NCL vs Carnival Casino comped cruise

[rascaldog]

I just got back from a Casino sponsored cruise on Carnival Liberty. I have previously been on NCL CAS cruises. The Carnival cruise was free but was for an interior room, so an upgrade to a nice balcony was roughly $500. So that puts the cost about the same. I very much prefer cruising on NCL. the buffet food on Carnival was very limited and basically inedible. You read about smoke problems on NCL, this past cruise on Carnival Liberty,the casino smoke was the worst that I have ever encountered. Service in the casinos is much better on NCL. The whole experience on NCL is much better than Carnival in my opinion. For those of you that think NCL is going down hill try a cruise on another line. I am now very excited about my upcoming CAS comped cruise on the NCL Gem in November departing from San Juan.

[Mizzori]

That is good to know. I am also going to do a comparison between NCL and Royal Caribbean Comp Casino cruise. I just received a comp offer from RCCL for a ocean view room. So far what I like was with RCCL you only have to pay for taxes so that cruise was 288 for a 7 day cruise out of Miami. My comp inside from NCL was 600 total they said I had to pay for tax and port charges and some other fees. with RCCL the 288 was tax only for both of us. Hopefully I will enjoy my time on the RCCL like I do on the NCL

[pe4all]

The thing I like better about CCL comped cruises is that their drinks on us card covers pretty much any drink. On NCL, the drink card I get doesn't. (of course, many other people get the higher cards, and get any drink!) I love getting Bailey's, and can't get that unless I pay extra for the drink on NCL.

[surfone]

We will be on our first NCL comped casino offer cruise next week. We have only been on Carnival comped casino cruises. CCL did not charge the $200 admin fee like we just paid to NCL so the cost is higher so far, but we are excited to finally cruise NCL. Our service in the casino for drink service on the Liberty was very good as well as the other CCL casinos. We don't smoke but did not find it too bad on CCL in the casinos. So that will be something to compare as well.

[rascaldog]

The thing I like better about CCL comped cruises is that their drinks on us card covers pretty much any drink. On NCL, the drink card I get doesn't. (of course, many other people get the higher cards, and get any drink!) I love getting Bailey's, and can't get that unless I pay extra for the drink on NCL.

 

I didn't like Carnivals drink card because you can not get your own drinks from the casino bar, only from servers. They were very slow, on NCL you can order your own drinks at the casino bar.

[NLH Arizona]

I didn't like Carnivals drink card because you can not get your own drinks from the casino bar, only from servers. They were very slow, on NCL you can order your own drinks at the casino bar.

That is actually a smart way to control the number of drinks served.

[rascaldog]

That is actually a smart way to control the number of drinks served.

 

Not everyone abuses the system, I don't drink alcohol. I have a few sodas, and a few cranberry and club sodas. When leaving casino on NCL I would stop by the Casino bar and get one for the road. Much more convienent than waiting for the server. Also gives the server more time to wait on others..

[NLH Arizona]

Not everyone abuses the system, I don't drink alcohol. I have a few sodas, and a few cranberry and club sodas. When leaving casino on NCL I would stop by the Casino bar and get one for the road. Much more convienent than waiting for the server. Also gives the server more time to wait on others..

I didn't say anything about anyone abusing the system and I don't feel being able to go to the Casino Bar on NCL is abuse in anyway shape or form. Just that I think it is a smart way for Carnival to control the number of drinks served.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

That is good to know. I am also going to do a comparison between NCL and Royal Caribbean Comp Casino cruise. I just received a comp offer from RCCL for a ocean view room. So far what I like was with RCCL you only have to pay for taxes so that cruise was 288 for a 7 day cruise out of Miami. My comp inside from NCL was 600 total they said I had to pay for tax and port charges and some other fees. with RCCL the 288 was tax only for both of us. Hopefully I will enjoy my time on the RCCL like I do on the NCL

 

I did go on a Royal casino comp cruise and it was the worst experience ever and ever cruise with them again the food was terrible couldn't even eat it. The host in the casino could barely be found except for the last night and you get nothing horrible experience

[kathy884]

We did a Carnival Casino Comp out of San Juan March of 2013 over my son's spring brake. The comp was for an Ocean view (you just pay taxes and gratuities) and we upgraded to midship balcony and added DS as a third person in our room. We unlike the other posters thought for the number of people that they serve that the food in the main dining room was actually pretty good (We could always find something we liked.) The most expensive part was flying to San Juan during a popular spring break week -- not outrageous, but spring break weekend prices. Carnival also did things like give us priority boarding, invite us to frequent cruiser parties which we aren't, and send us chocolate covered strawberries and things like that.

 

This March, we are doing a comp deal on NCL on the Escape. NCL starts you off with a balcony, they charge the $200 pp administrative fee, but they have the gratuities deal and the three specialty meal upgrade deal, so it come out about the same. We paid $180 more to upgrade to a large balcony and be next to my parents. Our last three cruises over the last 15 year have all been Carnival, so we are fired up to try something new. This time too, DS is 21, working, bringing a friend, getting his own cabin, and paying for his own cabin. We are getting his air and hotel, though, covering the upgrade to a large balcony, and sharing the casino discount four ways by paying for part of his and his friend's cruise to make the cost better budget wise for them.

 

We wouldn't have even done the cruise, but DS was planning one and asked if we'd like to come along and asked his grandparents if they'd like to come along. Great hearing how much everyone like the NCL comp.

 

Oh and drink wise, we are kind of boring -- just drink tap water and coffee

[darlene62]

We did a Carnival Casino Comp out of San Juan March of 2013 over my son's spring brake. The comp was for an Ocean view (you just pay taxes and gratuities) and we upgraded to midship balcony and added DS as a third person in our room. We unlike the other posters thought for the number of people that they serve that the food in the main dining room was actually pretty good (We could always find something we liked.) The most expensive part was flying to San Juan during a popular spring break week -- not outrageous, but spring break weekend prices. Carnival also did things like give us priority boarding, invite us to frequent cruiser parties which we aren't, and send us chocolate covered strawberries and things like that.

 

This March, we are doing a comp deal on NCL on the Escape. NCL starts you off with a balcony, they charge the $200 pp administrative fee, but they have the gratuities deal and the three specialty meal upgrade deal, so it come out about the same. We paid $180 more to upgrade to a large balcony and be next to my parents. Our last three cruises over the last 15 year have all been Carnival, so we are fired up to try something new. This time too, DS is 21, working, bringing a friend, getting his own cabin, and paying for his own cabin. We are getting his air and hotel, though, covering the upgrade to a large balcony, and sharing the casino discount four ways by paying for part of his and his friend's cruise to make the cost better budget wise for them.

 

We wouldn't have even done the cruise, but DS was planning one and asked if we'd like to come along and asked his grandparents if they'd like to come along. Great hearing how much everyone like the NCL comp.

 

Oh and drink wise, we are kind of boring -- just drink tap water and coffee

After years of reading posts and my own experiences I am coming to the conclusion it's less about the cruise line because in my opinion NCL and Carnival seem to be similar to me. I have had a lot of luck on some carnival cruises and received a drink card, but end of day was not at all happy with dealing with their "casino staff and perks" on subsequent cruises. I had UBP on Breakaway for my cruises and my first cruise the casino staff for drink service was difficult to find but my second the staff was on spot. So far even though I had spent a lot of time playing and spending I am not getting much feedback from NCL. Food can be very subjective and my first time on Breakaway in October of last year was better then my May trip even though I was in Haven for second trip. Smoke well...I can only say that on both cruise lines sometimes the smoke was heavier then other trips. No rhyme or reason for that.