Norwegian vs Carnival from NOLA

[Hernandez]

we are interested in cruising from New Orleans but apparently only Carnival and Norwegian offer these cruises and the Ports of Call are not all that thrilling. We contemplated the Carnival Dream that stops in Key West but aren't too excited about the other stops in Freeport and Nassau. They also offer one that stops in Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. Now we see Norwegian offers a cruise that stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Can anyone recommend either of these?

[mizLORInj]

Which NCL ship? That would influence my decision.

 

I have been on Carnival Dream (when it was new) and liked it. Roatan is a cool port with very good shore excursions. Belize we did a land tour to Altun Ha which was cool. Cozumel we went to a beach place for the day.

[Hernandez]

the Norwegian Dawn - appears to be smaller with capacity of 2600 passengers.

[blackwing]

Sounds like you are more concerned with ports than ships, so I'd go with the one that has the ports that you find more appealing.

 

I don't care for Cozumel at all, but I would choose Roatan and Belize City over Costa Maya. But that's because I've never been to Belize and would like to at least see it.

[VideoTech]

we are interested in cruising from New Orleans but apparently only Carnival and Norwegian offer these cruises and the Ports of Call are not all that thrilling. We contemplated the Carnival Dream that stops in Key West but aren't too excited about the other stops in Freeport and Nassau. They also offer one that stops in Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. Now we see Norwegian offers a cruise that stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Can anyone recommend either of these?

 

We have done the Western Caribbean out of New Orleans on NCl several times. The itinerary is a pleasant one, particularly if you have not been to any of those ports before.

 

We have always enjoyed Roatan, which has great beaches that often have some excellent snorkeling right off the beach (Tabyana Beach, for instance). And there is truly amazing snorkeling on the reefs outside Belize.

 

Costa Maya & Belize also offer the option of touring ruins. Our kids have done Lamanai from Belize and loved it, although it is a long day.

 

Cozumel is...well... Cozumel. It's kind of the Nassau of the Western Caribbean, in that everyone stops there. But it does have good beaches, lots of bars if that's your thing, and for the kids, a good (but expensive) swim with the dolphins; also a pretty cool submarine tour that both kids and adults like.

 

As for Carnival vs NCL - my feeling is that NCL is a little more laid back than Carnival. If you're a real party animal, go with Carnival.

[haply]

We sailed the Norwegian Dawn out of NO last November and really enjoyed it. We chose the Dawn over the Carnival Dream because the Dawn offered four stops/port days (vs. three port days on the Dream). We really liked Costa Maya (sort of like what Cozumel was 25 years ago). The Dawn has a kid's buffet area which the kids really enjoyed (kid-sized buffet and tables). The Dawn has a Dinosaur pool/slide area in the back of the ship which is really good for younger kids (under age 10 or so). No big water slide like the Dream, so teenagers may not like as much. We also preferred the smaller (2600 capacity) Dawn over the 3600+ capacity Dream. The Dawn ended up being a bit cheaper because we received the unlimited beverage package as a promotion. We are sailing the Dawn again this November because we really liked the ship and itinerary. Both ships are good, I would agree looking at the ports/number of port days.

[TheDougOut]

Depending on when you're sailing... the Dawn is going to be refreshed during a 4 week dry dock in June, and will start going to NCL's new private island in Belize in mid November.

 

I'm sailing on the Dawn Nov 27 out of New Orleans... can't wait!

[djacobson]

we are interested in cruising from New Orleans but apparently only Carnival and Norwegian offer these cruises and the Ports of Call are not all that thrilling. We contemplated the Carnival Dream that stops in Key West but aren't too excited about the other stops in Freeport and Nassau. They also offer one that stops in Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. Now we see Norwegian offers a cruise that stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Can anyone recommend either of these?

 

I have cruised on both the Dream and the Dawn. I would choose the Dawn. I enjoyed my week on the Dawn, especially the Second City group and Murder Mystery luncheon. The entertainment was much better than on the Dream. It was a more relaxing week overall.

[Sand and Seas]

Depending on when you're sailing... the Dawn is going to be refreshed during a 4 week dry dock in June, and will start going to NCL's new private island in Belize in mid November.

 

I'm sailing on the Dawn Nov 27 out of New Orleans... can't wait!

 

We are booked to go on the Dawn after her dry dock too. Roatan is one of our favorite ports. Love going to Maya Key. Also looking forward to NCLs new private island Harvest Caye. They will be able to dock her there while all the current Belize stops are tendered.

[thescot123]

we are interested in cruising from New Orleans but apparently only Carnival and Norwegian offer these cruises and the Ports of Call are not all that thrilling. We contemplated the Carnival Dream that stops in Key West but aren't too excited about the other stops in Freeport and Nassau. They also offer one that stops in Cozumel, Roatan and Belize City. Now we see Norwegian offers a cruise that stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Can anyone recommend either of these?

 

Have cruised out many times from N.O. In fact we are cruising on the Dawn again in a few weeks. Have been on both the Dream and Dawn. For me, I prefer NCL as the ship is smaller and it goes to 4 ports instead of 3 ports which Carnival does. Costa Maya is one of my most favorite stops as it is not built up. Make sure that you take a cheap taxi to Mahahual and not stay inside that complex built for the cruise lines. Cozumel is also a nice port with plenty of things to do. NCL docks right downtown so you don't have to take a taxi to see the shops. In Cozumel the taxis are fixed price and not per person.

 

Enjoy.