please help me decide: CCL Splendor vs NCL Breakaway - NYC to Bahamas

[ViolaSwamp]

Hello!

 

For our next cruise, I have booked us in a Spa Balcony on the Carnival Splendor, 8-nights out of NYC in February 2014. I have been on two Carnival cruises and liked them very much. Have never been on an NCL cruise yet (RCCLx2, HALx1, CCLx2).

 

However.

 

We are a very active and adventurous family (me, DH, DD age 10). Carnival's entertainment options are becoming rather tired, and their dining room wasn't stellar either IMO. I'm also not thrilled with all the maintenance issues that Carnival has had recently.

 

So I am thinking we might like to try NCL, as their dining and entertainment options appear to be great. And, their safety/maintenance record seems to beat Carnival's lately!

 

Here's the dilemma. I can't pick which ship I want to sail on!! Here are the main differences. What would YOU do??

 

 

CCL ports: Port Canaveral, Nassau, Freeport vs. NCL ports: Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau. We haven't been to any of these yet so it's a net neutral in my book.

 

• Where CCL beats NCL:
  
• CCL 8 nights vs. NCL 7 nights
  
• CCL trip costs $518 LESS than NCL trip
  
• The timing of the CCL trip just plain works better for us, we would be on the ship on our actual anniversary date, whereas to get even reasonable pricing on the NCL trip, we would have to go the week after our anniversary date.
  
• The Splendor's spa/thalassotherapy pool/steam rooms seem better than the Breakaway's.
  
• The name of the ship - seriously, DH thinks the name "Breakaway" is just begging for karma to split the ship in half like the Titanic :p
  
• 
  
• Where NCL beats CCL (I think):
  
• CCL is becoming untrustworthy in terms of maintenance, etc.
  
• CCL's dining and entertainment choices are boring-ish and NCL looks far more like a fun ship.
  

Long story short, I would love to find an excuse to switch to the Breakaway and try out NCL. BUT the above bullets all lean toward keeping my Splendor reservation. We're the type of family that will have fun on any vacation we go on, it's all about what we make of it, so I am certain we will have fun on either ship.

 

Honestly I am looking for someone to validate why trying NCL makes sense given the one less day onboard and greater cost. Or if I should just stick with CCL this time and try NCL on a future cruise.

 

What would YOU do in my shoes? :)

 

Ah, first world problems... :rolleyes: :p

[mizLORInj]

The Breakaway is brand new (not even cruising yet) so that will make it cost more from the get-go.

I started out with Carnival 3x and then branched out to other lines to see them for myself and I'm glad I did. I have my favorite things and not so great things about each line, but continue to sail most of them! I haven't had a bad cruise yet.

So back to your issue. The cost factor; only you can decide that one. But yes the fact that Breakaway is new and Splendor isn't too new will affect pricing.

I agree that on any cruiseline the entertainment/menu can get boring if you sail a time or two per year. They only do new shows every few years.

No reviews on Breakaway yet but I'm on it in June and can't wait!

If you're leaning toward Splendor, do that one and sail NCL another time. Then again, how often do you get to sail a new ship?!?!

I'm not much help -- I realize that! ;)

[janetz]

Breakaway! Great entertainment, largest water slide at sea, ropes course, etc...The ship is the destination. :D

[marco]

We've been on Carnival a few times and NCL. This past Jan we went on the "Jewel" and it was the first time since NCL went "Freestyle". If dining is an important criteria for you, in my opinion, the dining experience is FAR superior on CCL. NCL food was good, but not having the same waiter(s)/table every evening made service less than memorable and service was "so-so", however, not staff's fault. There was significantly less dining room staff than we felt was necessary to serve in a manner one would expect on a cruise ship. In the specialty restaurants service and staff were outstanding, but having to spend an extra $20/$25 per person for dinner on a cruise just doesn't seem right. For a truly outstanding and memorable dining experience, ya, but we thought what the sur-charge restaurants on the "Jewel" offered, is what is pretty much standard in the MDR on some other lines. And a day longer for $500 less.....I'd go with CCL.

[Starry Eyes]

Carnival Splendor now has several years on her and has had a checkered past. I though she was gaudy and loud. Breakaway will be the newest ship sailing from NYC. She is apt to pull a premium price, at least for a while. Will she live up to the buzz? I do not know. Will she be worth the price difference? I do not know.

 

I would rather go to NCL's private island than to Freeport.

[ViolaSwamp]

Thanks for weighing in folks. Still undecided! :o

[DDMau]

PAST ADVENTURES:

RCCL Enchantment of the Seas 7-night Western Caribbean 2/2003 ~ our 1st wedding anniversary cruise ~

RCCL Grandeur of the Seas 5-night Western Caribbean 3/2006 ~ our just because we wanted to take the kids on a cruise, cruise ~

HAL Maasdam 7-night Eastern Caribbean 1/2009 ~ our 7th wedding anniversary cruise ~

CCL Liberty 7-night Western Caribbean 10/2010 ~ my 30th/mom's 50th "girls only" birthday cruise ~

CCL Liberty 7-night Eastern Caribbean 2/2012 ~ our 10th wedding anniversary cruise ~

UP NEXT:

CCL Splendor 8-night Bahamas 2/2014 ~ our 12th wedding anniversary cruise ~

Looking at your past cruises, you have a cruise theme going.

We have had 3 anniversary while on cruises and they have great memories.

I have never been on CCL and 60% of my cruises have been on NCL.

To answer your question "What would YOU do in my shoes?" I would stay with CCL and have your anniversary on the ship, take some of the difference in cost and have a good time on your anniversary.

NCL will be around for another theme cruise maybe "I just wanted to try NCL cruise."

What ever cruise you take have a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ViolaSwamp]

thanks folks - I am thinking that we will stay on this CCL trip for now and I will keep my eyes on other options just in case something better pops up :) BUT I am really really excited to cruise out of NYC for the first time, and to spend hours chillaxing in the spa, particularly on the cooler days sailing out of and into NY!