Where the reggae band, steel drum, confetti, fun went >> NCL Pearl vs Carnvial

[sharecruises]

Back from 6 nights on NCL Pearl...great job by captain who routed us to

Cozumel and Costa Maya (love it) due to horrible Hurricane Sandy *we were scheduled for Grand Cayman and Jamaica

 

Some thoughts>>> NCL does so many small things totally "right">> it adds up to a "real cruise" feel that has totally been lacking on my last couple Carnival cruises

 

Little things mean a lot >>>

 

as you board the ship, employees are dress up in costumes with balloons, you walk on a "red carpet" ....big welcomes, cheering, music

 

when you board, you are told you can go right to your cabin and drop off your stuff

 

You are greeeted by smiling singing washy washy gal who sprays everyone's hands before they enter buffet

 

lots of choices at buffet..hardly any lines....many many workers, cleaning, serving, filling glasses of ice tea/ bringing around coffee....tons of white suited officers, smiling team leaders, managers, everyone is there to help

 

Nice back outdoor area to eat feels like a ship...silverware, napkins on every table, along with ketchup, mustard, salt pepper

lots of drink stations

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comfortable "muster drill" at 3:30....in restauarnt

 

released in time for ....an ACTUAL SAILAWAY PARTY

 

Perky cruise director Julie led line dances, lots of staff dancing, come around to ask cruisers to join in....grilling and chilling on the deck, music, fun

..and ...wow....CONFETTI POP....A REAL SAILAWAY...FIRST I HAVE SEEN IN YEARS

 

~~~~~~~~~ Entertainment fantastic

 

5 piece reggae band with a girl singer....often on deck

Steel drum guy often on deck

when they were on break, they play caribbean /reggae and Jimmy Buffet type music...you feel like you are ON a cruise

 

piano player, soft tunes in main dining room

another piano player/singer (just ok) most nights

 

a rock band, 5 piece that played many styles...cover songs

classic rock one night, country one night, disco one night and so forth

 

the most fabulous duo Arvin and Emily, hubby and wife from Phillipines

they sang at first variety welcome show ....The Prayer by Bocelli and Dion

wow THey entertained every night in Bar City area..we would pull up chairs and make requests..they sang everything from Motown to Tom Jones, to Celine, unbelievably good, wonderful wonderful people...so much fun, I really miss them. They could sing the phone book

 

They also had a guitar player who played in the lobby and elsewhere

 

They had a latin band 4 piece that played salsa, dance music

 

plus the Pearl orchestra

 

whew

 

Oh What a Night....fantastic Frankie Vallie review....did 4 performances

 

short preview 1st night

full performance show on 3rd night (I stayed for both shows)

 

and another shorter show last production night ...with totally different songs./routine...fabulous

 

In addition...they have 2 main production shows...one with "classic" stars imagined doing current songs

and one that features current Broadway hits from The Heights, Wicked, etc...great ending with lots of Abba songs

 

NCL has....4 lead singers...2 guys, 2 girls....fabulous dancers, and production and live music

 

~~~~~~~

Themed parties - participation

 

Big Caribbean deck party one night with the Reggae Band

 

70's Party with "Village People"

 

A "Burlesque" show late night one night - adults only (I missed that,

tired from island LOL)

 

Quest...and other entertainment..and music music music

 

Signature White Hot Party..everyone wears white, dances, the cruise director/staff wear angel wings....neon glow sticks...

our party moved indoors due to weather but it was great

lots and lots of people all ages having a blast

 

Chocolate Buffet

 

and more more more

 

It "feels" like a cruise

 

Music music music

 

Specials...Happy Hour, drink specials

 

Nice past guest party for all past guests (including those like me who only were on 3 nighters before)...full size drinks

 

As past guest get a nice ship pin

 

Food was fantastic in buffet and at the specialty restaurants

I ate at French 2x....out of this world, worth $20 easily

 

food in main dining room good first night...lobster tails, lots of em

 

after that?? well the food is just ok...not really special. The upsell restaurants are the way to go on NCL

 

~~~~~~~~~ More "special" >>>

 

when you come back from islands....they have cold towels and orange juice and ice water for you

they spray your hands as you enter the ship

 

when we returned from Costa Maya (great day in fishing village at 100% Agave, $20 1 hr beach massage)....wow

 

we heard party music, cupid shuffle...what was this??

 

wpw...big banner welcomed us Home to Pearl

tons of employees lined up to greet us as we walked the "red carpet" back to the ship....Julie, cruise director and another staff members were on stiltes in costumes....we had chefs, room stewards, waiters, etc all lined up and cheering us ....cold towels, juice and ice water

what a welcome...Fantastic!

 

You could see the poor people schlepping back to the Carnival Valor watching US in envy

 

Our last night production show featured Oh What a Night again, the comedy magician, the show dancers....etc

 

and then....they brought in....wow...hundreds of the ship staff and workers...they just kept coming in

Captain...all the officers....the chefs...room stewards...more officers,

ship crew....waiters....hundredds of people...all thanking us...singing to us "You're Norwegian Now"

 

then at the end....Julie said....and now...the most popular employees on the ship...

 

the 4 "washy washy" peeps ran on stage...2 gals, 2 guys, including the one who plays guitar while singing and dancing at the buffet LOL

 

and then....they popped confetti all over us....wow

 

now...that's a cruise

 

Music, parties, lots of staff, lots of "little touches"...

the welcome at the Pier...red carpet...the fantastic service

and friendly faces...what a change

 

I also noticed....NCL employees are out having fun

some talked about snorkeling....some were excited to see Costa Maya (they don't usually go there)

they seem to have fun unlike the overworked people on Carnival

 

~~~~~~ Lines at front desk were short since there ere not so many screw ups. Our group was treated very well...2 one hour open bar parties,

anything we wanted to drink (well not corvosier or whatever haha)

really nice..full size drinks. Well run

I was given a room to greet/meet people for one hour. Our free bottles of wine (perk) were right there for us. No snafu's. No nonsense

 

Also liked the 24 hour Blue Lagoon...comfort food, wings, etc

really nice to go there after drinking and dancing

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Didn't like : the food and service in Main Dining room Summer Palace were not great JMO after the first night. One night we went to buffet it was much better IMHO. They have crepe station at buffet at night

 

Hallways are narrow. I prefer hallways and probably prefer cabins on Carnival. Ship is great but does lack some of the whimsey/wow/atrium factor of carnival.

 

I also missed the serenity/adult only areas of Carnival. I loved the fact that there is NO smoking in disco, dance clubs on NCL tho

 

The main thing for me was the music is so much better and you feel like you are on a cruise....that's a cruise...that is how cruises used to "feel" in the 80's and 90's...sailaway, parties, welcome "home" on pier, red carpet, farewell etc

[Brenna's Mom1]

Of all the things the OP posted I don't think more than a meagar handful from the washy-washy girl would entice me back to NCL. They had their heyday in the 70s and it, for me, has been down hill from there. All the peppy shows, and costumes, and Love Boatesqueness wouldn't phase me. I haven't been to a revue in 30 years, watched a 3rd rate comedian, or participated in a free for all "party" on any cruise line. Not my style. I want good company, a peaceful place to relax, a comfortable bed and space in my cabin. I want cleanliness, orderliness, and some decorum. I want to talk to my waiters and bartenders, not be entertained by them. I want to be treated like an adult not a 10 year old who is impressed by balloons and confetti.

 

All in all I think my decision to abandon NCL was a good one. Not saying Carnival is top dog (far from it) but am looking forward to another family cruise with them that everybody can afford.

[sharecruises]

Of all the things the OP posted I don't think more than a meagar handful from the washy-washy girl would entice me back to NCL. They had their heyday in the 70s and it' date=' for me, has been down hill from there. All the peppy shows, and costumes, and Love Boatesqueness wouldn't phase me. I haven't been to a revue in 30 years, watched a 3rd rate comedian, or participated in a free for all "party" on any cruise line. Not my style. I want good company, a peaceful place to relax, a comfortable bed and space in my cabin. I want cleanliness, orderliness, and some decorum. I want to talk to my waiters and bartenders, not be entertained by them. I want to be treated like an adult not a 10 year old who is impressed by balloons and confetti.

 

All in all I think my decision to abandon NCL was a good one. Not saying Carnival is top dog (far from it) but am looking forward to another family cruise with them that everybody can afford.[/quote']

 

Staff on Carnival barely has time to talk to you they are very overworked

 

not to mention..where will you find peace and quiet?? The DJ is blaring away all over Carnival

 

decorum?? when your waiters get up and dance to Low Low Low...Apple Bottom Jeans...yeah that 's decorum

 

I actually liked the fact there was no waiters dancing

[Tapi]

Thanks for posting! We are looking forward to our first NCL cruise aboard the Jewel next summer! It's good to read about the differences, as minor as they may be.

 

In our opinion, the little things ARE what make the difference between "just another cruise" and a great cruise.

 

Normally, people respond to this type of thread with an argument like "if you want more, you'll have to pay more on another cruise line". Not the case this time. Our cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel priced out a good $700 cheaper than Carnival and $1300 cheaper than Royal Caribbean!

[Name Of The Game]

How about the bigger cabins and more comfortable beds on Carnival?

[SMSACE6]

A year from now, I will give my opinion, on the differences. After five Carnival cruises ( all very nice ones ), but the last one being in 2010, and me not liking the already in place changes two years ago, and those implemented since; when the time came to book a cruise for 2013, I felt the need to try something different. I did my research, and frankly, freestyle did appeal to me very much, as well as solo studios on Epic and the new Breakaway. I cruise solo these days, and at least NCL, has an option for us.

I will likely cruise on Carnival one day again, but not before I try some of the competition. And I do look forward to some Caribbean music, steel band, etc, rather than that screeching noise that they were already blaring two years ago. So...as far as NCL goes, you will hear what I think, in about a year from now.:)

[Rena921]

Staff on Carnival barely has time to talk to you they are very overworked

 

not to mention..where will you find peace and quiet?? The DJ is blaring away all over Carnival

 

decorum?? when your waiters get up and dance to Low Low Low...Apple Bottom Jeans...yeah that 's decorum

 

I actually liked the fact there was no waiters dancing

 

I find the majority of the crew/staff on CCL to be friendly and attentive. IMO, RCL had the worst rating as far as attentiveness goes.

 

There is peace and quiet all over the ships...you just have to know where to look.

 

Personally, I look forward to the wait staff dancing. What's your beef with getting low, low, low? I also love them signing the goodbye song. Chokes me up every time. It makes the cruise FUN!

[mimicsr]

Thanks for this thread. We are hosting a line dance cruise on the Carnival Dream Dec 1-8, and then going on NCL Sun in late April for Panama Canal. It's our first Canal cruise and we haven't been on NCL for about 8 years, so it should be an interesting comparison. I will defo post a review and list the likes/dislikes of both.

[Georgiagolfer]

Thanks for posting. DW and I are Platinum on CCL (16 cruises), but are looking to our 1st on NCL next November.

[loxley]

Julie is my favorite cruise director ever.

[relic937]

We are just off the CCL Dream .I was really surprised at all the cutbacks that they have made . It is just out of dry dock where it was changed over to the new and exciting 2.0 .All this really meant was it allowed them to put two more bars on the pool deck . The cutbacks were very deep and although the staff did the best they could it was impossible for them to keep up .Our room stewart had twenty seven rooms to try and manage and it was humanly impossible to do that. (Not from lack of effort) . I understand that CCL is the Walmart of the cruising industry . I would rather have them charge a little more and go back to the old CCL rthat we all loved.

[Tapi]

I also love them signing the goodbye song. Chokes me up every time. It makes the cruise FUN!

 

And this post just shows that variety is the spice of life, and why there are different cruise lines for different tastes. What one person may find great, the next person may not.

 

While this passenger is getting all choked up at the goodbye song, we are rolling our eyes and wolfing down our desserts to get out of the MDR as fast as possible. We can't stand the cheesiness of the singing waiters...:o

Edited November 7, 2012 by Tapi

[Sh1035]

We are just off the CCL Dream .I was really surprised at all the cutbacks that they have made . It is just out of dry dock where it was changed over to the new and exciting 2.0 .All this really meant was it allowed them to put two more bars on the pool deck . The cutbacks were very deep and although the staff did the best they could it was impossible for them to keep up .Our room stewart had twenty seven rooms to try and manage and it was humanly impossible to do that. (Not from lack of effort) . I understand that CCL is the Walmart of the cruising industry . I would rather have them charge a little more and go back to the old CCL rthat we all loved.

 

Thats funny I was on the 13th and really saw improvement. I don't recall in the past having my choice of so many food options. Burrito bar, pasta bar, tandoori,stir fry, grill, etc. Don't recall those 10 or even 20 years ago? Sure the waiters cant chit chat but I was out in an hour and my room was sparkling with lots of ice,etc.

 

Not a cheerleader been on all the major lines. Just sick of hearing cutbacks and not considering improvements. Nope they add caviar but cut out towel animals and its a cutback.

 

But glad you had fun on the party ship OP. I would like to try epic and maybe even a studio room?

[sharecruises]

I am HOPING that the 2.0 innovations will bring a (IMHO much needed) spark of FUN back to Carnval

 

I will be on Glory for a shortie, to see the new 2.0 redo...looking forward to that

 

I don't dislike the singing waiters...just that they do not IMHO compare to real paid live entertainment.

 

I have seen a trend on Carnival to use canned music, DJ's instead of bands, and guests themselves for "entertainement" (rockstar karaoke, Legends etc)

 

I certainly did NOT do the "suite life" or pay a lot for my NCL cruise. So my perspective is from someone in an inside cabin who only paid for 2 upgrade dinners (in hindsight, wish we had planned for more, but not so easy to get group to decide LOL)

 

I found that I really really enjoyed sitting on the deck hearing the reggae band, the steel drum guy, it "felt" like a cruise again

 

Little things ...like letting everyone drop off their carryons at their cabin as soon as you board....an actual sailaway party rather than having muster drill as the ship pulls out...the cold towels etc to welcome you back....I found the little things added up to a great cruise!

 

As I said : I do prefer the hallways and probably the cabins (at least on the newer Carnival ships) on Carnival...but those don't really give me the "joy" or the fun that the island music, the parties, the wonderful entertainers gave me. You may have different priorities. For me this felt like "a real cruise" !

[soccersharon]

My mom and I are trying the Epic next year. I like CCL, especially when traveling with the entire family. That said, nothing wrong with trying other lines - and I think I will really like NCL. I will likely continue to sail with Carnival for the value - and to travel with my family.

 

I'm guessing as the kids get older, we can start branching out a little more - with longer cruises on other lines.

[JinxyB]

Thank you for the review-it is making me excited for our Pearl cruise next month! This will be our first NCL cruise-switched over from a Carnival sailing the same date for various reasons. I have 9 cruises with Carnival and one FCC to use and after my 10th/Platinum cruise on Carnival next year I think I am done. I am willing to pay more for a better cruise experience. Also, I got a mini-suite on NCL for less than I paid for my last balcony on Carnival.

[Mulege]

The Epic is one of the ugliest new ships afloat. The cabin layout is awkward and will not be repeated on the new ships.

[Redsfan]

the old adage is you get what you pay for...for our family of 5 no other cruise line can compete with Carnival on price, not really even close for same length and itinerary. We may try RCI or NCL at some point, once it is in our budget. It is difficult finiding cabins for 5 but Carnival offers this to us and that comes first. Sure for small families or 2 the options are plentiful and the ability to test other lines is there. All I know is both NCL and RCI would run us about a grand more for the same length of trip....

[Tapi]

How about the bigger cabins and more comfortable beds on Carnival?

 

Not as clear cut anymore. Back in the Kathy Lee Gifford days, Carnival could truly claim to have the biggest cabins in the cruise industry, but that's not the case anymore.

 

It is true that Carnival still offers larger accomodations on some categories (specifically the lower categories like standard insides and ocean views), but the tide turns in favor of the other cruise lines on pretty much anything else. Carnival just can't compete in terms of category selection, square footage, and perks.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Tapi

[Alzaman]

The only thing about NCL that I havent liked is the bingo hardsell it sucks, where they really put carnival to shame is the suite perks

Edited November 7, 2012 by Alzaman

[Gig103]

The only thing about NCL that I havent liked is the bingo hardsell it sucks, where they really put carnival to shame is the suite perks

 

I read a lot about the suite perks on CC, but then I looked at the prices -- you certainly pay for them! :eek: Carnival takes the approach that a suite is just a larger cabin, but I can see the appeal of an NCL suite.

[k2excursion]

OP, thank you for your review. That sounds like what I've been talking about. Carnival is cutting all those little things that really make it feel like a cruise. Some people may not care to lose those things, as long as they have their balcony and 2.0, but some of us really enjoyed those things when Carnival had them.

 

I noticed comments here about the room size and beds on Carnival. Carnival actually lies about many of their room sizes, especially on their standard interior rooms. They claim a much larger number (185) than it actually is, just so they can claim to have the largest insides. Several ships have them beat there, as far as actual size. I still do enjoy cruising Carnival, but I also will call these things as I measure them, even if some people get mad at me for ruining their illusion. But the Pearl's insides (140) are slightly smaller than Carnival's. Carnival does have many ships beat as far as oceanview & balcony (indoors) room sizes. And as far as the beds go, Carnival has been changing over to harder, less comfortable beds. Some people prefer hard beds, but most people prefer how they used to be.

Edited November 7, 2012 by k2excursion

[relic937]

In my humble opinion CCL is trying to draw the younger crowd .The over fifty crowd demands to many costly perks and more quality cruises .

 

The younger families and singles are far less demanding and will settle for much less . Music is music to them just make it loud . This is not all bad . It's nice to have a good mix of ages .

 

The steel drums and isloand music still gets my excitement level going , jsut a shame we have to get to port to here it . Not bashing just sayingt

[Perfect Stranger]

How does the price of Bingo on NCL compare to Carnival?

[silvercrikhix]

Thank you, Etsy, for posting your viewpoints on your NCL Pearl cruise.

We have been considering giving them a try.

As we only began cruising in 2010, it seems NCL may provide more of the "iconic" cruise feel than we have experienced on CCL or RCCL.