Carnival vs NCL

[eyeamacruiser]

We have been on 4 Carnival cruises. Two of these have been the ones with a group of Veterans. Next years Veterans cruise will be on the Norwegian Pearl in May 2012 to Alaska. Has anyone been on the Pearl and how does it compare to the Carnival ships? We love Carnival but the best price for Alaska was on the Norwegian Pearl.:D

[PCHENG]

I have never been on Pearl, but I have been on the Gem which if I remember correctly is a sister ship to the Pearl. The decor is more stylish, but the food is inferior and the room smaller than Carnival, service and entertainment comparable.

 

NCL inside may be cheaper than Carnival, but for balcony Carnival is still the cheapest, and I belieev Alaska is one itenary where a balcony is warranted.

[firefly333]

Usually HAL has the best Alaska prices because they have had 3 ships to choose from. Im surprised NCL was cheaper than HAL. Carnival is often higher with only one ship.

 

Pearl is a newish ship. I think if you dont mind anytime dining you will be ok. I prefer a choice which NCL doesnt give you.

[Warm Breezes]

I haven't sailed the Pearl but I did sail on her sister ship the Jewel. IMHO:

 

• Inside rooms smaller on NCL.
  
• MDR better on CCL.
  
• Buffet food better on NCL.
  
• Pay Restaurants a tie.
  
• Service a tie.
  
• Production Shows better on NCL.
  
• Comedy Shows better on NCL.
  
• Bingo better on CCL.
  
• All other entertainment a tie.
  
• Freestyle same as Anytime - tie.
  

Go with an open mind and have Fun.

[CKEA_Cruising_Family]

I've been on the NCL Gem and the Carnival Pride. The Gem was brand new and beautiful but it felt very crowded to me. They try to pack so much into the ship to offer multiple dining alternatives but I felt I could never find a quiet spot. Having said that though I found the shows,food and overall cruise experience to be quite good. If they have a better price, I'd say go for it.

[FigmentFan]

I went on the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska in May 2009. This was the greatest cruise ever!!!!!!!! The fact that this cruise goes into Glacier Bay National Park makes it worth the trip for this alone. Cruising right up to the glaciers and spending most of the day there was thrilling. Also make sure you do the White Pass Railroad excursion, this was awesome also. You will see some of the most beautiful scenery on this cruise. Also, in May the days are much longer than the nights in Alaska and you will have daylight until late at night and then daylight again very early in the morning. As for the ship, the Pearl is a fairly new ship and we liked it very much. It also has a bowling alley, if you're into that. We tried it out, and found bowling on a moving ship to be more challenging than bowling on land. We had an ocean view cabin and found it to be more than adequate for our needs. A balcony would have been nice for the day we went to Glacier Bay, but we spent most of the day on the top deck, taking pictures. The cabins on NCL are usually a little smaller than Carnival. NCL has freestyle dining, and we loved being able to dine anytime we wanted. NCL is also pretty laid-back and informal. They have a night (maybe 2, can't remember) when you can get dressed up for dinner if you want, or not. I loved this cruise and would do it again.

[zqvol]

We have been on 4 Carnival cruises. Two of these have been the ones with a group of Veterans. Next years Veterans cruise will be on the Norwegian Pearl in May 2012 to Alaska. Has anyone been on the Pearl and how does it compare to the Carnival ships? We love Carnival but the best price for Alaska was on the Norwegian Pearl.:D

 

I have been on the Pearl and love it. Decor is far superior to Carnival, though the cabins are slightly smaller. NCL food is much better than what Carnival is serving these days. If you like carnival you will love the Pearl!

[Kaboochi]

Hi "eye",

 

This one I can help with. We love CCL, in fact we are sailing the Legend in May. With that said, this past Feb we did our first ever NCCL cruise on the Pearl. We LOVED IT. First, the entertainment was FANTASTIC. The Jersey Boys show and the Shark Bait Juggling Act was the best entertainment we have had in 9 cruises. The food was good, not great, but nothing at all to complain about. The beds are super comfy, the pool area great as there is an adult only pool. And, the casino actually pays, if you like to play the slot machines. We loved having different dining rooms to choose from and we never had a wait or a problem getting a reservation for specialty dining.

The cruise director, Ray, is the best we have encountered on any cruise. And, if you have joined a roll call thread you will be amazed at how many of the NCCL staff attend your CC gathering. The entire crew are really there to take care of the guests.

 

I would sail the Pearl again and again and again!!!! I hope you select this ship for Alaska as it is a "gem".:)