Carnival pricing vs NCL - why?

[halos]

[quote name='MM42']Or course they do, Carnival is cheaper![/QUOTE]


It's sproradic....all about timing.
I booked the NCL Spirit, balcony cabin for a 15 day cruise for $83 a day including all fees & taxes. It was very good timing. :D Later, as that ship started to fill, the prices went through the roof.
It's the same with any cruise on any line.

[jimh49]

I've done a number of cruises on both NCL and Carnival. I am not all that fussy when it comes to food. Both cruise lines are great, with Carnival's food quality and choice a little better. But I do love NCL's freestyle cruising.
The two things I most look for when cruising are different than most other cruisers. I am an avid blackjack player and dancer. NCL's casinos are easily the best of any cruise line on the high-seas; they even have food during the evening (as if we need more food on a cruise, ha). However, Carnival's entertainment and dancing venues are excellent.
I am also a widower and after 31 years of married life, I am still finding my way as a single guy and the friendly, more of a party crowd on Carnival ships sure helps;) .
Happy cruising to all and a special happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my fellow Canadians......Jim

[i'llbesea-ingyou]

[quote name='Casino Player']
[COLOR=#006400]I have been on both lines. My next cruise (next week) will be my fifth on Carnival and as yet only one NCL cruise. That should be enough of an exp0laination. Rooms-Carnival has much larger staterooms in each category than any other cruiseline. Food-Carnival has much better food in the dining room and other food venues than NCL. Personnel- Carnival service personnel treat passengers much better than NCL service personnel do. Since there is no tipping on NCL ships that might be one reason. A person from a different cruise line told me that NCL does not treat it's employees well. That explains a lot. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#006400]Overall, you get much better value from Carnival than you do from NCL. If you take an NCL cruise you would see what I mean. I have enjoyed all four Carnival cruises I've taken so far. I can't say the same of the one NCL cruise I've taken.[/COLOR][/quote]
I just wanted to comment on your no tipping on NCL thing. We were on the NCL Dawn last year and there was a $10.00 per day per person tipping charge just like on Carnival and you were able to adjust it accordingly.

[MM42]

[quote name='halos']It's sproradic....all about timing.
I booked the NCL Spirit, balcony cabin for a 15 day cruise for $83 a day including all fees & taxes. It was very good timing. :D Later, as that ship started to fill, the prices went through the roof.
It's the same with any cruise on any line.[/quote]

I forgot to mention that I travel solo. NCL charges 200% for the single supplement. My back-to-back cruises on the Victory cost me less than one cruise on NCL.

Anyway, I think I'll just stop posting and continue to read only. I have noticed that everytime someone has an opinion different from the others, he/she always get flamed. The funny thing is that I posted my opinion on Carnival, I got flamed BUT nobody seems to notice that by next February I will have sailed on 3 Carnival cruises. They should be happy that I contribute to the money the shareholders make. :D

[MM42]

[quote name='Happy cruising to all and a special happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my fellow Canadians......Jim[/quote']

Same to you. I'm (French) Canadian.

[Casino Player]

Or course they do, Carnival is cheaper!

 

Carnival isn't cheaper. Cheap means low value. With Carnival you get very good value. My experience on my NCL cruise showed me that NCL gives no value.

Carnival can give lower prices because they are the worlds largest cruise line. You get more when you buy in bulk. There is an old saying in business the more you buy the cheaper it is. Carnival got there by giving cruisers what they want.

The only thing I got on NCL is the relief that the cruise was over and the knowledge not to book another.

[Casino Player]

Carnival is not always cheaper. When I was looking into taking my cruise aboard the Miracle, I also looked into the NCL Spirit. Both cruises were the same price. I chose the Miracle because she got much better reviews than the Spirit and I also wasn't sure I would like that anytime dining.

 

You would not like anytime dining. Anytime dining is not true. There were plenty of long lines to get into dining rooms. If you have to wait for long periods of time then it isn't anytime dining. Then you miss the show.

There are several things I don't like about NCL. With a new owner though if they make significant changes maybe I'll try it again. Until then I'll stick to the cruise lines I know give good cruises.

[Sandi149]

You would not like anytime dining. Anytime dining is not true. There were plenty of long lines to get into dining rooms. If you have to wait for long periods of time then it isn't anytime dining. Then you miss the show.

 

There are several things I don't like about NCL. With a new owner though if they make significant changes maybe I'll try it again. Until then I'll stick to the cruise lines I know give good cruises.

 

That's partly why I didn't go with NCL. I read horror stories about that Freestyle. I know some people love it, but I like the traditional dining better.

[Kurbanfan]

You could disagree all you want the fact still remains more people cruise on Carnival than on NCL or as you put it NLC.

 

Of course they do. NCL pulls their ships out of the Caribbean in the summer months unlike Carnival. NCl also does not offer the cheap 3 and 4 day cruises that Carnival does all year. So yes I would agree more people would cruise Carnival. What's your point:confused:

[Kurbanfan]

You would not like anytime dining. Anytime dining is not true. There were plenty of long lines to get into dining rooms. If you have to wait for long periods of time then it isn't anytime dining. Then you miss the show.

 

.

 

It's called anytime dining. Not right now dining:p It means you can go to dinner on your own time......

[LABecca]

I really don't understand all of the NCL bashing. Seems kind of pointless. We all have preferences, just respect other people's experiences. Geez! I just don't get why one has to be better than the other.

 

I've only cruised Carnival, but I admit I've recently been looking into NCL (only line with 7 day out of New Orleans and only line that can cruise roundtrip in Hawaii).

 

I really enjoy traditional dining and am not looking forward to a much smaller stateroom, but I still may give it a try.

[bobar]

Halo,

You will love the spirit. Of all the ships currently cruising that i have been on it is exceptionally beautiful. the centrum is a work of art and if the classical trio that they had on our cruise are playing there in the evenings you owe it to yourself for a good listen.

As for freestyle what a lot of people don't realize about ncl is you can make reservations for the non cover charge restaurants as well and when you do there is no waiting. you can do that the day you get on the ship or any time during the week. on the spirit,the windows restaurant(no cover)is one of the most beautiful dining rooms i have ever sailed on in my 30 cruises. gorgeous paladium windows across the back. request a table back there.The service was great and although i'm not a food expert i think ncl's food on the whole is better and better thought out than carnivals. Just got off the Valor and breakfast's were an afterthought and the dinner menu;s had no rhyme or reason to them. we also didn't have a very good waiter...thank God for the sandwich bar and pizza place.they were both excellent.

The casino on the spirit is very upbeat and fun and they serve snacks every evening and for an almost 80000ton ship it feels like an old classic smaller ship. You will love your spirit cruise and i may have to book her this spring since she will be sailing out of new orleans..I am looking forward to my cruise on the fantasy in january on the smaller size carnival ship rather than the mega like the valor,although i must admit i loved the Triumph when i sailed on her in 2001. much nicer and better laid out than the Valor..Whether y'all pic carnival or ncl or my new favorite MSC just keep on cruising,still the best way to travel and can't say that any of my 30 cruises were ever bad,something i can't say about my land vacations...:cool:

[JeanRitt]

Each cruiseline is a little different, but to be fair, neither one sucks.

 

The biggest differnce is food. If you want assigned seating and formal dining, choose Carnival (and dress for formal dining). If you want resort casual anytime dining choose NCL.

 

Depending on the week and ship, I have found good deals on both. I have sailed on both and like both. Next one is on the NCL Sun in the spring. If Carnival had been cheaper, it might have been on one of theirs.

[halos]

..Whether y'all pic carnival or ncl or my new favorite MSC just keep on cruising,still the best way to travel and can't say that any of my 30 cruises were ever bad,something i can't say about my land vacations...:cool:

 

Thanks for ther Spirit info. I'm REALLY EXCITED!!!!!!

I agree with your thoughts, that cruising is the only way to travel. :D

 

Tell me what you love about MSC!!!!!

[rain_bowbrite]

Each cruiseline is a little different, but to be fair, neither one sucks.

 

The biggest differnce is food. If you want assigned seating and formal dining, choose Carnival (and dress for formal dining). If you want resort casual anytime dining choose NCL.

 

Depending on the week and ship, I have found good deals on both. I have sailed on both and like both. Next one is on the NCL Sun in the spring. If Carnival had been cheaper, it might have been on one of theirs.

 

Hi Jean...just wanted to say hi to a neighbor:). I am in Lawrenceville too;).

 

Happy cruising!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jodie

[rain_bowbrite]

To the OP.

 

If the price is right, give it a try. I have only sailed NCL once and it was on their oldest and smallest ship. My biggest complaint was the food and found it hard to get a decent meal other than breakfast. But I didn't get a true taste of the food choices NCL has to offer since the Majesty does not truly offer "freestyle".

 

I would like to give NCL another try on a larger, newer ship that was designed for freestyle dining because I really like the 9 night caribbean itineraries and the price is very good on those.

[JeanRitt]

Hi Jodie,

 

Cruise on!

[lasifguvui5uh]

ykgorbie-

 

I'll try to answer your original question. It may have been already answered but I didn't want to wade through all the Carnival vs NCL debate. Simply it's a matter of marketing. If you look at a cruise a year out, Carnival will typically offer a deep discount to fill cabins then raise the price as the sailing date nears. NCL chooses to offer a higher starting rate to snag the folks who want a specific cabin on a specific date. As the sailing date approached NCL's prices will drop considerably unless the sailing is near capacity. Please don't assume because the prices you saw were so different that NCL is somehow a superior product. It's not.

[sunflower girl]

I did not read all the responses...but here is my take. I tried NCL because it was much cheaper than Carnival for the same ports. I liked freestyle, we just asked for the same servers every night we dined in the normal dining room AND we tipped them. We never waited in a line. I did not feel the passengers were dressed any better or worse on either ship.

 

I thought the food was comparable and a little better in the specialty restaurants on NCL - but you had to pay for that.

 

I liked the feel of Carnival better, I felt the shows were better and the ships were a little nicer.

 

So, basically when planning my next cruise - I will look at ports and price because every cruise is better than being at work. :D

[Casino Player]

It's called anytime dining. Not right now dining:p It means you can go to dinner on your own time......

 

Yes, go now expecting to eat now then getting a table an hour later if you choose a popular dining time.

So you don't get to eat when you want to which is what anytime dining is supposed to be.

[Casino Player]

Of course they do. NCL pulls their ships out of the Caribbean in the summer months unlike Carnival. NCl also does not offer the cheap 3 and 4 day cruises that Carnival does all year. So yes I would agree more people would cruise Carnival. What's your point:confused:

 

My point is Carnival got to be the largest cruiseline by giving people what they want. It seems like NCL can't give people what they want. Also, Carnival makes money and a lot of it. NCL dows not make money. They have been losing money for quite a few years now.

[bakechef]

How can you compare the two of them? It's like comparing Wal-Mart (CCL) to Macy's (NCL).

 

Don't flame me! They asked for an opinion and I just gave mine. The only reason I chose CCL is because I travel solo and NCL charges 200% for the single supplement.

 

Our Macy's is a dump, and it's in a big money section of town, in a very nice mall.

 

I wouldn't compare Carnival to Wal-Mart and here is why. Carnival gives you an amazing product for a low price, Wal-Mart gives you low quality for a low price (many brand name items made just for them, of lower quality, but look the same).

 

I would say Carnival is like JC Penny or Kohls, good quality, and if you shop around you can find a good bargain. As far as the other mass market lines go, other than prettier ships, they are no better than carnival, when you break down food, service, and ammenities (for the average cruiser, non suite passanger).

 

I will cruise next on the cruise line that offers the best price.

 

MAC

[bakechef]

Yes, go now expecting to eat now then getting a table an hour later if you choose a popular dining time.

 

So you don't get to eat when you want to which is what anytime dining is supposed to be.

 

But what traditional cruise line allows you to dine during those peak hours?

 

I looked at it like living in a city, I avoid certain highways and roads at certain times, because of congestion, I did the same on NCL, I never waited more than a couple minutes for a table with my requested servers.

 

MAC

[Casino Player]

But what traditional cruise line allows you to dine during those peak hours?

 

I looked at it like living in a city, I avoid certain highways and roads at certain times, because of congestion, I did the same on NCL, I never waited more than a couple minutes for a table with my requested servers.

 

MAC

 

On any cruiseline with set dining times you go and get served at your dining time.

On NCL you are supposed to eat anytime you want. If you are waiting for an hour then you aren't eating when you want now are you? That defeats the purpose of freestyle cruising.

[gilford3806]

When you compare services - you get what you pay for - CCL is the worst for services / food - you name it - it's worse than comparing Walmart to Macy's - we use RCCL nearly exclusively but we are saving for our first Crystal where we are told thewre is no other line to compare it to. I took twio CCL cruises with a group and didn't have a say as to what cruiseline they were going to use - they chose the cheapest in defference to those with a thin wallet. If you can afford better - don't go - save for a better line.

 

 

 

My first choice is Carnival (especially if you can get the military discount!). Besides the quality of the food, I much prefer the assigned dinner time/table assignments, same waiter every night who knows your preferences after the first evening. We have met some great people in the dining room, and have gone on a couple of cruises with another couple we met at our assigned table on the Pride -- Valor last fall and on the Spirit next Feb.

 

From our experience, my opinion of NCL's Freestyle is we were free to wait (with the beeper they gave us to carry around like at many of the chain restaurants) until there was a table ready for us. The dining was the only difference -- just about everything else (shops, shows, etc.) the same.

 

Also have to consider if you plan to cruise on a regular basis, when you stick with the same cruiseline, you get past passenger party, discounts, VIP status after a certain number of cruises (on CCL, it's your tenth cruise), etc. If I had known then what I know now, I would have been two cruises closer to Platinum if we had booked CCL rather than NCL! Sometimes it all boils down to the best deal out there when and where you want to travel.