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Any loyal Carnival cruisers tried NCL?


thegoodlife247
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I am contemplating trying the NCL getaway next spring break. I love Carnival and would definitely book again for our next vacation but there isn't an itinerary on a ship with the amenities our 12 year old adventure loving, thrill seeking DD would enjoy.

 

So, has anyone tried NCL or sailed the Getaway specifically? What are your thoughts on freestyle cruising? It seems like a little work to plan and reserve everything. But I may like the freedom too. What about food? We will not book any specialty dining. We will book an inside cabin for 3, which i know is smaller than Carnival so that concerns me a little. We will take the bar package offered on NCL as our "perk" The price for 3 of us with the alcohol package "perk" is only $150 more than we paid this spring break for just 2 adults when adding on Carnival's cheers package, which we did purchase.

 

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions is welcome.

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I've sailed on NCL Epic and Breakaway. The biggest difference is the "freestyle dining" and the food itself. Obviously, food is subjective and everyone has an opinion. I'm the world's least picky eater...if you put it in front of me, I will eat it. That being said, overall, I do like Carnival's food better. You don't have to reserve all of your meals ahead of time. The specialty restaurants do get booked quickly, but you are still able to go to any of the main dining rooms every night (very similar to Carnival's YTD).

 

The newer Norwegian ships do have more bells and whistles and fancy things than the newer Carnival ships (except for maybe the Vista).

 

Overall, I do prefer Carnival, but there's nothing preventing me from sailing NCL again. In fact, my mom and I are looking at a Baltic Sea sailing on Breakaway next year. I say, if the itinerary, price, and sail date are what you are looking for, book it.

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We will not book any specialty dining. We will book an inside cabin for 3, which i know is smaller than Carnival so that concerns me a little. We will take the bar package offered on NCL as our "perk" The price for 3 of us with the alcohol package "perk" is only $150 more than we paid this spring break for just 2 adults when adding on Carnival's cheers package, which we did purchase.

 

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions is welcome.

Is that $150 more include the gratuities you will pay on the bar package. I have heard the gratuities can add up to more than you expect. The package may be free but the gratuities aren't included, so have to add that to your cost.

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I've cruised NCL for many years. The Getaway should be the same class as the Breakaway, which is what I've sailed. The entertainment is very good on the newer NCL ships, but not so much on the older ones. The Breakaway is a big ship, but NCL likes to chop up the ship into a lot of different areas. For example, there's an adults-only cabanna area called "Vibe." People in the most expensive suites are in a separate area called "The Haven" and get their own pool and dining location. These areas take away from the general population areas of the ship. The problem with this is that whenever lots of people want to do the SAME thing at the SAME time, there's going to be overcrowding. The pools are always super crowded. The main theater on the Breakaway is SMALLER than the ones on the OLDER ships. That's because the Breakaway has TWO theaters. The main one and another reserved for the Cirque show/dinner. There seems to be a lot more nickle and diming on NCL these days. On the Vista, there's Guy's burgers and also a Salad place. On NCL, they used to have a spot called Uptown Grill that served build-you-own burgers and salads gratis. That got converted to a Margaritaville and you have to pay for burgers now. Oh, and it's not even themed like a real Margaritaville. (AFAIK, O'Sheenans is still mostly free and serves tasty burgers, too. The do charge for sundaes, which is crazy since you can get the same ice cream and toppings in the buffet for free. What are they charging you for? the bowl?) There are many more specialty dining options on NCL and they're excellent. Unfortunately, a few of them went a la carte. Also, if you don't reserve them IMMEDIATELY, then you won't get a reservation. You really need to do research and plan things out on NCL. If you try to just wing it, you may not be able to do everything you want. You cannot bring soda or bottled water on board anymore. They took away the SpongeBob/Nickelodeon theming and events.

 

BTW, I haven't cruised Carnival since 2011. I booked the Horizon in 2018, so I can't give you a fair comparison until next year :D

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We have cruised on Carnival 9x and NCL 3x with future cruises booked on NCL Escape AND Carnival Fantasy. We like both lines. The newer NCL ships, such as the Getaway, are the most different from Carnival. MDR food and service is similar to Carnival anytime. Since you aren't going to the specialty restaurants you won't need to worry about making reservations for dining. O'Sheehans is a great alternative to eating in the MDR and it is included. We have found NCL's buffets to be much better than Carnivals. You will want to make reservations for the shows and they are better than Carnival in our opinion. You do not need to make reservations for Howl at the Moon and that IMHO is a do not miss. You need to make reservations for the Comedy Club which is probably on par with Carnivals Comedy Clubs. Carnival does beat NCL when it comes inside room size. The outside activities for kids on the newer ships are on par with Carnivals newer ships Dream class and up. Have fun.

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I am contemplating trying the NCL getaway next spring break. I love Carnival and would definitely book again for our next vacation but there isn't an itinerary on a ship with the amenities our 12 year old adventure loving, thrill seeking DD would enjoy.

 

So, has anyone tried NCL or sailed the Getaway specifically? What are your thoughts on freestyle cruising? It seems like a little work to plan and reserve everything. But I may like the freedom too. What about food? We will not book any specialty dining. We will book an inside cabin for 3, which i know is smaller than Carnival so that concerns me a little. We will take the bar package offered on NCL as our "perk" The price for 3 of us with the alcohol package "perk" is only $150 more than we paid this spring break for just 2 adults when adding on Carnival's cheers package, which we did purchase.

 

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions is welcome.

We had a great time on the Getaway. The only bad thing I can say is the pool is super small for a ship with 4,000 passengers.

 

In your cost comparison did you include the $200 you have to pay for the beverage package on NCL?

 

Bill

 

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I am contemplating trying the NCL getaway next spring break. I love Carnival and would definitely book again for our next vacation but there isn't an itinerary on a ship with the amenities our 12 year old adventure loving, thrill seeking DD would enjoy.

 

So, has anyone tried NCL or sailed the Getaway specifically? What are your thoughts on freestyle cruising? It seems like a little work to plan and reserve everything. But I may like the freedom too. What about food? We will not book any specialty dining. We will book an inside cabin for 3, which i know is smaller than Carnival so that concerns me a little. We will take the bar package offered on NCL as our "perk" The price for 3 of us with the alcohol package "perk" is only $150 more than we paid this spring break for just 2 adults when adding on Carnival's cheers package, which we did purchase.

 

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions is welcome.

 

You will love the Getaway....lots to do. Ropes course is loads of fun! Go ahead and make show reservations ahead of time but you can change them around once on board. Also, if you can't get a reservation go to the stand by line. Many, many people don't show up. We've never had a problem seeing the shows. IMO the shows are better on Norwegian. Buffet is better. MDR on par. Norwegians desserts are generally variations on a gelatinous theme, blech. The wings in O'Sheehan's were great!

 

If you like spas buy a spa pass ahead of time. 12 year old not allowed there, though. Definitely start reading the Norwegian CC page and join your Roll Call. Definitely attend your M&G. You will meet all the officers and get a card with their phone numbers. Trust me, if you have a problem they will go above and beyond.

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Is that $150 more include the gratuities you will pay on the bar package. I have heard the gratuities can add up to more than you expect. The package may be free but the gratuities aren't included, so have to add that to your cost.

 

 

You pay the gratuities up front on ncl. I believe it was around $150 for 2 of us. No limits on the drinks, have as many as you'd like!

 

We have sailed the Getaway twice, the first time I did a lot of research as there is a lot to do on that ship and I wanted to fit it all in! I wouldn't hesitate to book it again, it's my favourite NCL ship.

 

We just booked the Dream as we wanted to try something new after sailing NCL 7 times. Also really looking forward to checking out New Orleans. Never have had a bad meal, no need to pay for the specialty restaurants. The wings at O'Sheehans are awesome!

 

Yes pre book your entertainment, it is not set in stone, you can change it once you are on board if you need to.

 

 

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You pay the gratuities up front on ncl. I believe it was around $150 for 2 of us. No limits on the drinks, have as many as you'd like!

 

We have sailed the Getaway twice, the first time I did a lot of research as there is a lot to do on that ship and I wanted to fit it all in! I wouldn't hesitate to book it again, it's my favourite NCL ship.

 

We just booked the Dream as we wanted to try something new after sailing NCL 7 times. Also really looking forward to checking out New Orleans. Never have had a bad meal, no need to pay for the specialty restaurants. The wings at O'Sheehans are awesome!

 

Yes pre book your entertainment, it is not set in stone, you can change it once you are on board if you need to.

 

 

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The gratuities for a 7 day cruise for the drink package is $99 pp.:)

 

Bill

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The Getaway is amazing! Been twice with a third coming up... please give it a try, I don't think you will be disappointed. I travelled with a younger child and there are many activities to keep them busy- amazing ropes course, bungee trampoline and spider web slide, 5 slides ( drop slides you have to be 100 lbs minimum), rock climbing wall, etc. Pools are small. The booze package was great. I would recommend trying the specialty dining. Buffet was much better than Carnival. Don't get me wrong, we love sailing Carnival too, but we also enjoy the newer mega ships on other lines with all the bells and whistles!

 

I found inside staterooms on both lines comparable with Getaway having more modern decor and less functional storage space. There were no drawers to store clothing - just a a series of oddly shaped shelves which I didn't care for. Bathroom goes to Getaway with a rounded door and no icky shower curtain like Carnival has.

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You will find lots of similarities. Freestyle cruising works pretty seamlessly and there are lots of free dining choices. O'Sheeans and the Ginza are great. As you already see, the fare is higher but the overall cost can be lower when you factor in perks. Our last NCL cruise was a super bargain fall cruise, the total cost including UBP was not much more than what Cheers would have cost on its own. There are deals out there.

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Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I didn't factor the gratuity for the bar package so that does add an additional cost. I wish Carnival had a ship with slides and ropes that sailed that week but it sounds like our DD will have a blast, even if the pool is crowded.

 

 

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NCL Howl at the Moon is better than Carnival Piano Bar.

NCL O'Sheehan's is a nice casual Bar/Rest. that Carnival has nothing to compare to.

NCL price is better IF you factor in the drinks/perks.

NCL buffet I though was better than Carnival.

 

That being said there are far more similarities than differences.

 

5 Carnival cruises with the 6th next year on Vista.

1 RCI

2 most recent on NCL( Epic and Escape)

 

NCL Escape was by far the best cruise we have had.

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We sailed NCL many, many times, but stopped when they went to all "Your Time" dining. Having said that, the lovely, and talented Mrs. Jones sailed "Epic" trans Atlantic last year, and absolutely HATED it! Dark, dark ship, with less than good food offered. Strange shaped cabins, with weird layout of toilet/shower. Decent entertainment, when you could get in to see it. All in all,,,,we won't be sailing NCL again anytime in the near future.

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I am contemplating trying the NCL getaway next spring break. I love Carnival and would definitely book again for our next vacation but there isn't an itinerary on a ship with the amenities our 12 year old adventure loving, thrill seeking DD would enjoy.

 

So, has anyone tried NCL or sailed the Getaway specifically? What are your thoughts on freestyle cruising? It seems like a little work to plan and reserve everything. But I may like the freedom too. What about food? We will not book any specialty dining. We will book an inside cabin for 3, which i know is smaller than Carnival so that concerns me a little. We will take the bar package offered on NCL as our "perk" The price for 3 of us with the alcohol package "perk" is only $150 more than we paid this spring break for just 2 adults when adding on Carnival's cheers package, which we did purchase.

 

Any thoughts, advice or suggestions is welcome.

 

Well, I don't know if this is considered as 'loyal' but out of our past fifteen cruises, twelve have been on Carnival. The other three were RCL, two were on the Navigator of the Seas, and the other (which was the most impressive) was the Oasis of the Seas. We loved BOTH cruise lines, but for different reasons. :) So, it depends on what each cruise line does a little differently than the other. FOOD, ( IOHO) was great in all venues, We did both buffets and MDR (My time dining) on both lines and found the food too be great. We've never taken the drink package, so I can't comment there but chose to take the steakhouse on both CCL and RCL (if it was available).I know you mentioned you won't do that, but for 30-35 dollars, it's a great deal well worth consideration. You definitely owe it to yourself to check out NCL, or any other line. I think ( and I could be surprised) I'd love a HAL cruise, I've been reading on here, on the boards, the pros and cons about that cruise line. Sooo, ya never know, it's sorta like yout first cruise, you never know till you try it. :) Whatever you decide, Go !! and have fun!! Have a GREAT cruise on whatever line you decide !

 

Mac

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We sail both. As many said, more alike than different. Entertainment is typically better on NCL, though I don't bother with the shows, so that didn't matter to me.

 

Yep, it's subjective, but, we did find the included food better on Carnival, also the steakhouse, which is the only up-charge venue we go too. LOL we did not starve, just not as tasty in our opinion. On the larger ships you will need to make reservations in advance or you may be out of luck getting seating at the up-charge venues due to the volume of people with the SDP. Depending on your party size and what time it is, there may be walk up seating available, tho not always!

 

The UBP is good as it's unlimited in volume, however, not in what's included due to pricing limits (ie. top shelf), but, more than good enough for me. I've read lately of more drinks being premade and not being as tasty, though as with anything YMMV.

 

All the above being said, we've never had a bad cruise yet with either line!

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Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I didn't factor the gratuity for the bar package so that does add an additional cost. I wish Carnival had a ship with slides and ropes that sailed that week but it sounds like our DD will have a blast, even if the pool is crowded.

 

Likewise with the special dining package if you choose it as your second option. It was something like $80 per person for the gratuities.

 

I cruised Getaway's sister ship, Escape. I had a blast on that ship. Someone mentioned the small pools, which is true, but Carnival isn't exactly known for large pools either.

 

In my experience, NCL's biggest negatives are the free food (MDRs) and their nickel and dime culture. They're the worst in the business at money grabs. I always call them the Spirit Airlines of cruising. Also, no one steers you toward specialty restaurants like NCL. And to make matter worse, if you don't have the package, their specialty dining is ala cart pricing, and they add an 18% gratuity on top.

 

But those negatives aside, NCL has excellent entertainment and from what I've seen, they put more effort into their main productions shows than Carnival.

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I've sailed Carnival over 30 times and NCL just 4 so far, but I've enjoyed both. Granted, the NCL ships were fairly new fleet additions when I sailed them.

 

One thing I enjoyed most was keeping an open mind and experiencing what seemed to me the differences (better or worse) between the cruiselines. I did enjoy the specialty restaurants on NCL, I think NCL's entertainment was many levels better than Carnival's. I don't drink, so no personal experience with the Cheers or UBP.

 

On NCL, I was able to pre book dinner reservations, some entertainment, excursions, etc., and then print out a day by day summary of everything on a single chart, very helpful. Enjoy whatever you decide to do!

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We sailed NCL many, many times, but stopped when they went to all "Your Time" dining. Having said that, the lovely, and talented Mrs. Jones sailed "Epic" trans Atlantic last year, and absolutely HATED it! Dark, dark ship, with less than good food offered. Strange shaped cabins, with weird layout of toilet/shower. Decent entertainment, when you could get in to see it. All in all,,,,we won't be sailing NCL again anytime in the near future.

 

My first cruise on NCL was on the NCL Sea in 2001. Cruise was "Freestyle" then with open meal times. That was over 16 years ago.Epic has always been Freestyle or "Your Time" dining. Additionally, the Epic is the only ship in their fleet designed like that. I'm Platinum on Carnival and NCL with 32 sailings between them. They are both wonderful lines.

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We were docked next to NCL Escape last month in Nassau and I'll admit, I had cruise ship jealousy! Looked AMAZING and I thought for sure that was going to be our ship for spring break 2018.

 

After reading many reviews, pricing out several options, we are sticking with Carnival and booked on Glory for March .

 

The ports Escape visited during our week ( Eastern Caribbean) didn't really appeal to me as much as the Glory ports and did not care for the thought of having to make reservations in advance of sailing in order to get the benefits of the included dining package. I'd rather be able to eat where and when I want, especially with kids and not knowing how everyone's moods will be after long days in port.

 

 

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Is that $150 more include the gratuities you will pay on the bar package. I have heard the gratuities can add up to more than you expect. The package may be free but the gratuities aren't included, so have to add that to your cost.

 

No, we did this last year & the gratuities were $85 per person. And the drinks are unlimited, Carnival has a 15 drink per day limit.

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No, we did this last year & the gratuities were $85 per person. And the drinks are unlimited, Carnival has a 15 drink per day limit.

 

The Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL is $79/day. 18% is $14.22/day so for a 7 day cruise, the gratuity is $99.54.

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