Carnival Cruiser trying NCL--your thoughts?

[MsSWhite]

We have sailed on Carnival regularly--thinking about trying NCL.  Drink package alone is a bonus!  Any pros and cons for those of you who have sailed both??

[Russiamomm]

4 minutes ago, MsSWhite said:

We have sailed on Carnival regularly--thinking about trying NCL.  Drink package alone is a bonus!  Any pros and cons for those of you who have sailed both??

Welcome!  We’ve been pretty much NCL loyalists for several years.  Had done a few Carnival cruises years ago when the kids were young and did another Carnival in August.  Honestly, I can’t see myself ever going back on a Carnival ship.  We’re going home to NCL.  
 

I’m going to try to be objective here.  Granted, it’s difficult.  😂.  The entire vibe is different on NCL.  A bit more upscale, but not stuffy.  We really missed NCL’s freestyle dining.  On Carnival, we found the food to be ok, but not up to NCL standards.  We missed the included specialty dining with FAS.  For breakfast and lunch, we found the buffet to be really lacking compared to the buffet on NCL.  I’m not saying that NCL is 5 star, but it’s definitely a notch up from what we saw on Carnival.

While we had the Cheers package on our trip, it really annoyed me that they only let you get one drink at a time.  On NCL you can get two.  I did like that Carnival’s package included specialty coffee and bottled water,  I wish NCL’s package did the same.  It never affected us because we don’t drink that much, but Carnival has a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks a day. NCL has no limit.

 

Finally, we just found that we liked the passengers better on NCL.  It’s hard to explain, but on NCL we never have a problem finding people to chat with that we have common experiences.  Although we met a lot of people on our CCL trip, there weren’t that many we could we really relate to.  It was like we were coming from two completely different worlds.  
 

Hop on over and test the waters!

[chill6x6]

1 hour ago, MsSWhite said:

We have sailed on Carnival regularly--thinking about trying NCL.  Drink package alone is a bonus!  Any pros and cons for those of you who have sailed both??

I did this about 2010.  I was worried I wouldn't like Norwegian.  Of course there was nothing to worry about.  Now, I've cruise NCL more than Carnival.  I enjoy multiple cruise lines. Different ports, different ships, different way of doing things, a different experience.  Go with the understanding it will be a little different and I can't imagine you not enjoying NCL.

[cyntil8ing]

I’ve been cruising on Carnival, but not exclusively, since 2008. I just did my first NCL on the Escape a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it. My last Carnival cruise was on the Magic two weeks before that.

 

NCL actually felt kind of throwback, which was fun. Key cards are handed out in the terminal, not at the cabins. There is a printed daily planner, that even has ads for the spa and art auctions. There were tablecloths on the tables. We were asked if we wanted to share a table at lunch. There was always plenty of staff around.

 

i am not a big food person, so it’s not a big deal to me. I never was extraordinarily pleased nor disappointed with any of the food. What was nice was the buffet hours. I am so used to returning from a port day and the only options being Guy’s Burgers or pizza. The Escape had full buffet until 4:00pm, then snacks. I had a scone every afternoon! The main dining rooms for dinner had way more choices. There were even some options on the Always Available menu that sounded good, not just plain chicken, salmon, or whatever that inedible steak cut is. 
 

Entertainment was very good. I really enjoyed the dueling pianos. The musicians rotated breaks so there was always someone playing. The comedians were good. One was an SNL alum. The Choir of Man show was amazing, with singing so good I realized just how bad the singers were on Carnival the week before.

 

The Waterfront area was so nice. I spent so many hours out there relaxing, and there was bar service!

I can’t really think of an instance where I thought Carnival did something better. Ok, the app is much better, as is the premium internet. My only complaint, and it is a complaint with Carnival too, is having to walk through the smoky casino to get from here to there. There was also a cigar bar, but we could just avoid that area. Celebrity wins for no allowed indoor smoking.

 

Honestly, after avoiding NCL for so many years, I am kind of kicking myself for not trying it sooner. I will definitely be back, if for nothing else than to use the 10% FCC we got when our itinerary was changed due Hurricane Lee. Carnival, the week before, gave us OBC when our Bermuda cruise changed to the Bahamas due to Hurricane Franklin.

 

Here are some random photos.

 

 

[dbrown84]

3 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Welcome!  We’ve been pretty much NCL loyalists for several years.  Had done a few Carnival cruises years ago when the kids were young and did another Carnival in August.  Honestly, I can’t see myself ever going back on a Carnival ship.  We’re going home to NCL.  
 

I’m going to try to be objective here.  Granted, it’s difficult.  😂.  The entire vibe is different on NCL.  A bit more upscale, but not stuffy.  We really missed NCL’s freestyle dining.  On Carnival, we found the food to be ok, but not up to NCL standards.  We missed the included specialty dining with FAS.  For breakfast and lunch, we found the buffet to be really lacking compared to the buffet on NCL.  I’m not saying that NCL is 5 star, but it’s definitely a notch up from what we saw on Carnival.

While we had the Cheers package on our trip, it really annoyed me that they only let you get one drink at a time.  On NCL you can get two.  I did like that Carnival’s package included specialty coffee and bottled water,  I wish NCL’s package did the same.  It never affected us because we don’t drink that much, but Carnival has a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks a day. NCL has no limit.

 

Finally, we just found that we liked the passengers better on NCL.  It’s hard to explain, but on NCL we never have a problem finding people to chat with that we have common experiences.  Although we met a lot of people on our CCL trip, there weren’t that many we could we really relate to.  It was like we were coming from two completely different worlds.  
 

Hop on over and test the waters!

I've sailed NCL exclusively.  I recently received a comp cruise on Carnival and I looked into trying them, especially since they cruise from Baltimore (which is local to me).  I started doing some research on Carnival and I found out about the 15 drink limit.  Well, my two cruises next year will be on NCL :)

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, cyntil8ing said:

...having to walk through the smoky casino to get from here to there...

 

all of the newest NCL ships have nonsmoking casinos with a separate enclosed smoking section. when you walk by that smoking section, if the glass doors happen to open up, you'll get a strong whiff of stale smoke. same thing if you play a machine located near there, but, by and large, the casino - on the newest ships -  is smoke free.

[gizfish]

Just a suggestion if you haven't already, I think your should also pose this question on the Carnival board so you can see what Carnival fans think about NCL.  

[LatinaInTexas]

I love Carnival. After trying MSC and NCL and loving those cruises also I was questioning who I would book with going forward.

Then I recently sailed Carnival Celebration and this was my favorite cruise ever. Until this cruise I would have rated my favorite cruises as NCL, MSC, Carnival, and RC. After that cruise Carnival moved up to number one.

I have learned that I like variety and all the lines I have sailed so far have been great. Absolutely nothing I can think of to not book with any of them again. Yes there will be certain things you might not like but there will be so many things you will like no matter who you sail with.

Also I think NCL had the best food overall. Taste, options, number of choices, quality, visual appeal all hit high marks for me. For me Carnival scores the lowest for food.

[v3cruiser]

Love carnival but NCL has the itineraries and overall package (drinks, air, excurson. credit) we are looking for now. The NCL drink package is a no brainer. Would love to get on a carnival ship again though. My parents were on the Celebration and really liked all the shows, food, and ship in general.  Love how carnival has so many food options during the day-guys burgers, blue iguana, BBQ,seafood shack, fried chicken and even there own beer. Really miss those on NCL but last three cruises on ncl were on their smaller ships, star and jewel. I think ncl going wrong direction with all these go cart tracks taking up all that space on top of their newer ships. 

[wolft927]

Have Cruised Carnival many times as well as NCL for my past 4 out of 5. We much prefer NCL for several reasons listed in no particular order:

 

1- Drink Package. 2 drinks at a time, also no cap, not that 15 isn't enough but on sea days sometimes we would have more lol.

2- Specialty dining- 2 included as long as you book a Balcony or higher. 

3- Passengers. Wife and I our very outgoing and love to have a good time, but even we tend to see the passengers on Carnival get a little to crazy out by the pool and in the bars and lounges. NCL still a fun exciting atmosphere by the pools and whatnot but not to crazy that it gets annoying

4- Ports. Most NCL 7 day cruises hit 4 ports not 3. Almost every Carnival Cruise you get 3 sea days and 3 ports. Even though we have visited most of them many times, we do like 2 sea days instead of 3. 

5-THE HAVEN- So right after the restart we were able to win an upgrade to the Haven. We have not booked outside the Haven since. The VIP Service you receive is amazing. Everything from the priority embarkation, amazing staterooms, Butler, Concierge, private Dining room, lounge bar and much more. 

6- Food. We are not big foodies but, we do prefer NCL over Carnival. But don't get me wrong, love Guys Burgers, and miss it when on NCL 

Entertainment- NCL usually wins on this front, but I have not been on the Mardi Gras class ships yet so who knows. 

 

I always say no matter what cruise line you decide if you go into it with realistic expectations and a " I'm on vacation and not at work" Mindset you will have fun. We are giving MSC a chance next year as well becasue we love the Haven but I can book an inside YC cabin for less then a Balcony on NCL. 

[MoCruiseFan]

20 hours ago, MsSWhite said:

We have sailed on Carnival regularly--thinking about trying NCL.  Drink package alone is a bonus!  Any pros and cons for those of you who have sailed both??

 

If you even slightly like CCL you will love NCL.  CCL is known as teh WalMart of the seas for a reason.  NCL is far superior in every aspect,

[Giladj]

In June of this year (2023) we sailed CCL Pride  to Norway and Northern Capitals, 21 days total. It was basically a Scandinavia cruise. The deal was a casino offer that we did not deserve (long story here) but we took it. I am trying to keep my opinions separate from the great rate we got. 

 

We cruised CCL in 2022 (Caribbean) due again to an unbelievable rate. and were pleased. The itinerary wasn't great but lets talk cruise product here. The buffets at breakfast lacked things I expect on NCL. Decent granola and smoked salmon.  

 

We actually like Guy's Burger Joint for an afternoon treat. No bun no fires, just a burger and the condiments bar was good. I do like sushi and their pay sushi options are a decent value. I ordered this twice for lunch.

 

We won a free dinner at their steakhouse at some event. We enjoyed our meal but not enough to book again and pay the going rate.

 

The dining room felt like a cafeteria with no table clothes. Not a huge problem just wished for more. We always found something we liked. Appreciated the lobster (not Maine) and good beef offerings. The wait staff were excellent! The entertainment was basic at best. 

 

Given what we paid for this 21 day cruise we have not a single complaint...

 

We are Sapphire on NCL so clearly we like their product. The perks they offer are of value to us. Some free laundry (we always pack light and book long cruises), two specialty dinners and some free wifi. The rest of the perks are worthless to us.

 

We usually pay the higher cabin prices to get the "free" at sea perks as well, but I do crunch the numbers. The additional specialty dinners, wifi and included (not free) drinks usually work to our advantage. We also own NCL stock that entitles us to additional OBC. We sill get $100 for each of the three cruises we have booked.

 

Even if you do not pay for any of the "free" at Sea perks, NCL has more dining options. There are two dining rooms (same menu), one less formal. I do not like long pants so wearing shorts even on cooler itineraries appeals to me. Add to that, the 24 hour, O'sheehans Irish Pub (on older ships which we prefer) for breakfast lunch or dinner. There is also a complimentary asian restaurant which is nice for a change. There are at least 4 pay specialty restaurants on each ship also. So NCL wins on dinning options, wether pay or included.

 

Hands down the entertainment is better on NCL. On the newer ships there are more options than the show lounge. Escape room events and Dueling Pianos. We did a week long Caribbean cruise (BC Before COVID) on the Getaway and the shows were Broadway quality. We had just seen Frozen on Broadway so we are not talking out of school. The Million $ quartet was nothing short of amazing.

 

My biggest bone of contention with NCL is their propensity to nickel and dime guests once they are on board. NCL's shore excursions are the most unreasonably priced in the industry. We shy away from any cruise line tours but NCL's cost, even with the "free" at sea $50 credit is ridiculous. If you exclusively use cruise line tours keep NCL prices in mind when doing your cost analysis.

 

We are itinerary and price focused travelers. We do both land based and cruise trips. Am I loyal to a brand. Yes, but only to the extent that they provide value for what we value.

 

CCL regulars need not be concerned with what they will experience on NCL. You will be pleased. 

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Giladj

[MCMC100]

On 10/3/2023 at 9:23 AM, wolft927 said:

We are giving MSC a chance next year as well becasue we love the Haven but I can book an inside YC cabin for less then a Balcony on NCL. 

I have seen similar posts regarding MSC pricing compared to NCL.  I’m unable to duplicate it. If I could book the MSC Yacht Club (with comparable NCL FAS amenities) for less than an NCL balcony I’d be interested. 
 

I’m not doubting you did it, but how?  Which ship and itinerary?  Do you book years in advance or days before departure?  I’ve looked at a few MSC cruises and always get a Yacht Club quote that is comparable to the Haven. 

[schmoopie17]

If you're as indecisive as we are, if you book a cruise on NCL and change your mind, your refund is refundable up until final payment date. Carnival? Not so much...

[kitkat343]

If you are booking independent excursions on NCL, just be very careful about checking their cancellation policies first.  On our sailing, they cancelled one port and the morning of another to help the environment.  Because it was after final payment, we were not allowed to switch to an identical itinerary two weeks later.  NCL continued to advertise he original itinerary and people who called NCL to book with them directly  were not notified of the cancellations, nor were they able to cancel.  You can check the recent reviews of whichever ship you are considering to see if that has been happening on the itinerary you are considering. 

 

 

[pc_load_letter]

We cruise both alot and both have pro's and con's.

 

We like the fast casual food options, Guys, Blue Iguana, Shaqs chicken versus not having those options on NCL.

 

On the flip side, we like The Local on NCL for late night snacks. We also appreciate the drink package on NCL a little better. But on Carnival you get free coffee, gatorades and energy drinks that you don't get on NCL.

 

We like the comedians and piano bar on Carnival more but prefer the overall entertainment on NCL.

 

Bars are the same and rooms are equal.

[kona_wahine]

We’ve always sailed carnival but tried NCL last year. (Alaska) the Encore is a beautiful ship and sailing her again next summer. I’m only a little nervous as last time was just after covid and it was very empty. But, also did the Spirit on Carnival last year as the offer was just too good to pass. I thought NCL food was better. I didn’t like EVERYTHING had to be booked, but the touch screen thing to do it was nice. Overall, for me it was a coin toss. 🤷‍♀️ I’d pick either based on itinerary and price. 

[KKB]

LOL you are going to get A LOT of different opinions here!!

30+ cruises under our belts in 20 years.

5 on NCL (all in  last 5 years) & one Carnival in January (14 days to Hawaii on Miracle)

Many said we would hate Carnival after sailing Celebrity, Princess, RCCL, NCL & DCL.

THEY WERE WRONG! We LOVED it!

Food, activities, bands, comedians--we found it all very very good.

The only thing we DON'T like is the cost of the drink package...that with internet & tips, totals run more than the others w/ AI (or semi-AI) packages. A casino offer is what got us to take it.

NCL shows & game shows are better than Carnival. 

We find food, activities & bands fairly comparable.

We find Carnival comedians the best of any sailing we have done (no idea if that was situational!)

NOW, we have ONLY sailed NCL large ships & obviously not Carnival big ships.

(our bartenders said to stick w/ longer Carnival cruises & we will love them)

 

Honestly--we find ALL these lines more alike than different.

Some do things better than others; some ships have things we really like that we wish others had.

We have had "meh" cruises on most lines--a good time, but MOST our cruises have been GREAT.

(MSC was double "meh"--no inclination to go back)

[KarimaJ]

Like others said, I liked carnivals extra free places to eat like Guys burgers and Blue Iguana. The pizza and desserts on Carnival are also better. But buffet is much better on NCL and the main dining room

food. Entertainment shows are better on NCL but pool area is fun on both. Long lines on carnival like buffet, getting a sandwich made or Mongolian wok. Free at sea is a great deal on NCL, $300 for 2 people on a 7 night cruise.

[leafsnation]

There is no such thing as a bad cruise! Just some are better than others.

We like HAL and Celebrity a notch above CCL and NCL but more pricey,

But are on Joy Oct 16 and have three CCL booked into 2024,

You get what you pay for!

Bob

[sailingships]

No unlimited laundry on NCL and a corkage fee of $15 is charged for every bottle of wine brought aboard. But the specialty restaurants can be free. Plus a couple of other goodies. Veterans are treated much better on NCL and the solo groups are better organized. 

 

40 cruises with Carnival. Several with NCL.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by sailingships

[Russiamomm]

5 hours ago, sailingships said:

No unlimited laundry on NCL and a corkage fee of $15 is charged for every bottle of wine brought aboard. But the specialty restaurants can be free. Plus a couple of other goodies. Veterans are treated much better on NCL and the solo groups are better organized. 

 

40 cruises with Carnival. Several with NCL.

 

Just one quick clarification.  If you have a drink package there is no corkage fee on wine brought onboard.

 

also, on the veterans issue, NCL gives 10% off the base fare for veterans.

[PATRLR]

Been a while since we were on Carnival.  I think of them being more similar than different from NCL, but, my experiences on Carnival are getting dated at this point (over 5 years) so I won't comment further.

Except for one point: I've yet to find any cruise line (or land restaurant) that does Chocolate Lava cake as well as Carnival does.  🙂

Edited October 6, 2023 by PATRLR

[SoloAlaska]

I’ve always been warned against carnival but am looking at the transpacific crossing since NCL doesn’t really have much of any. I figure a 20+ day cruise would be a different vibe than a short trip in the Caribbean.

[KKB]

2 hours ago, SoloAlaska said:

I’ve always been warned against carnival but am looking at the transpacific crossing since NCL doesn’t really have much of any. I figure a 20+ day cruise would be a different vibe than a short trip in the Caribbean.

As per my post above:

We were told we would hate Carnival after having tried most other mainstream lines.

We did 14 days to Hawaii & LOVED it.

Our bartenders said longer Carnival cruises are the key.

Edited October 6, 2023 by KKB