NCL Couple considering a Carnival cruise

[cruiseDH22]

Wifey and I have done 4 or 5 NCL cruises.  We are interested in a Carnival Cruise to Bahamas or Caribbean out of NY later this year.

 

What will we expect, not having experienced Carnival before.  What will we miss, and what can we expect in general?

 

I will probably post this on the Carnival forum as well, but looking for some expert insight and thought I will start here.

 

(Once you NCL you never consider anything else?)

[Two Wheels Only]

You probably won't die and possibly won't get into a fight. 🥺

[cruiseDH22]

Carnival that bad, huh?  🤨

[Distinctive-Destinations]

Well they might have cookies and hash browns. There’s 0% chance on Carnival that your Haven steward will leave a loofah in the shower.

[SugarStar00]

15 minutes ago, cruiseDH22 said:

Carnival that bad, huh?  🤨

It's not that bad. I cant help much because i'm going on my first NCL cruise in a few weeks, but I've been on many Carnival cruises as well as Princess and Celebrity. Carnival is definitely a lively crowd, everyone is there to have a good time, and they do! In my experience Carnival has a ton of kids, and most of the parents let them run wild, so I would pick a week that is NOT during a school break. The food is subjective, I think its pretty low quality in the MDR and buffet but the other restaurants like guys burgers, the bbq, blue iquana and all the newer ones open during lunch are pretty great, which I missed on other cruise lines. There is a good amount of entertainment on Carnival, comedy all week, piano bar, shows etc, something every night where the other lines I've gone on didn't have that. I think NCL might be comparable in that regard but don't know yet.  Plenty of variety with the bars too if you're a drinker. Carnival does a lot well, but the product is definitely changing, more nickel and diming but I think that's the same of all cruise lines now. Let me know if you have any specific questions maybe I can help. (I'm also from Central CT, Manchester to be exact)

Edited March 21 by SugarStar00

[IAcruising]

Fifteen drink limit. Just sayin'. 😆

 

[9tee2Sea]

If you dont have the drink package on Carnival, they have some pretty good Happy Hour Specials.  Carnival is a bit more loud ( think lots of drunk guys, singing to Bon Jovi in the Karaoke  place.  I usually sail NCL, but I do enjoy Carnival and Princess.   I like the buffet at with Princess, but drinks are Carnival are not outrageously priced like on NCL ( at least they weren't a few years ago).

[Raysgirl]

We use to cruise Carnival exclusively.   We did 3 post covid cruises and were so disappointed that we cancelled our last remaining cruise booked with NCL.  At this point we do not plan on going back on a Carnival ship.  We found that the food was better on NCL along with the service and atmosphere.   Everybody is different and some still love the party atmosphere on Carnival, but things have just gotten out of control on the ships we were on.  At this point we will stick with NCL.

[IAcruising]

20 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

If you dont have the drink package on Carnival

 

This seems counter intuitive.

 

[cruiseDH22]

35 minutes ago, SugarStar00 said:

It's not that bad. I cant help much because i'm going on my first NCL cruise in a few weeks, but I've been on many Carnival cruises as well as Princess and Celebrity. Carnival is definitely a lively crowd, everyone is there to have a good time, and they do! In my experience Carnival has a ton of kids, and most of the parents let them run wild, so I would pick a week that is NOT during a school break. The food is subjective, I think its pretty low quality in the MDR and buffet but the other restaurants like guys burgers, the bbq, blue iquana and all the newer ones open during lunch are pretty great, which I missed on other cruise lines. There is a good amount of entertainment on Carnival, comedy all week, piano bar, shows etc, something every night where the other lines I've gone on didn't have that. I think NCL might be comparable in that regard but don't know yet.  Plenty of variety with the bars too if you're a drinker. Carnival does a lot well, but the product is definitely changing, more nickel and diming but I think that's the same of all cruise lines now. Let me know if you have any specific questions maybe I can help. (I'm also from Central CT, Manchester to be exact)

HI neighbor - we are in Newington. I think they all nickel and dime. NCL no exception.  But we find that they give you the drink package and other things up front. Most other lines charge extra.  NCL-no 15 drink limit.  From what others are saying we wonder if we should stick with NCL.  We love NCL. If you are going on either the Escape or Encore: **DONT MISS CHOIR OF MAN!!**  Food is good on NCL! Thanks for your insights. We may just go on NCL for our next cruise and try Carnival next year.  Kids and I don't mix. Happy cruise! Would love to hear how you enjoy your NCL cruise. Will look for a post from you when you return.

[complawyer]

call it bad luck, or just coincidence, but for the past few years, if ever a cruise ship encountered a problem, or got bad press,  it seemed to always be a carnival cruise (just saying) by the way, i'm a dyed in the wool ncl fan, and have taken over 25 cruises with them since 2010. based on price and choices of itineraries, i wouldnt think of booking with anyone but ncl

[kimandtim]

I am platinum on NCL having sailed 9 or 10 times with them.  I have also sailed RCCL and Princess and most recently Carnival.  I actually think there is a lot to like about Carnival. I think the service is quite good and I think the food is also surprisingly good much of the time.  I do not like the buffet but can avoid it and opt for the MDR, Seaday brunch, Guys burgers, Blue Iguana, etc. and be perfectly happy. I may have been lucky on my two Carnival cruises, but the atmosphere was fun and lively and I didn't see any bad behavior of any sort. There are always things going on around the ship that are fun - trivia, line dancing, poolside contests, etc.  Maybe I have been lucky but I have a NCL cruise booked to Alaska and a Carnival cruise booked to the  ABC islands and I am looking forward to both.  I would also add Carnival casino comps are WAY easier to get if that is any consideration.  That being said, NCL is my favorite cruiseline, but I do enjoy Carnival also.

[Grandmafreddie]

Firstly Bahamas not great for walking around except for Atlantis usually just stay on the ship  stopped using carnival when  ear cans in pool and kids running wild. Not the best environment of people. Ncl celebrity holland much better.

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, Grandmafreddie said:

Firstly Bahamas not great for walking around except for Atlantis usually just stay on the ship  stopped using carnival when  ear cans in pool and kids running wild. Not the best environment of people. Ncl celebrity holland much better.

What's wrong with walking around Nassau? Mobility? I've taken a few strolls along the streets of Nassau and thoroughly enjoyed seeing what it looks like - far from the port, so I could get an actual taste of the city. Not the touristy gobbledigook every port in the Caribbean seems to have.

[blackwing]

8 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

What's wrong with walking around Nassau? Mobility? I've taken a few strolls along the streets of Nassau and thoroughly enjoyed seeing what it looks like - far from the port, so I could get an actual taste of the city. Not the touristy gobbledigook every port in the Caribbean seems to have.

I think it's safety.  There's currently a State Department travel warning for the Bahamas.  I think Level 2, so not horrible.  But it seems like Bahamas has gotten worse over the years.

[blackwing]

Re Carnival vs. Norwegian.  I haven't been on Carnival in years, but my philosophy is always that a cruise is what you make of it.  To me even a "bad" or "not as good" cruise is better than sitting at home or at work!

 

I think I would look at the ship amenities and decide what you like best.  I would definitely consider one of the newer Carnival ships with lots of features and options over one of the older Norwegian ships.  

[Blueberry89]

We did our one and only carnival cruise in 2012 after 4 NCL cruises. 
 

Keeping  in mind that a lot has changed since then, the thing I remember most is not having as many free dining choices on Carnival. I remember liking their buffet selections after getting bored with their main dining room. 
 

Entertainment wise I remember it being quite comparable. But, again, that was years ago …

[vswan]

I'll be able to answer this better in a little over a week. I am platinum on NCL, 3 star mariner on HAL, and have also cruised Royal (5), Celebrity (2), Princess, Costa and MSC. Am going on spring break with my daughter and grandson on the Carnival Pride out of Tampa. Smaller, older Carnival ship, but I let me daughter (early 40s) choose and she loves Carnival. She says it's the "fun" ship, likes the free eating options and loves comedy shows.

 

I pretty much believe that every cruise is a good cruise and it really depends on your attitude going in. I am so looking forward to spending time with them and if things get out of control I'll just get a bucket of beer and sit on my balcony...

[LatinaInTexas]

I love Carnival but then again after sailing NCL and MSC I loved them also lol. Only been on one NCL cruise but have two more booked the this year and cant wait!

To me food is better presented and tastes better in the MDR and the buffet on Norwegian.

To me production shows and entertainment is about equal with a slight edge going to Carnival, except comedy. No one does comedy like Carnival!

To me Carnivals Serenity adult only area is much nicer than Spice H20.

To me Carnival has a better variety of free food options especially on their newest ships.

To me service seems a bit better and faster on Norwegian.

Fellow passengers on Norwegian seemed quieter and better mannered on Norwegian but friendlier on Carnival.

Never seen any bad behavior on any cruise I have been on and Carnival cruises are the most fun with memorable cruise directors.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised that Carnivals bad reputation is a bit exaggerated😁

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, cruiseDH22 said:

Wifey and I have done 4 or 5 NCL cruises.  We are interested in a Carnival Cruise to Bahamas or Caribbean out of NY later this year.

 

What will we expect, not having experienced Carnival before.  What will we miss, and what can we expect in general?

 

I will probably post this on the Carnival forum as well, but looking for some expert insight and thought I will start here.

 

(Once you NCL you never consider anything else?)

Have a great cruise. Our days of enjoying “partying hard” have long past. Not our scene any longer 

[Travelling2Some]

We were on the Carnival Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral in February.  Definite party vibe, many large groups hootin' and hollerin' in matching T-shirts.  People very nice and friendly (yet loud and a bit rough around the edges by CT standards).  Some things we liked very much were Big Chicken, Guy's Burgers and Street Eats.  We also liked that Chibang and Cuisina were complimentary at lunch and you could make one complimentary visit at dinner.  After that it was $8 a visit if you wanted to eat dinner there again, which is unbelievably reasonable compared to NCL's a la carte pricing.  We liked that but dishes in the specialties were hit or miss.  In the same meal we had great pasta but "veal Marsala" that seemed to be covered in a sauce I'd swear was made from Campbell's soup and had not a drop of Marsala).  The Asian food in Chibang was okay but lacked flavor and spice.  As everyone says, the buffet was very inferior to NCL's and never had any Indian food.  There was an Indian entree most nights in the MDR but it was always vegetarian and there seemed to be an abundance of okra involved.  I really missed the Indian food on NCL.  The panini place was very good and the pizza good the first time I tried it (but not the second).  This surprised me because I am a NYC "pizza snob" and have never ventured near cruise ship pizza before. 

 

Entertainment was just okay.  Carnival has always had a little habit of programing entertainment where the guests pretty much entertain each other rather than paying for professional entertainment. The "real" shows were fine but not great. The comedians were great - definitely a Carnival strong point and they did a lot of shows, even matinees.  We strongly disliked the necessity to use the app for everything instead of being able to reserve months in advance like we do on NCL.  This resulted in the inability to plan our evening out, which we found very annoying. This is probably the main reason we are unlikely to cruise with Carnival again.  Beautiful ship (Mardi Gras) but not our vibe.  Not at all sorry we went and had a very good time for sure.

Edited March 21 by Travelling2Some

[PATRLR]

4 hours ago, cruiseDH22 said:

HI neighbor - we are in Newington.

At the risk of too much identifying information, I grew up in Newington, graduated Newington High early 80s.  Go Indians! (Yeah, I know they are something different now).  Left there in the mid 90s and don't get back much since the parents passed.

It's been a while since we've been on Carnival but we considered them to be quite similar to NCL - they are both mass market cruise lines.  I agree with what another poster said and would try to avoid a school vacation week on Carnival if I could. 

I say try it.  We are actively trying other lines now due to NCL not being what it used to be, in our opinion. RCCL last summer, Princess this summer.   I think it's good to try other lines - none of them are so bad that you won't still have a good time.

Edited March 21 by PATRLR

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, LatinaInTexas said:

No one does comedy like Carnival!

 

what does that mean exactly?

 

assuming that comedians on carnival (many of whom also appear on other cruise lines) perform on a well lit stage and speak into a microphone, i'm baffled as to how carnival does it better. 

 

are the comedians funnier on carnival? is that what you're saying? that somehow the level of hilarity is higher? or is it that they schedule comedians with greater frequency than NCL... several a night, every night?

 

how does carnival do comedy?

 

i've sailed on carnival, but i'm still not sure what this means, so i'd be interested in your perspective.

 

[LatinaInTexas]

18 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

what does that mean exactly?

 

assuming that comedians on carnival (many of whom also appear on other cruise lines) perform on a well lit stage and speak into a microphone, i'm baffled as to how carnival does it better. 

 

are the comedians funnier on carnival? is that what you're saying? that somehow the level of hilarity is higher? or is it that they schedule comedians with greater frequency than NCL... several a night, every night?

 

how does carnival do comedy?

 

i've sailed on carnival, but i'm still not sure what this means, so i'd be interested in your perspective.

 

Well first of all I love comedy, especially adult or late night comedy. On MSC there was no comedy at all. On NCL there were 2 comedians who rotated, one show a night I believe. My last Carnival cruise there were numerous comedians, I lost track of how many because there was comedy basically all day long with both family type and adult type. I only went to adult twice a night every night.

On NCL I would rate both comedians a 2 out of a score of 1-10. I think one of them got a chuckle or two out of me but that was it. The second night after watching several people walk out we did also never to return. Their shows would have been suitable for small children it was so boring. All they did was throw in a few bad words to try to be funny.

On Carnival I would rate almost every comedian I have seen on numerous cruises either a 9 or a 10, haven't seen a dud yet.

From start to finish I am laughing as is everyone else. The one time I saw people leave was because the comedian touched on numerous subjects that certain people found too offensive. I did not.

If you have been to Carnivals adult comedy I would assume you got into a very long line early to try and get a seat. You might have noticed that even after all the seats are filled people will still come in and stand to watch. On NCL comedy was in a small venue on very hard wooden chairs all lined up in a row. No one lined up and as the show was starting there were still empty seats. On Carnival the venue is big but not ever big enough and the seating is plush and comfortable, with servers going around taking drink orders. On NCL everyone lines up in a long line at an understaffed bar to get a drink.

Hope this answers your question😁

 

[Oakman58]

We've done two Carnival cruises in the past 6 months and had a great time on both.  On our 7 day cruises there were 4 comedian on each sailing and depending on the ship, the cruise director is almost as good at comedy.  I personally thought the food was better on Carnival with a bonus of the complimentary Guy's Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana.  Main Theater entertainment isn't as good as NCL but the comedians in the punchliner comedy club make up for it. The bands were awesome on Carnival.

 

We chose assigned dining time on Carnival and I had forgotten how nice it is to have the same servers every night and how they get to know you and your preferences.  As far as I'm concerned Carnival gets a bad rap from many cruisers who have never cruised with Carnival.

 

We were just on the Carnival Spirit (launched in 2000) last month and it looked to be in better shape than some newer ships of other cruise lines.  We have a Panama Canal cruise booked on the Spirit for next Mar after she comes out of a dry-dock. I have no issues with Carnival. 

 

Also Carnival not only still does towel animals, at some point during a 7 day cruise those towel animals will take over one of the pools for a few hours in the morning.  Carnival is fun.