the entertainment on NCL a little more and food on Carnival a little more. Some lower price cabins on NCL are much smaller so check before you book. I would not hesitate to book with either line after trying both.

[UODuckMan]

We've cruised both Carnival and NCL multiple times and loved all of our cruises, but we just like NCL better. We don't have kids, love the multiple dining choices and like the freestyle and decor on the NCL ships better than Carnival. Everyone has to make their own choices on the cruise they choose, but we end up eating in NCL specialty restaurants most nights and feel the value is worth every penny!

[davy jones]

We have sailed NCL a number of times. The ships on both are nice. Which you like better is a matter of personal taste. We found the shows on NCL to be better than Carnival's, but not by a significant amount. The rooms on NCL are considerably smaller than a comparable Carnival room, but they are well laid out. It would ba a significant issue with more than 2 in a cabin.

 

The food in the main restaurant in better on Carnival. I believe that NCL has reduced the quality in the main restaurants to increase business in the alternative restaurants, which are good. Some threads here have implied that cuts in the main restaurant have occurred. I will judge for myself when we sail on the Triumph at the end of next mont.

 

My current concern with NCL is that they appear to be gravitating back toward a "class" system where you either get a higher category cabin or encounter charges for just about everything. This certainly looks like the case on the new ship "Norwegian Epic".

[Mangojh2]

I loved both lines. I was on the NCL Pearl, one of the newest NCL ships and I was on 2 older Carnival ships. I like the anytime anywhere dining on NCL, but I noticed you can do that on Carnival now. I would definitely not call the food on NCL bad, in fact it was really good but I thought Carnival's was a little higher end.

 

My room was much better on NCL but thats because i had a minisuite. Also I think NCL has refridgerators in all their rooms and I missed that on Carnival.

 

I think they are more the same than different.

[OSUcruiser]

I am trying to decide whether we will like NCL...Epic. I have been on new and old Carnival and an older RCI. The EPIC looks great and the prices are good too.

 

I dislike sitting with strangers at a scheduled dining time.

 

I don't mind paying a small fee for dinner, but would like to know what is included. I heard the Epic will have a buffet with a different set up.?/.

 

Traveling with DH and 2 DS 10 & 13.

 

The kids club on epic look promising along with the waterpark.

 

The entertainment on Epic is way out there...BlueMan, COmedy, and Cirque.

 

I know I sound like I have made up my mind, but I want to amke sure I am not missing something big!

 

Thanks!

[BonnieVA]

I am trying to decide whether we will like NCL...Epic. I have been on new and old Carnival and an older RCI. The EPIC looks great and the prices are good too.

 

I dislike sitting with strangers at a scheduled dining time. That's why we love NCL!

 

I don't mind paying a small fee for dinner, but would like to know what is included. I heard the Epic will have a buffet with a different set up.?/. Don't know much about the dining options on Epic. You mention a "different set up" at the buffet. Maybe it's NCL's action stations that they have implemented on all their ships? Instead of everyone having to get in one LONG line for the buffet, NCL has divided the buffet into stations. So if you don't want a salad, you just skip that line & head straight for the hot foods, eg. It makes for more people milling around &, to me, it's a bit more chaotic BUT you do get your food much quicker that way & usually avoid what some people feel is the nuisance line "butt-er".

 

Traveling with DH and 2 DS 10 & 13.

 

The kids club on epic look promising along with the waterpark. Yes, the waterpark looks like a lot of fun.

 

The entertainment on Epic is way out there...BlueMan, COmedy, and Cirque.

 

I know I sound like I have made up my mind, but I want to amke sure I am not missing something big! The thing that is keeping me from booking the Epic is the tiny room size. Carnival's cabins are much larger than NCL's to begin with, but the size of Epic's cabins ... shutter!

 

Thanks!

 

 

Good luck w/ your decision!

[dvan68]

I am going back and forth with the Liberty or NCL Pearl. Here is what I have so far:

 

- We prefer the Pearl's itinerary.

- Liberty now has the anytime dining.

- Although there are upcharges for restaurants on NCL - we would do the supper club once on Carnival and that is 30pp - so we could do 2 $15 restaurants.

- The pricing for an aft balcony is $400 more on NCL - which I understand is smaller than a Carnival cabin.

 

We are not huge nighttime party people - we ususally like to hang at the wine bar or the cigar bar. Can anyone comment on the wine list available on NCL?

 

We have been on the Liberty before and the Glory so we are familiar with the Conquest class - I'm not sure if we should go with what we are used to, or take the leap and try something different.