1st timer past carnival guest opinion

[Yari mommy of 2]

So I am looking to reschedule a cruise for my family and I for April 2017 and I have never been on NCL. I have traveled Carnival for the past 10 years and we travel very frequent. what's happening now is that we have been to just about all itineraries. even though we don't care we also want to try something new. can you give me your opinion on NCL? I am looking into things to do on the ship. daycare, and evening events dancing what do kids like about this cruise line. I have a 1 year old, 3 year old and 7 year old plus my husband and I.

[dporter]

We have been on Royal, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity and NCL. They all have very similar things on board. You just have to pick what you like and what you want to do.

 

Any cruise is better than work!!

 

I prefer NCL over Carnival, I feel that the food and shows are much better on NCL than the Carnival experiences I have had. Although I would be open to trying the Vista if I could ever get in a Havana room.

 

Since our children are grown now I cannot comment on current kid club activities.

[sanger727]

Ncl will be very much like carnival in terms of having evening shows, live music, movies, karaoke, game shows, etc. I prefer ncl's shows to carnivals so I think it's an upgrade in entertainment.

 

Daytime entertainment will be about the same: trivia, bingo, pool games, etc.

 

Sorry, can't comment about the kid stuff.

 

Like carnival, what is available will vary widely ship to ship w the newer ships having the water slides, climbing wall, etc

 

 

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[pe4all]

Having cruised on Carnival 20x I can definitely give you a fair comparison! I thought I would hate freestyle cruising - love it! With kids the ages of yours, I would book a ship that has a kids splash zone - one of the newer ones. (Breakaway, Getaway, etc.) There is also a playroom where you can bring your 1 and 3 year olds (no supervision - you have to stay and play/watch) Kids activities for your 7 year old are great - always saw them around the ship of scavenger hunts, ice cream parties, etc. (all supervised)

Plenty of different food options - pay or free. O'Sheehan's is great pub food, and good place for kids to sit and eat with you. I like the buffet better on NCL than CCL. Dining rooms are just like CCL, but without the singing/dancing - unless you go to the "fancier" one where some burn the floor dances are performed hourly. Then there are the "pay" restaurants - all really good. Teppanyaki is like Benihana - puts on a show of preparing the meal in front of you.

The activities on the ships are similar. Comedy club, (NCL also has Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar, which is so much fun!) bingo, trivia, casino, nightclub for dancing. Deal or no deal is big on NCL ships. Instead of serenity area, there is spice h20. Breakaway and Getaway have cirque de soleil type shows that you pay extra for if you want, but are great for kids!

One of the nicest things about NCL is the dress code. No formal nights, so packing becomes lighter.

We made the switch because we wanted to try something new, and NCL provided that for us at a good price-point. Also had different itineraries, which are important for us. And with the Free at Sea offers going on now, it may be worth trying NCL!

[mjkacmom]

All NCL ships have clubs for the 3+ crowd, only the Escape has a nursery. They are good. There are no splash areas on the ships for diapered kids, like Carnival. Different class ships have different amenities.

[JillL]

We did two Carnival cruises then tried one on NCL... Well, we have two more scheduled on NCL if that tells you anything.

 

Our son (six currently) tolerated the kids club on Carnival and would go for a hour or two a day, but he loves it on NCL. He cried each night when we picked him up because he didn't want to leave.

 

As the previous poster mentioned, the bigger ships will have a lot of different activities for the kids, but another ship to consider is the Dawn. They have a kids pool area at the back of the ship, which is fantastic for younger kids. We personally like the smaller ships (like the Dawn) better because of the lesser crowds.

[darlene62]

I have been about 6 Carnival and 2 NCL......I am not a foodie.....not someone who is into the entertainment....I am all about chilling out and enjoying the cruise even if it means not getting off at all the ports. I find both lines so similar that the pros and cons of each line balance out. I love both.....BUT let me add......so often I have heard of Carnival being a party line ......loud, obnoxious, drunks etc....most of my cruises have been 7-8 days. I have seen rude people on both lines but never seen the excesses attributed to Carnival.