Any loyal Carnival cruisers tried NCL?

[CruisingUS]

So HAL, Costa, Aida aren't major cruise lines anymore? More lines don't offer the supposed freebies than do. And I can understand why NCL offers the supposed freebies because they suck as a cruise line in so many other ways.

This kind of brand loyalty is just laughable. YOU are being used by a large corporation.

[Computer Nerd]

This is true and it kills some on here to admit there is better value elsewhere even when given specific examples. They're in denial. I don't dislike Carnival. I loved the Vista. The food was just ok..... simple as that. I've sailed multiple lines, many on here have not. I'll bet you 75% of Carnival's cruisers haven't cruised NCL and have no idea of the Free at Sea choices. Yes, Carnival fills ships. How many of them are on CC and really really do their homework and weigh all options on all lines before booking on Carnival? I'd guess a very small number as many Carnival cruisers only know Carnival. Again, NCL Escape family balcony 2016 seven day with drink package $3200. 2017 Vista Spa Inside 8 day $3600 plus $900 for Cheers. The deal and cabin was better with NCL hands down. I'm stating the obvious here and have no loyalty to any line as I sail Royal, NCL, Carnival, Princess, and Holland America.

 

Some people here still can't seem to understand that unlimited alcohol is not a better value to all people who cruise. So, based on your opinion, I should sail a line that I don't like, on ships I don't like with service I don't like to get a single free drink a day (plus gratuities) which is the max I would drink while paying more for the cruise and I'm supposed to be persuaded to think that's a better value?

[Aquahound]

I had to look up and yeah, NCL is $1500 more than Vista in April 2019. That's wild. I wouldn't sail NCL over Vista for those prices either. I would point out that you can get on Allure of the Seas, with an extra day, for a couple hundred bucks more than Vista. Isn't Vista considered Carnivals version of a mega ship, anyways? If you are looking at Vista, then you don't seem to have a problem going for the larger and more feature rich ships....

 

Not only that, but it doesn't make any sense to highlight 1 date for an argument that one cruise line is so much more than another....especially a date 2 years from now. There are so many dates between now and then and examples can be found both ways.

 

I just looked at Vista and Escape on September 23, 2017. For a balcony, Vista is $1369 and Escape is $999. If you want the Free at Sea promotion, Escape is $1019. Granted, Vista is 8 days and Escape is 7, but Vista is $195/day and Escape is $145/day with drinks and specialty dining including (you can also choose free gratuities or free wifi).

[sparks1093]

Not only that, but it doesn't make any sense to highlight 1 date for an argument that one cruise line is so much more than another....especially a date 2 years from now. There are so many dates between now and then and examples can be found both ways.

 

I just looked at Vista and Escape on September 23, 2017. For a balcony, Vista is $1369 and Escape is $999. If you want the Free at Sea promotion, Escape is $1019. Granted, Vista is 8 days and Escape is 7, but Vista is $195/day and Escape is $145/day with drinks and specialty dining including (you can also choose free gratuities or free wifi).

 

When I compare cruise prices I compare them based on when we are likely to sail, which for the cruise I cited above is 4/2019 (and I only chose that date for that particular comparison because it was the one that was furthest out for both lines). I am aware that cruises leaving sooner will have different prices and that if one can wait to book until inside final payment date some really super deals can be had, but we are not at a point in our life where we can employ that booking strategy. I also don't ordinarily limit my searches to a particular ship or ships, another poster asked me to compare those two specific ships.

[quickrate]

Actually prefer to pay about $12 for my 2 beers per cruise since I'm not an alcoholic. If you are required to pay the gratuities it is not free no matter what you claim. Sounds like those email phishing scams where you supposedly get something free by just paying a small amount up front. :rolleyes:

Having 2 or 3 drinks a day does not make a person an alcoholic. At the average price of $15 a drink, that is $30-$45 a day. Paying the gratuity on a drink package at roughly $14 a day is a considerable savings. So, yes that makes the package free!

Pat

[beerman2]

I give up...arguing is pointless...

😂😂😂 Now that you mentioned the age thing (64), not all of us have that same view. I certainly enjoy the newer ships and Have found NCL to be competitive or better than CCL with my "wants"

 

If NCL would do the Southern Caribbean in May, I probably would have chosen them over Carnival, especially with the "Perks" on NCL.

 

The Cheers package alone will be 900.00 on Carnival with 1 Specialty Dining ( Steakhouse).

 

And I totally get where you are saying. Agree sometimes you just need to experience something different.

[SNJCruisers]

So in your view what does a bigger ship offer that a smaller ship doesn't, what am I going to regret not experiencing?

Since this thread is specific to Carnival versus NCL, I will expound on the differences. Been on 18 Carnival cruises on 14 different ships, with the first one being the Jubilee back in 1986. Been on 2 soon to be 3 NCL cruises, all on the Escape. On the Escape, they have Howl to the Moon on four different nights out of seven, going from 800 pm to about 12:30 am. Consists of dueling piano players as well as the occasional drum player. Have also seen the entertainers play guitar, harmonica and tambourine. Carnival has a piano bar with one entertainer doing a sing a long. On the Escape they have pseudo Broadway entertainment such as For the Record:The Brat Pack and After Midnight. On Carnival, it's Playlist productions and Hasbro the game show. Dining wise, on the Escape there are 5 free areas, including O'Sheehans pub which is open 24/7. And there are 9 different specialty venues. Carnival has a few more free areas, but only one specialty steakhouse on some of their smaller ships. The Escape has 21 different bars and lounges in which you can enjoy your drinks package. Carnival has substantially less, but they do have the Alchemy Bar, which trumps any alcoholic venue on the Escape. On the Escape, you can make reservations for their comedy shows, whereas you need to waste time standing in line on Carnival.

But I am probably wasting my time typing this because none of the above items probably matter to you if all you want to do is chill on your balcony by day and go to bed early after dinner.

[SNJCruisers]

I give up...arguing is pointless...

I feel the same way....even stepped away for 2 days and I'm still banging my head on the wall.

 

People are creatures of habit. Many are stuck in their ways and will not change. Some will be swayed to explore new frontiers and enjoy what they find. Others will stay in their comfort zone and keep blinders on. Either way, I enjoy paying it forward and having an occasional heated debate over a given cruising topic. ;)

[SNJCruisers]

Actually prefer to pay about $12 for my 2 beers per cruise since I'm not an alcoholic. If you are required to pay the gratuities it is not free no matter what you claim. Sounds like those email phishing scams where you supposedly get something free by just paying a small amount up front. :rolleyes:

 

So HAL, Costa, Aida aren't major cruise lines anymore? More lines don't offer the supposed freebies than do. And I can understand why NCL offers the supposed freebies because they suck as a cruise line in so many other ways.

Shaking head.....OK Nerd....if you receive a 50.00 card for a present to go out to dinner, do you tip the server at the end of your meal or do you stiff them? Your meal was free, you tip your server. NCL is providing the drinks for free as an included "perk", all you do is pay the 18% tip. And to assume that anybody that chooses the drinks package is an alcoholic just goes to prove that your mama raised a damn fool.

Costa and Aida might be players across the pond, but their presence in the US market is minuscule. The lines I listed represent the major players in the US covering a wide demographic, that's why I omitted HAL since their demographic is skewed older. I added MSC since they will become major players in the near future when they have the Divina, Seaside and Meraviglia all on this side of the Atlantic.

[SNJCruisers]

When I compare cruise prices I compare them based on when we are likely to sail, which for the cruise I cited above is 4/2019 (and I only chose that date for that particular comparison because it was the one that was furthest out for both lines). I am aware that cruises leaving sooner will have different prices and that if one can wait to book until inside final payment date some really super deals can be had, but we are not at a point in our life where we can employ that booking strategy. I also don't ordinarily limit my searches to a particular ship or ships, another poster asked me to compare those two specific ships.

Which was me, and you must have been a lawyer in a previous life since you like to spin doctor things to your point of view. There have been at least two other comparisons quoted besides mine which showed that the Escape with drinks perk was cheaper than the Vista with Cheers. The above was for a late booking and the one I quoted was for a 6 day comparison leaving out of Miami and the other one was quoted comparing spa balconies if I recall correctly. It really doesn't matter what anyone says because you're locked into the balcony on a midsize ship unless for some unforeseen reason a great deal falls in your lap and then you may consider a newer, larger ship that has more bells and whistles and better options that more than likely you don't care about anyway.

[sparks1093]

Since this thread is specific to Carnival versus NCL, I will expound on the differences. Been on 18 Carnival cruises on 14 different ships, with the first one being the Jubilee back in 1986. Been on 2 soon to be 3 NCL cruises, all on the Escape. On the Escape, they have Howl to the Moon on four different nights out of seven, going from 800 pm to about 12:30 am. Consists of dueling piano players as well as the occasional drum player. Have also seen the entertainers play guitar, harmonica and tambourine. Carnival has a piano bar with one entertainer doing a sing a long. On the Escape they have pseudo Broadway entertainment such as For the Record:The Brat Pack and After Midnight. On Carnival, it's Playlist productions and Hasbro the game show. Dining wise, on the Escape there are 5 free areas, including O'Sheehans pub which is open 24/7. And there are 9 different specialty venues. Carnival has a few more free areas, but only one specialty steakhouse on some of their smaller ships. The Escape has 21 different bars and lounges in which you can enjoy your drinks package. Carnival has substantially less, but they do have the Alchemy Bar, which trumps any alcoholic venue on the Escape. On the Escape, you can make reservations for their comedy shows, whereas you need to waste time standing in line on Carnival.

But I am probably wasting my time typing this because none of the above items probably matter to you if all you want to do is chill on your balcony by day and go to bed early after dinner.

 

Sounds like great stuff, but unfortunately it doesn't sound like anything that I would spend a lifetime regretting not experiencing. We do tend to stay up until at least 630pm when we are cruising though;p.

[sparks1093]

Which was me, and you must have been a lawyer in a previous life since you like to spin doctor things to your point of view. There have been at least two other comparisons quoted besides mine which showed that the Escape with drinks perk was cheaper than the Vista with Cheers. The above was for a late booking and the one I quoted was for a 6 day comparison leaving out of Miami and the other one was quoted comparing spa balconies if I recall correctly. It really doesn't matter what anyone says because you're locked into the balcony on a midsize ship unless for some unforeseen reason a great deal falls in your lap and then you may consider a newer, larger ship that has more bells and whistles and better options that more than likely you don't care about anyway.

 

And I have repeatedly acknowledged that NCL does have great deals from time to time, I've just never seen one when we were ready to book a cruise. And yes, what I highlighted pretty much sums it up. To me the ship is not the destination, at least not yet, and even an old ship feels new to us. We cruise once a year and coming up it may have to drop back to every other year for a few years because of new commitments. Some day we will be able to book our cruises within the final payment window and expect that once we can do that we'll have more options regarding which cruise line we can sail on, because we do want to try other lines (and to be honest if it came down to an older ship on another line versus either Vista or the Escape we'd probably go with the cruise line that we haven't tried yet).

[CruisingUS]

Which was me, and you must have been a lawyer in a previous life since you like to spin doctor things to your point of view. There have been at least two other comparisons quoted besides mine which showed that the Escape with drinks perk was cheaper than the Vista with Cheers. The above was for a late booking and the one I quoted was for a 6 day comparison leaving out of Miami and the other one was quoted comparing spa balconies if I recall correctly. It really doesn't matter what anyone says because you're locked into the balcony on a midsize ship unless for some unforeseen reason a great deal falls in your lap and then you may consider a newer, larger ship that has more bells and whistles and better options that more than likely you don't care about anyway.

The mental gymnastics performed here is stunning tbh. Denial is such a strong defense mechanism. It's a waste of time. People are creatures of habit. They will continue to do w/e it is that they want to do. I accept that. No skin off of my back. And the more people stay at CCL, the more the other CL discount things for me and give me more goodies that apparently make them a failing CL ;)

 

Their loss is my benefit. I actually hope they keep this hermit mindset as it means that MSC will give even bigger discounts when they come stateside :D

[sparks1093]

The mental gymnastics performed here is stunning tbh. Denial is such a strong defense mechanism. It's a waste of time. People are creatures of habit. They will continue to do w/e it is that they want to do. I accept that. No skin off of my back. And the more people stay at CCL, the more the other CL discount things for me and give me more goodies that apparently make them a failing CL ;)

 

Their loss is my benefit. I actually hope they keep this hermit mindset as it means that MSC will give even bigger discounts when they come stateside :D

 

You read my words but fail to comprehend my meaning. What is so difficult to understand that price is the most deciding factor?

[CruisingUS]

You read my words but fail to comprehend my meaning. What is so difficult to understand that price is the most deciding factor?

You read my words but fail to comprehend simple logic. :p

 

 

I kid. But you do use mental gymnastics to reason why you book NCL, which is fine. Your money.

 

 

Like I said, I have a friend who is stuck to CCL and refuses to go anywhere else b/c of price. I am hoping that people have this blind brand loyalty b/c it means steeper discounts for me by other lines. I have zero brand loyalty and will go to whoever.

[sparks1093]

You read my words but fail to comprehend simple logic. :p

 

 

I kid. But you do use mental gymnastics to reason why you book NCL, which is fine. Your money.

 

 

Like I said, I have a friend who is stuck to CCL and refuses to go anywhere else b/c of price. I am hoping that people have this blind brand loyalty b/c it means steeper discounts for me by other lines. I have zero brand loyalty and will go to whoever.

 

I also have no brand loyalty, my loyalty is to my wallet. If money were no object I would have started at the top and worked my way down instead of the other way around. (And we have cruised NCL and have some great memories from those cruises, but I don't see NCL as being that much different from CCL that it's worth significantly more.)

[CruisingUS]

I also have no brand loyalty, my loyalty is to my wallet. If money were no object I would have started at the top and worked my way down instead of the other way around. (And we have cruised NCL and have some great memories from those cruises, but I don't see NCL as being that much different from CCL that it's worth significantly more.)

You say that, but ignore examples of how CCL is more expensive than NCL on some cruises. Then you go on and comparing apples or oranges, which you say are merely different flavors of apples. Do you see how that doesn't convince others? Hence, mental gymnastics.

 

 

I have no problem with you doing mental gymnastics. But let's not pretend that this makes sense to everyone else. Your calculus just doesn't add up, which quite frankly is very amusing to me just as I am amusing to you.

[sparks1093]

You say that, but ignore examples of how CCL is more expensive than NCL on some cruises. Then you go on and comparing apples or oranges, which you say are merely different flavors of apples. Do you see how that doesn't convince others? Hence, mental gymnastics.

 

 

I have no problem with you doing mental gymnastics. But let's not pretend that this makes sense to everyone else. Your calculus just doesn't add up, which quite frankly is very amusing to me just as I am amusing to you.

 

I do see where CCL can be more expensive than NCL on some cruises and have even acknowledged it, but you are reading only parts of what I am saying. When I am looking to book a cruise I look at all of the options available for when and where we want to go (which sometimes can be hard because sometimes I'm looking so far ahead that there is only one option). Then when I have the pricing I decide which cruise to take based on factors that are important to me and I fully recognize that other people will use other factors to arrive at a different conclusion then I do. I do not let myself be blinded by marketing, so I will factor included perks based on their value (again) to me. If one cruise includes a drink package and the difference is less than the cost of Cheers than I would have no problem booking that cruise. This isn't mental gymnastics at all, it's getting the best value that I can from my vacation dollar using some pretty straight forward analysis. You may feel that paying $1400 more to sail with NCL on a newer ship (or even an older ship) is worth it and that is perfectly fine. I don't see the value to me.

[asalligo]

I know for many that this makes no difference, but I like a good Coke, NCL being Pepsi only is a deal breaker for me.

[sparks1093]

You say that, but ignore examples of how CCL is more expensive than NCL on some cruises. Then you go on and comparing apples or oranges, which you say are merely different flavors of apples. Do you see how that doesn't convince others? Hence, mental gymnastics.

 

 

I have no problem with you doing mental gymnastics. But let's not pretend that this makes sense to everyone else. Your calculus just doesn't add up, which quite frankly is very amusing to me just as I am amusing to you.

 

Okay, if I were looking to book our Thanksgiving cruise right now the Getaway (a mini-suite) comes in at $3342 with $240 onboard credit, beverage package and dining package. Glory (premium balcony) is coming in at $2400. With the perks the Getaway is the same price as Glory if one were to buy the Cheers package. If I were booking that cruise today Getaway would certainly be in the running.

[Warm Breezes]

I do see where CCL can be more expensive than NCL on some cruises and have even acknowledged it, but you are reading only parts of what I am saying. When I am looking to book a cruise I look at all of the options available for when and where we want to go (which sometimes can be hard because sometimes I'm looking so far ahead that there is only one option). Then when I have the pricing I decide which cruise to take based on factors that are important to me and I fully recognize that other people will use other factors to arrive at a different conclusion then I do. I do not let myself be blinded by marketing, so I will factor included perks based on their value (again) to me. If one cruise includes a drink package and the difference is less than the cost of Cheers than I would have no problem booking that cruise. This isn't mental gymnastics at all, it's getting the best value that I can from my vacation dollar using some pretty straight forward analysis. You may feel that paying $1400 more to sail with NCL on a newer ship (or even an older ship) is worth it and that is perfectly fine. I don't see the value to me.

 

Might as well give it up Sparks. They refuse to see that when you book a cruise you are looking for things you prefer in a ship at the price you want to pay...not the things they prefer in a ship at the price they are willing to pay. You already acknowledged that there are times when you can get a deal on any line...and those times have not fallen in when you were researching to book your cruise for NCL. I've seen that myself with RCI. They refuse to believe that you know yourself, better than they know you, well enough to know that a larger ship with more bells and whistles just doesn't appeal to you when choosing among different ships....Heaven forbid that you have different preferences than they do and don't need all those things to have the relaxing vacation you are planning.

 

They claim you are being closed minded when IMHO they are the ones who are being closed minded. You would be willing to try the mega ship if the price was right for the time you are cruising. They are not willing admit that some people are happy with small and middle size ships and have no desire for the mega ships. My DH is that way....and he has tried the Mega ships and is willing to sail them for me since I like them. Just like I am willing to sail the smaller ships because he likes them even though they are not my preference. Mega ships are not his preference and probably never will be....I think you are the same way even though you never sailed one. If it wasn't for me, I doubt DH would ever sail one either. Just like if it wasn't for him I would probably not sail the smaller ships. That is not closed mindedness. That is personal preferences. It is the closed minded people who can't perceive that others may have personal preferences that are different than their own. You are banging your head against the wall trying to get them to see your point of view.

 

OP look at the ships and see what they have to offer. If the NCL ship is offering you things that would interest your family then book it. CCL and NCL are not that much different from each other when it comes to the basics and you can do your own research to see if the differences that are there really matter to you. After all, we all have our own preferences.

[sparks1093]

Might as well give it up Sparks. They refuse to see that when you book a cruise you are looking for things you prefer in a ship at the price you want to pay...not the things they prefer in a ship at the price they are willing to pay. You already acknowledged that there are times when you can get a deal on any line...and those times have not fallen in when you were researching to book your cruise for NCL. I've seen that myself with RCI. They refuse to believe that you know yourself, better than they know you, well enough to know that a larger ship with more bells and whistles just doesn't appeal to you when choosing among different ships....Heaven forbid that you have different preferences than they do and don't need all those things to have the relaxing vacation you are planning.

 

They claim you are being closed minded when IMHO they are the ones who are being closed minded. You would be willing to try the mega ship if the price was right for the time you are cruising. They are not willing admit that some people are happy with small and middle size ships and have no desire for the mega ships. My DH is that way....and he has tried the Mega ships and is willing to sail them for me since I like them. Just like I am willing to sail the smaller ships because he likes them even though they are not my preference. Mega ships are not his preference and probably never will be....I think you are the same way even though you never sailed one. If it wasn't for me, I doubt DH would ever sail one either. Just like if it wasn't for him I would probably not sail the smaller ships. That is not closed mindedness. That is personal preferences. It is the closed minded people who can't perceive that others may have personal preferences that are different than their own. You are banging your head against the wall trying to get them to see your point of view.

 

OP look at the ships and see what they have to offer. If the CCL ship is offering you things that would interest your family then book it. CCL and NCL are not that much different from each other when it comes to the basics and you can do your own research to see if the differences that are there really matter to you. After all, we all have our own preferences.

 

Thanks, and I agree wholeheartedly with your last paragraph (well, and the other paragraphs, too).

[DCCruiser1013]

My wife and I just booked a trip on NCL's Getaway for next August. By that point we'll have 6 Carnival cruises under our belts. We were looking at prices for various Carnival cruises that we were interested in, and this particular NCL price (for the room type that we prefer) was comparable to Carnival sailings we were interested in - and the free packages and ship features pushed NCL to the front. We've done our homework and we have a good idea about what we'll like more about NCL, and we also know what we'll probably miss about Carnival. For better or worse, we're going into it expecting to have a blast because - come on, man - it's a cruise.

[CruisingUS]

Might as well give it up Sparks. They refuse to see that when you book a cruise you are looking for things you prefer in a ship at the price you want to pay...not the things they prefer in a ship at the price they are willing to pay. You already acknowledged that there are times when you can get a deal on any line...and those times have not fallen in when you were researching to book your cruise for NCL. I've seen that myself with RCI. They refuse to believe that you know yourself, better than they know you, well enough to know that a larger ship with more bells and whistles just doesn't appeal to you when choosing among different ships....Heaven forbid that you have different preferences than they do and don't need all those things to have the relaxing vacation you are planning.

 

They claim you are being closed minded when IMHO they are the ones who are being closed minded. You would be willing to try the mega ship if the price was right for the time you are cruising. They are not willing admit that some people are happy with small and middle size ships and have no desire for the mega ships. My DH is that way....and he has tried the Mega ships and is willing to sail them for me since I like them. Just like I am willing to sail the smaller ships because he likes them even though they are not my preference. Mega ships are not his preference and probably never will be....I think you are the same way even though you never sailed one. If it wasn't for me, I doubt DH would ever sail one either. Just like if it wasn't for him I would probably not sail the smaller ships. That is not closed mindedness. That is personal preferences. It is the closed minded people who can't perceive that others may have personal preferences that are different than their own. You are banging your head against the wall trying to get them to see your point of view.

 

OP look at the ships and see what they have to offer. If the NCL ship is offering you things that would interest your family then book it. CCL and NCL are not that much different from each other when it comes to the basics and you can do your own research to see if the differences that are there really matter to you. After all, we all have our own preferences.

To assume I don't get it is wrong. But feel free to assume.

 

 

Read my past posts about my friend who always pics CCL b/c it is cheaper. I get it. I shop around too.

[sparks1093]

To assume I don't get it is wrong. But feel free to assume.

 

 

Read my past posts about my friend who always pics CCL b/c it is cheaper. I get it. I shop around too.

 

And you don't get that I shop around too?