slyone14

That is a great list! Full of good movies. Time to sit by the pool with a few Miami Vice's while watching movies.

So I know its on some ships and not on others. Well, I am on the Carnival Breeze at the end of September, with Mike. Does anyone who has been on Breeze if they have something called Carnival Quest? I saw it when I was on Carnival Glory, though named Carnival Adult game night, but I missed it. Hoping its on the breeze. I swear I saw it a few months ago

No offense but this thread really should be closed. This is an argument that will never go anywhere at all and will only continue to cause a unneeded controversy.

Our next cruise, next week :D : we have a deck 1 Ocean view booked. It's more mid ship than aft. We've never had an OV, but were trying to budget... so we will see how we like it.

This!!! I too am trying to budget so I can't afford a Balcony and I always do an interior. So I'm gonna try it.

Carnival = WalMart

Royal = Costco

Princess / Celebrity = Macy's

HAL = Bloomingdales

Azamara = R.E.I.

Crystal / Cunard / = Rolex ( as in if you don't have one, don't bother)

MSC = Probably Trader Joes

Agree with them all but switch Royal=Walmart. And Carnival=Target

HI everyone; Have a future booking question.

For the Carnival Magic, they have a ocean view cabin on the first floor all the way in the back rear. Has anyone stayed in one of these rooms, how is the noise level? I don't get motion sickness, so that's not a concern. I stayed on the first floor on Victory and the noise was horrible and I couldn't ever sleep. Any help would be appreciated

I am going to listen to everyone and stick with Carnival. Its not only the 400 but then I forgot about other things ie, excursions and prepaid grats, which is all paid for already. ILl take my piece of mind knowing my wallet is better.

I did join the cc rol call, but its really quiet and dead. Ill speak with the Dining room guy and request a table he thinks would suit me. You all are right, money aside its a big loss and not to mention added cost will probably be well over 400.

Plus, I can cheat on my wife, Carnival, I feel like ive been loyal so far, and ill finally hit gold. Thanks everyone.

I should put this out there. My cruise now, is Carnival Breeze 7 day to Cozumel/belize and Honduras.

The other is NCl escape to St Thomas/st marten and Nassau

Keep in mind this is my 6th cruise, all with carnival, lol

Well, if I get my refund for the excursions and cheers and the cruise dollars I put in, that will be about $650, making my loss about $400.

My reasoning is I am a solo traveler, in my 30s who is looking to meet people and have fun. I just keep hearing that NCL Escape really caters towards solo travelers and I would meet tons of other solo travelers to have dinner with, and do things with. The solo cord sets you up with dinners together and events, and you usually end of doing lots of stuff together. With Carnival (this will be my gold cruise) its more of a challenge, ill meet at my table and usually in the club but that's really it, the rest is alone. Especially id like to eat at a specialty place for my 36th bday and being alone would be not as fun. Now, I am extremely outgoing so its not hard to meet people. Thoughts?

If I book NCl Escape, i could change my flight at no charge with southwest. Also for a studio cabin i would only be paying 400 more. Which is a lot i know, but. The dates are all the same.

Just curious here. I have a cruised booked and I think I found a cruise I would rather go on. I am two weeks from sailing so I know I would only get my excursions and cheers money back, which I am okay with. I would use this money to book another cruise?

So, my question is this, has anyone here ever taken a loss on a cruise to book a different cruise for one reason or another? Or am I just crazy?

Norwegian Escape review and itinerary from a late-20s solo cruiser staying in a Balcony cabin.

 

I'll be posting this as a couple entries just because it is pretty long. This is also my first review so I'm not sure how the formatting will turn out.

 

Feel free to leave comments or questions and I will try to keep up.

 

I have cruised previously on other lines with my family but I went solo for the first time. Below I provide a review of my solo experience and first time on NCL that focuses on specific topics (e.g. cabins, service, entertainment), especially those of interest to solos (e.g. studio lounge). I also provide detailed daily itineraries to show that I really did have fun and did (read, ate :)) a lot on and off the ship. Hopefully this can help other solos decide whether NCL is the line for them or convince someone on the fence to try out solo cruising.

 

Rationale for choosing NCL:

I decided to go with NCL since they offered the studio cabins, guaranteeing that there would be other solos onboard. From reading reviews on CC, it seemed that NCL would be the best option to meet others and find companions for dinner. I had looked into RCCL as some of their newer ships had solo cabins, but they make no effort to attract solo cruisers or cater to them onboard, which is unfortunate. Also, NCL had solo cruiser and last minute discounts, unlike RCCL.

 

Full disclosure: This review contains my personal opinions. If you do not like or want to read my personal opinions or about my ship activities, please click the following link to be redirected to a video of some puppies

.

 

If you do want to read, please continue and be kind in the comments. First time review. Fair warning, I write detailed reports for a living, so I can get a little long winded. Do I get a prize for longest NCL review?

 

Also, your experience solo cruising may vary. I think my first solo cruise was great due to a combination of factors.

1. Preparation: Reading reviews here on CC, watching YouTube videos, doing my research. I knew about the extra charges for certain activities and budgeted appropriately. I knew about the UDP and UBP and how to use them properly.
   
2. Solo Coordinator: An awesome solo coordinator, Aldean. She made this whole thing run smoothly and took a lot of the hassle out of the trip onboard. Invaluable.
   
3. CC Roll Call: Joining the roll call on CC gives you a chance to meet other cruisers as well as the officers at the organized meet and greet, who can help with things like Studio Lounge access.
   
4. Great group of solo cruisers: I hung out with two cruise critic solo cruisers most of the cruise and with several other solos ranging in age from 30 to 55. I might have been the youngest solo cruiser in the group but it did not matter. The varied interests and tastes meant I tried things that I might not have on my own e.g. 80s dance party (thanks OhMyCher), all of the food on the ship (thanks PhillyDad).
   

 

Let's begin....

Love the review nice job. Also, a huge major plus to your review is that your a solo cruiser like myself but you also live in good ole Philly like myself!!

Anything, I love everything when I cruise. My favorite is the pizza, dessert, the Asian wok food is great, guys burgers (anyone else wont go on a carnival cruise ship without a Guys?), burrito and just about anything.

My arties sure don't like it when I cruise, neither does my cholesterol. Has anyone else noticed that just about every item each one of us has listed has been really horrible for you? heheheh

We normally cruise on Royal but decided to try Carnival, needless to say we will NEVER go on Carnival again!

 

To start the cruise off our shuttle couldn't enter the port other then driving around in circles because there was a security beach which was said to be a Bomb threat at first and even the bomb squad came out. After we could finally get into the terminal everyone was told to wait outside then we were guided up to another area were we had to wait for a couple hours until they secured the area, after this ordeal we were then told it wasn't a bomb but a can of something that was spraying in a suit case. Better safe then sorry. Once this was over then we could go inside and get ready to board the ship. In my opinion Port Canaveral is the best port there is.

So once on board we went to our cabin and put our other bag in and headed to eat at the buffet as we waited to leave the port.

 

1st issue Staff and lack of knowing anything when asked and lack of friendliness. This ship had the worst staff I have ever encountered on a cruise. They never smiled,spoke or new anything if you asked them a question. Some were even rude. The only staff member we encountered that was very friendly was our room guy, he was awesome all the time. Spoke to us by name and had a friendly attitude.

 

2nd issue Pools, For a ship that hold 4,500 people and only have 2 swimming pools is ridiculous and what makes it worse is that only 1 pool was ever open at a time. I was only able to enjoy the pool 1 day when in a port because it was not crowded.

 

3rd Issue FOOD, the food at breakfast was the best and made to order omelettes were awesome, best meal of the day everyday. Guy's Burger Joint,Blue Iguana & BBQ place also had great food as well as the 24 hr pizza. We ate all these places several times and they were really good.We also ate at the steak house on wed night for our 20th anniv and it was very good. Now for the buffet, the food was lousy in my opinion with the exception of the desserts and the sandwich bar that had pastrami and corned beef, in fact that is what I hate most the time after trying the other food 1st. I also enjoyed the ice cream machine daily. The buffet was not opened long enough if you wanted it and then only one side would be open at times and you would have to walk a long distance just to get food if you wanted it. Terrible buffet all around except breakfast.

 

4th issue, I believe Carnival Magic has bed bugs because every night when we went to bed and got under the sheets I was always really itchy like something was crawling on me but I couldn't see anything when we looked. On the last night I actually got bit by something and ended up sleeping on top of the covers so the ship is not very clean.

We stayed on the 11th deck in a spa room and had access to the spa which was great, very relaxing and enjoyable. We stayed in 11242 and it was quite noisy at times, kids running up and down the hallway,noise from deck above etc. We were still able to sleep, just a lot of noise.Room was nothing fancy, pretty plain and basic.

 

Entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We did enjoy a few dive in movies and Dr. E was great. The comedy shows were also very funny and we enjoyed them as well. Party's on deck were also ok, I overheard several elderly folks complaining about the type and sound of the music and about it being way to loud. The entertainment staff were friendly.

 

Sadly there was a medical emergency with a passenger suffering a heart attack and dying(At least thats what we were told by several crew members) which caused the itenerary to be changed and the Honduras port being skipped and went to key west fl instead. The ship was diverted near miami to get the ill patient medical care. My prayers are with the family.

 

So we went to Key West Fl, Belize, Cozumel & Costa Maya, We had already been to Cozumel but still enjoyed it as well as the other ports. Really liked Key West and would like to go back there. The ports were the best part of the cruise, other then that the cruise was pretty boring. No adult area other then if you want to nap in a hammock or chair and use a jacuzzi, that is Magic's "adult" area.

 

And to top it all off, my hubby got sick on thursday afternoon and was up all night puking his gut out, not sure if it was from the food or what caused this. I know he wasn't sea sick so the food may of been the issue. Not sure because i was fine the entire time.

 

After being on 3 Royal ships, there is NO comparison with Carnival. I would never go on another carnival ship nor would I ever recommend one to anyone I know. You really do get what you pay for and Royal is in a class all its own. My brother is a Carnival cruiser and he bragged to me about how good they are but now I know for myself, not worth bragging about.Anyway, this is my small review, Happy cruising!

I always enjoy reading post like these, they are indeed very entertaining. Why come onto a Carnival board and post this? What do you hope to happen honestly? OHhhh, I was thinking of going on a Carnival cruise in October, but darn now I wont because this person said it was horrible! I think I will do something else.

Second, while reading this I really sat down and thought, could I EVER have a bad cruise? Lol, heck no, ill take the worst cruise of my life over a week of stress at the office. Bad food? Okay no big deal, I don't honestly expect it to be 5 star Chef Ramsey food. Just feed me, im happy. Bad Service? Who really cares, ill get my drink and move on. I am not here to gain friends, I am on vacation. Staff doesn't want to smile at me? Okay, well, you work 7 days a week 15 hours a day or so and tell me if you would smile. About the bomb situation, I wont even touch that one, lol. Bed bugs, hmmm, I highly do doubt it, there are tons of ways you could have woken up itchy. Did you say something to them? Did you investigate it? Cause Heaven knows, I would have the first time I woke up itchy, JUST to make sure.

I mean come on, I am not bashing you at all. I am just saying you are on vacation. You are Not at the office, you are not working, you are not waiting in line at the DMV, you are not stuck in traffic trying to get home or having to use the bathroom. YOu are sitting on a beautiful ship, drinking a drink, traveling to wonderful destinations across the Caribbean. Ill trade places with you in a heart beat! A cruise is what you make of it and your attitude, stop sweating the petty stuff.

Finally, I meandered across the "Amazing Royal Cruise line" board and found just as many bad reviews about them. Which really leads me to say its not the cruise line honestly, its most likely the person.

Going on a cruise in 68 days, and I promise I wont complain! =)

I will say that unless your a spender in the casino. That is am gold on CCl and even after 6 cruises my Vifp rewards are horrible. I get the same two crappie benefits each time. But my ex would drop $$$$$ in the casino and pull in 40 percent off fares.

What is it like on rccl?

Not to throw NCL into this, but to me there 7 day cruises on their "megaships" seem to be more expensive than both rccl and CCl. I priced an interior for two people on NCL Escape in September and it was like $2200.

This is exactly why I prefer Carnival over Royal Caribbean. Carnival puts as much energy into the little activities as they do the bigger activities. They have trivia multiple times a day. They have bingo multiple times a day. When I look at the Fun Times for a particular time of day, there are so many options. I actually grew bored on RCI and Norwegian because they neglect the little activities or schedule them once a day when they almost always conflict with a show or being in port. Don't get me wrong, I love ziplining, rock climbing, the ropes courses, etc., but sometimes I just want to kick back with a beer and try to win a ship on a stick.

LOl, this is the single best response to me out of all the ones I have read. I honestly laughed out loud at work. With 6 Carnival cruises on my belt these reasons alone I continue to use them. I love the constant things to do all day long. Plus, the service to me is bar none amazing. Plus, as Mitsugirly says, "I don't make RCCL money." So ill stick to my Carnival and take the, "Oh, your cruising Carnival, you should do RCCL." Really? Who asked you?

I just wanted to thank everyone for there great advice and pointers. I ended up booking Carnival Breeze today Inside, because that's what my budget would allow, plus I got the Cheers program. Flying in the day before and staying at the Inn at the Waterpark-Galveston. They have a shuttle from the hotel to the cruise port. Now, I just need to book my transportation, thinking of doing Lyft or Uber, probably would be a cheap option.

Thank you again! Ready to go!

I have sailed on the Breeze but not the Dream. Personally I would choose the Breeze because of the added benefits of Guy's, Blue Iguana, Red Frog Pub (with bar food, the pulled pork sliders are my favorite!), and Cucina del Capitano (which is $15 extra for dinner but has a free pasta bar at lunch time, including embarkation day).

 

I have only cruised solo and try to book a 4J cabin when possible. They are considered "interior with obstructed view" which isn't logical but that is Carnival's description! They are all the way forward and overlook the "secret" decks.

 

I don't think you'll have any problems meeting people; I am a piano bar enthusiast, I always make new cruise friends there :D

Thank you for the reply. I know if I went Dream, I would miss Guys burgers and the Pub that's true. Sadly all the 4J cabins are sold out, so it would be either a interior or Ocean View.

My only concerns of the Breeze and maybe im over thinking it. The cost of transportation from Hobby AP to the port, heard its very expensive. Also not being able to use my drink package I always prepurchase till day two, would be a disappointment because that would be like 50 bucks extra, or so. I try to pre pay Everything minus some things. Some call me cheap or calls me Mr. Budgeter, lol

As far as the ports, which is a better. Cozumel, Belize and Routan Or Dreams Grand Cayman, Jamacia-the one other than Falmouth- and Cozumel.

Thank you again!

HI everyone!!!

I am going on a cruise the week of September 25th for my 36th birthday. I am debating on two cruises. Either the Breeze or Dream, both are 7 days. The breeze goes to Cozumel, Belize and Isla Routan. The breeze is newer has Guys and a few other options that Dream doesn't have. Galveston is far from Hobby AP, this I imagine would be expensive.

The dream is going to Cozumel, Mahogany Bay and Grand Cayman. Ive heard the Dream has a live band, a sports pub (big plus here) and goes out of a much better port. Does Dream have red frog pub?

Is there a ship that has better solo atmosphere where I can meet some people that are around my age to party at night with, maybe see some shows possibly or other activities with? This is my 6th Carnival cruise, so I am familiar with it. How big of a deal to everyone is not having guys and the other features?

Just really need advice from people that sailed both and what was there experience for solo and meeting people. I am very independent but have a very outgoing personality, so meeting people seems easy. But, Ive heard its a challenge on cruises usually cause people like to do their own thing. Ive never done this trip solo, but forced to this time. As far as the ports, ive been to Cozumel once and none of the others.

As far as cabins, for solo breeze a inside is $850 not including fees and tips which I will prepay, total cost should be around 200 more. Sadly not Spa cabins are available and I cannot afford a balcony.

For the Dream, its the same price, but they have a Inside Spa cabin left for $1020, which seems to be a great deal and I would take advantage of it. IS the extra cost worth it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Just really confused on which to book. Ive been on Sensation, Victory, Paradise, Glory, Sunshine and Ecstasy. Thank you again.

So I am traveling solo and after looking at the Shore excursions for my upcoming NCL Escape cruise in September, I saw the Party Bus tour with NCl. There is really not much information at all. Some people saw its a tour that is free flowing rum throughout the cruise others saw it isn't. Could anyone please shed some light on this?

There is also a party bus tour through viator, but I think this is different. Hopefully someone could shed alittle light for me.

Well the Getaway and the Breakaway are sister ships and they are very similar, other than their "theme". The Epic is the only one in its class (they were going to make another Epic 2, but then decided not to). There are a lot of people that are divided about the Epic. If you read up on it then you either seem to LOVE the Epic or absolutely HATE the Epic. Many don't like what she looks like and thinks that it looks like a silly ship with the way they built the front end. However, I think her "hat" gives her character.

 

I have to say that the Epic has been my favorite ship to date. BUT, I don't know exactly what made her my favorite and many factors could be why. I cruised in the 80's and 90's and didn't cruise again until 2010 and it was the Epic. So many things had changed since I had last cruised that maybe that's what made her so special. I LOVED the Blue Man group and it was one of the reasons I decided to go on the Epic (I had always wanted to see them and their tickets were just so expensive and figured if I could see them for free on the Epic, then why not). This was also the only cruise we took alone without any kids. So, we were able to hit up all the night life and do what we wanted on that cruise. Also, we had THE MOST AMAZING roll call. The best to date. I'm still friends with a lot of the people from that cruise and have even cruised with them again. Some I talk to daily, some we send cards to and even gifts. That's how special our group was. There's just so many things that made that cruise my favorite. I'm going on the Epic again in November and we'll see if my feelings remain the same. :D

 

So about the Getaway and Breakaway. They have the awesome water slides and they also have the "drop" water slide (like the Pride does where the bottom drops out from under you). The Epic does not. The Epic has the "toilet bowl" (like the Breeze), but there's no climbing down steps at the end, you actually zoom on down the middle of it and out to the bottom. The GA and BA do not have this. All 3 ships have some type of "Cirque" show and all 3 are AMAZING and different (this is a dinner show and you do have to pay extra for it but well worth it). GA and BA have the ropes course and the Epic does not. GA & BA have the "waterfront" that's on the outside of the ship and people seem to like that.

 

I would say that the GA and BA felt pretty much similar. The Epic felt totally different to me. I liked the BA over the GA. The GA has a Latino theme to it and it seemed to me that was all they ever played at the parties. They no longer have the fireworks off the back of the ship like they used to when they first started sailing. :(

 

The Sky is a very small ship, but we enjoyed it, but definitely a different "feel" to it than the bigger ships for sure.

 

Everyone seems to love the Solo get together and parties in the lounge. You shouldn't have any problem meeting people at them. They have all kinds of activities there. We (my husband and I) were a couple and not "solo", so we never went to any of the parties. We did have a solo room though (two of them) and they were AMAZING! Like I seriously loved these rooms. They make the most out of 100 sq ft room let me tell ya. I loved the mood lighting and everything about it. Seriously. (Check out my cabin pictures if you haven't already located HERE). My suggestion to you is get on your roll call and get to know everyone ahead of time. It's amazing how many people you can get to know prior to the cruise and sometimes you'll just click with a bunch of them and it will be like you all know each other prior to the cruise. You'll get to hang out on the cruise and it can be a lot of fun. You'll probably find some singles too! :) Make sure you go to the meet and greet as well. Everyone can put a face to the name that way and you'll run into them all week, make plans and hang out. If others have the iconceirge on their phone and you get it too, then you can exchange numbers and text each other meeting locations to hang out at day and night. It's a great app to get on the ship.

 

So I can not help you out too much on the night life after hours since we have a little one that we always have to pick up by 10:30pm, that's normally our "adult time" limit and way before things get "popping" :D But I have passed by some of the lounges and the party was on!

 

I honestly wouldn't say that NCL has more of an "older" crowd compared to Carnival. All I ever hear is that Carnival is the party ship. blah blah blah. There's party people on EVERY ship. There are old people on EVERY ship. I get so sick of the stigma that people put on the ships and labeling. I have not noticed a difference between the 2 lines. Honestly! The ONLY thing I ever notice a difference between the 2 is the entertainment...and well, that's just a matter of opinion on what I may or may not like...which is subjective.

 

No difference between the Glow Party and the White Party other than...the white party everyone likes to wear white (lol) and the dancers have on angel wings and with the Glow everyone just wears the neon shirts that glow and have glow sticks everywhere. That's pretty much it. They are a lot of fun...especially if you get in with a crazy dancing crowd. :p

 

I honestly don't think you will feel like the Escape and the Epic will feel the same. Two totally different ships, builds, and everything. Like I said, there was only 1 Epic built.

 

Understand that the Gem is an older ship. She's part of the sister ships with the Jewel, Pearl, and Jade. So, if you've looked at my review on those 3 ships, you probably will know what to expect out of the Gem (even though I haven't sailed her yet, but I intend to, going in knowing she will be like her sisters).

 

So you listed the ports you have been to. Does that mean that you are interested in going back to any of those because you loved them so much? Or you want something new?

 

 

 

I wanted to ask you...what was it that you liked about the Glory? What made her one of your favorites? (Since it's not a big ship like the Dream, Breeze or Magic).

Well, I will start with you question about why I liked the Glory better than the Breeze. I would say its something similar to why you liked the Epic, its not something that I can really explain, but ill try. For me, I think it was the staff and people I met. I had some of the best bartenders, I have ever had. They knew me by my name, and at most times I wouldn't even have to tell them what I wanted, they just knew. I never had to wait long for my drink and they seriously made me some of the strongest drinks! The Servers at the dining room were very prompt and I never waited long for my food or to order. For the entire week, I just felt like I was a quest in their house, it was really refreshing. Also, I met a group of 7 friends on board that I became really close too and we hung out for the entire ship. All week long we partied, hung out and it was amazing. I still talk to some these days via Facebook.

Second the cruise director, Eric, the pale irishman really got everyone involved, he had a knack for getting everyone involved in everything. It was odd, I mean each show, deck party or event, everyone was active. He also always made you aware of whats going on. Now, for the bad about him, when I approached him to talk, he was very stand offish, I just didn't get a good vibe from him. I know that really doesn't make sense, but it was just a feeling I got. That doesn't take away from the fact he does his job VERY well. The second bad thing about him. I am a heavy sleeper, not much bothers me. But, my ex who I went on the cruise with is a light sleeper. This CD, seriously used that loud speaker like it was his job and passion and he would start blaring away almost all day long about events, stops, going ons and anything he could. No matter if it was 7am or 10pm. This drove my EX NUTS, she would be sleeping only to wake up to him. lol, but I could sleep through a hurricane. But the staff and people that seem to go on the Glory were just wonderful and made it a fantastic cruise. The staff on the breeze were good but to me just didn't compare to the Glory. But, the ship has a lot more to do for sure.

Moving on, I hope you have a drink in hand, lol. After I go on the Escape and listening to you I think the BA and GA will be too similar and not really worth it. I really think I am going to try the Epic. Ill have that large ship feel, things to do and it will be a totally different ship. Ill be looking for your review. The stops are Ocho Rios, which I have never been too and don't know much about Jamacia, so that will be a nice. GSC which we both agree is heaven on earth and I could die happy living my days out there. Grand Cayman, which is probably my second favorite spot in the Cb. Finally, it goes to Cozumel, which I have been too, but I sadly got stuck at Senor Frogs and spent the better part of 7 hours there on a solo adventure. You see, I have rule when I cruise solo, to get tipsy at MOST, NEVER drunk, ever, ever. Well, I shattered that rule and made it back somehow with 5 min to spare before the ship leaved. It was scary because I was alone and walked like 10 miles to the port and barely could see straight. I will never do that again, ever. It scared me to death and I am very lucky.

Furthermore, after hearing from you, I will rule out the Gem. Price breakdown is this, all for 7 days for just me. 7 days on Gem to NE and Canada $1500. Breakaway to Bermuda is $1500. EPic 7 day studio package is $960. Of course, all these include the drink package. I really want to try the new Vista, but for September is like $1600. My only worry with the EPic in November is being this is my first year living in Philadelphia. I am born and raised in Florida and always lived there. I moved to Phily two months ago for a job. I really worry that even if I fly the day before ill miss my flight and ship because of snow. I am sure November 28th will be heavy snow and I am not sure how planes work in snow. I need to ask someone who knows.

In closing, I think I have written enough, hehehe. I have no objection to going to another port I haven been. Is there any ports I haven't been to that you just love and are not to be missed? Belize? Isla Routan? Costa Maya? Bermuda? Jamacia? or the rest of the VI? Just curious, I am a beach guy and pretty much enjoy the same excursions as you TBO.

Well, I feel like I am finally getting to know you very well!!

Try me, the Magic has been on my radar for quite some time now and I WILL sail her one day. I'll have to read up on what the refurb consisted of. :) I can't imagine beating the Breeze. :D

For one, the port is in Port Canaveral, which is way better and easier than Galveston. PC you usually board at 11 am, well atleast we did twice when I was there. In the Refurb is got everything the Breeze has, BUT it has a new Guys place to eat Guys Pig and Anchor. A guys sponsored place that sell tasty BBQ! If you enjoy guys this alone would be work sailing for. Plus this is a dream class and since you loved the Breeze, you would adore the Magic. I really want to try this new Guys.

Aww thanks for the awesome comments. Thanks for coming out and posting this time. :D

 

Although I have not been on the Escape yet (it's booked for next year), I have been on their similar big ships (Getaway, Breakaway & Epic) and love all they offer. You mentioned that you have been on the Breeze (which I LOVED) and then some of their smaller ships as well. When picking a ship, do you enjoy the bigger ships loaded with all the bells and whistles? Or do you prefer the smaller ships and like to just relax/chill and less people?

 

I love the big ships with so much to do, but yet have these times that I just love the smaller ships because there's less people and more relaxation.

 

If you cruise for the ports, I would say to just pick a ship that goes to the ports you really enjoy or to new ports you have never been to. Maybe try a ship that goes to NCL's private island (if you haven't been there before) to try something new that you wouldn't normally go to on a Carnival ship.

 

As far as entertainment, I think (just my opinion) NCL has way better entertainment than Carnival. If you can find a ship that has the Elements show on it, it is super amazing. So many things going on, people dropping from the ceiling and flying through the air. It's a mixture of a bunch of their shows put together (comedy, magician, dancing and so on). There's only a limited amount of ships that have it though.

 

With the nightlife, all the ships have parties. The newer ships have the "Glow Party" where the older ships have the "White Hot" party. Then they have additional parties such as 70's party, 80's party and so on. It's kinda like Carnival as well because they have their "red" and "blue" party and Latino party and so on. :)

Btw, based on everything I read about you and your adorable family. if you like "Big Ships" you REALllllyyyyyyyyyy need to try Carnival Magic. If you liked the Breeze, you will fall in LOVe with the Magic. After the Refurb, the Magic just feels better than Breeze. Though I haven't been on the Magic, my good friend who went with me has and she loved it.

Aww thanks for the awesome comments. Thanks for coming out and posting this time. :D

 

Although I have not been on the Escape yet (it's booked for next year), I have been on their similar big ships (Getaway, Breakaway & Epic) and love all they offer. You mentioned that you have been on the Breeze (which I LOVED) and then some of their smaller ships as well. When picking a ship, do you enjoy the bigger ships loaded with all the bells and whistles? Or do you prefer the smaller ships and like to just relax/chill and less people?

 

I love the big ships with so much to do, but yet have these times that I just love the smaller ships because there's less people and more relaxation.

 

If you cruise for the ports, I would say to just pick a ship that goes to the ports you really enjoy or to new ports you have never been to. Maybe try a ship that goes to NCL's private island (if you haven't been there before) to try something new that you wouldn't normally go to on a Carnival ship.

 

As far as entertainment, I think (just my opinion) NCL has way better entertainment than Carnival. If you can find a ship that has the Elements show on it, it is super amazing. So many things going on, people dropping from the ceiling and flying through the air. It's a mixture of a bunch of their shows put together (comedy, magician, dancing and so on). There's only a limited amount of ships that have it though.

 

With the nightlife, all the ships have parties. The newer ships have the "Glow Party" where the older ships have the "White Hot" party. Then they have additional parties such as 70's party, 80's party and so on. It's kinda like Carnival as well because they have their "red" and "blue" party and Latino party and so on. :)

Thanks for the advice. How similar were the Getaway, Epic and Breakway? I know they are all of the same class, but did they feel different to you? Did you like one compared to the other? I am excited about trying an NCL big ship, I heard there is a HUGE difference between the Sky and the others. This is my first time in a "solo" cabin, I have heard about the Solo lounge and I am really hoping its easy to meet people if I attend those events. I am a social butterfly ,like you. With Carnival, I never ever had an issue meeting people because there are ALOT of people my age, in the 20s to 40s. With carnival, there Nightclub is really hopping and everyone socializes. I have no idea how the nightlife is with NCL afterhours. Only thing with Carnival that drives me nuts is everything closes at 130-2. ***? As you can see I am a beach guy who enjoys partying.

Hopefully, with NCl solo has a decent group of people my age also that will attend the solo lounge. I keep hearing its mostly an older crowd. Is there a difference between the "Glow Party" and the "white hot" party?

I think my favorite Carnival ships were the Big ships, I do enjoy the bells and whistles for sure. I think honestly my favorite Carnival ship was the Glory and the Breeze, I really honestly enjoyed them quite a bit. To me the shows on the Glory beat the Breeze and the Glory is cheaper. They are both way different but have just about everything you have to offer.

I really kinda worry that if I try the Escape that the Epic will feel the same. And I will feel like its a repeat. That is the ship I am leaning towards or the Gem. But, maybe telling you where ive been will help.

Here are the spots I have been. St Thomas, Grand Turk, San Juan, Half Moon Cay, GSC, Nassau, Freeport, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. If that helps at all.

Sorry, about all this. I have been meaning to ask you these questions for awhile now. I really appreciate it.

HI Mitsu,

I am a huge fan of your reviews and have honestly read each of them. I adore the layout, your writing style and sense of humor. I just never actually posted in one before. So, I am quite the opposite of you, I am a Carnival guy, been on 6 so far, all solo. Been on the Glory, Breeze, sensation, paradise, victory and miracle. I have been on the Ncl sky too. I really enjoy Carnival but I want to be diverse and try Ncl again. I am going on the Escape solo cabin in September.

My question, I want to try another Ncl in 2017 after Escape, but would like your recommendation on which would you try next. I have been to most ports, though I cruise for the port.

I am a 35 you single male who enjoys food, casino, shows, and most importantly the nightlife. So what Ncl would you possibly recommend for me to try next? Do you have a favorite or one you think for me? Any help would be wonderful, thanks

What time are you in port? Do you stay overnight?

 

There is a party hopper tour in playa but it doesn't start until late evening. Does the excursion have a starting time and duration?

That was what I found too. We are in port from 8am till 6pm. The excursion is 8 hours long and $99. NO start time is listed. From everything I found it makes more sense at night. Do any cruise line goto Cozumel at night?

I do think this is a day cruise excursion because I went to all of the various bars and clubs website and they are all open. But, I'm going to send that exact question to carnival