Would like an honest comparison between Carnival and Norwegian

[samiam0403]

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I had much of the same preconceived ideas about NCL as some other posters here - long lines, bad food to get you to pay for the other restaurants, difficulty in getting reservations. But I'm thrilled to say that was all completely and utterly wrong. While I still like Carnival (and have another cruise booked with them), NCL did just about everything better. I absolutely loved it. The service was amazing, the entertainment was outstanding and the ship was lovely. I never waited for a beeper (but if I had had a long wait, I'd have gotten a free glass of champagne), the food was really good - never sent one thing back (which I have done on Carnival) and the wings were fantastic late at night. :) So if you are thinking about doing an NCL cruise, or are just looking to shake things up, give it a shot. At least then you'll be able to say, 'when I sailed on NCL...' instead of 'I've heard that NCL...' Inside cabins on my next 7 night NCL sailing currently are under $300 pp and full suites are under $1000 pp. ;) Happy sailing, all.

[swedish weave]

I will chime in on the comments about the friendliness of the crew. I find many very friendly crew members on all the cruise lines, and some not so outgoing. Making blanket statements about the friendliness of the crew is a misconception. Look at them as individuals and you will find a wide spectrum of personalities and attitudes.

 

As an example, I saw a familiar face on a Princess cruise, so asked the crew member where we had met. She had worked for NCL about five years ago.

 

Different uniform and different ID tags, but she was still the same wonderful "kid" I know from NCL.

Edited November 18, 2013 by swedish weave

[browneyedwoman]

Lots of misconceptions on your part.

 

Blue Man group is only on 1 ship, the Epic.

 

The ships I have been on have regular shows like the 3-4 nights CCL has their shows. The only difference is that NCL has entertainment every night.

 

I don't consider The Hasbro Game, Love and Marriage or The Legends show entertainment.

 

As someone else already mentioned, there is no need to get up early to make any reservations, especiallly if you want to eat in the free MDR's.

 

Nobody is nickel and diming anybody. They are options.

 

I also thought the same as you and the reservations but after cruing on NCL I found that wasn't the case.

 

Also The Blue Lagoon is far and away better then the pizza option later in the evening on CCL.

 

Bill

 

Thank you for the clarification. I didn't realize that Blue Man group was only on the Epic. We like regular singing and dancing shows. It's nice to know that their anytime dining is similar to Carnival's where you can just show up.