Comparing Carnival and Norwegian. Is Norwegian "Fun"?

Hello everybody.

I am a faithful Carnival Cruise Fan (most recent cruise was the Breeze) and I have never tried Norwegian, but I am considering my next cruise on the Getaway. I am looking for help from those who have recently tried both Carnival and Norwegian and can help me with my decision. I do have a few questions.

1.) Carnival has a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Is it the same on Norwegian?

2.) We will be opting out of any of the specialty restaurants if we choose Norwegian, so how is the food in the 3 included dining rooms? Are they open for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and do you need reservations?

3.) Do you need reservations for all entertainment options?

4.) How did the staff compare to Carnival?

5.) Is soft served ice cream available free 24/7?

6.) What will the clientele be like in January on Norwegian?

Thanks and any other advice/recommendations are appreciated

Hello everybody.

I am a faithful Carnival Cruise Fan (most recent cruise was the Breeze) and I have never tried Norwegian, but I am considering my next cruise on the Getaway. I am looking for help from those who have recently tried both Carnival and Norwegian and can help me with my decision. I do have a few questions.

 

1.) Carnival has a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Is it the same on Norwegian?

Yes

2.) We will be opting out of any of the specialty restaurants if we choose Norwegian, so how is the food in the 3 included dining rooms? Are they open for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and do you need reservations?

We found the food to be comparable between the two lines. No reservations needed in the MDR, when you are hungry you show up. If there is a wait they will give you a pager as they would in a restaurant ashore. They are open for all three meals on sea days at least but the hours will be posted in the Freestyle daily.

3.) Do you need reservations for all entertainment options?

It is my understanding that reservations are only needed for some of the shows.

4.) How did the staff compare to Carnival?

We found both to be friendly and professional.

5.) Is soft served ice cream available free 24/7?

Don't know this one.

6.) What will the clientele be like in January on Norwegian?

Probably a good mix of ages with fewer kids.

Thanks and any other advice/recommendations are appreciated

Answers above.

We sailed NCL a couple years ago after taking several with Carnival.We were on the Pearl so I don't really know about their newer ships. But I can tell you our experience with the dining... The fee for dining options are all good and there is a big difference from the MDR. We found the MDR food on NCL almost inedible. The buffet is better than Carnival's. Don't remember about the ice cream. We found the service comparable. When it was all said and done, we returned to Carnival because the prices are usually better and we enjoy the MDR. We've never had a bad cruise, including NCL.

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Right now I am not a fan of NCL. I got VERY sick on the last cruise we took. Not sure what it was I got, but I was wishing I would die!

I am 50 and so far been on 52 cruises, last year we went on her sister ship the Breakaway and it was my most least liked cruise with the most negatives I ever had on any other cruise, we never go back to NCL again, horrible.

Having sailed two Norwegian and 17 Carnivals I have to say I will stick with Carnival unless Norwegian is only ship going there. We did our second Norwegian as a repositioning. The first night at 11 pm as my husband and I were walking from the back of the ship to our cabin close to the front, we passed NO ONE at all. No staff no other cruisers. The crowd was a lot older than other cruises we have been on. The MOST offensive attitude on board was the CLASS system the cruisers seem to have. There are special restaurants and pools for those who spend more money on cabins. One lady i met at the one pool, told me to get a certain type of cabin next time so I would not have to eat with "those people". I told her-- I was one of "those people" Not really the way I like to live- putting others down according to what may seem their income. She has no idea if I had more money than her just because I saved money on my cabin. She was not the only one-- look at NW ads. They promote that attitude. Food was as good as Carnivals. Entertainment was somewhat boring. Bingo has those stupid electronic boxes you use. Not fun at all. Shows were okay too. Captain was totally approachable. He was on deck lots and talked with all of us.

We sailed the Epic last November, after 4 Carnival cruises. I don't know if it week we sailed, but my husband and I both agreed we'd pass on another Epic cruise. We met wonderful people, and had a great time, but the "vibe" just wasn't there for us.

My Epic review is in my signature, if you're interested.

We always have fun no matter what ship we're on, but Norwegian is our least favorite. Norwegian has the worst food and it is the only line that we've encountered mass illness on--we didn't get sick, but many others did-- I don't know how much of this is the cruise lines fault. On NCL we always end up feeling like there is some sort of management problem. Several years ago I had a friend planning an Alaskan cruise through AAA and she said that if she wanted to book NCL they were going to make her sign a disclaimer, because people were so unhappy with them. All that being said, if NCL was the only line going somewhere I wanted at the right price, I'd go.

We just cruised with Norwegian this past December....the soft serve ice cream is available 24/7. We LOVED the cruise...so much we're sailing on NCL Pearl this coming December, and will probably cruise more with them in the future. They will be homeporting a ship in Cape Canaveral starting fall/winter next year, and will keep Getaway and the new ship, Escape, year round in Miami.

The clientele was an older bunch, mostly...we were on an 11 day cruise two weeks before Christmas. Most children are still in school at that point, but there were some children and younger couples. (My DH is 63, and I'm 53).

The food in the MDR is comparable to Carnival, with Carnival being a bit better overall, but NCL has more specialty restaurants, and they are outstanding!!

Entertainment on NCL BLOWS AWAY Carnival!

Some people prefer NCL, some people prefer Carnival...I say try it for yourself! I don't think we prefer one over the other, but NCL is different, and we are getting a little burnt out with Carnival.

We sailed NCL a couple years ago after taking several with Carnival.We were on the Pearl so I don't really know about their newer ships. But I can tell you our experience with the dining... The fee for dining options are all good and there is a big difference from the MDR. We found the MDR food on NCL almost inedible. The buffet is better than Carnival's. Don't remember about the ice cream. We found the service comparable. When it was all said and done, we returned to Carnival because the prices are usually better and we enjoy the MDR. We've never had a bad cruise, including NCL.

 

 

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I echo this sentence. I was on the Pearl in 2012 and found the food in the MDR absolutely disgusting. Every.single.thing. The french restaurant was good and the hibachi was pretty good too. The Brazilian steakhouse style restaurant wasn't anything to write home about. Now, if you can live on pizza for a week, they've got Carnival and RCL beat in that category by a mile and will deliver a whole one to your cabin for $5

As far as the atmosphere/fun, I can't say how it would be on a normal cruise, I was on a chartered cruise (the Blake Shelton cruise) and we drank the ship out of beer (literally!!) by the 3rd day....they had to completely restock in St. Thomas....LOL They said that had never happened in the history of NCL :eek::D

I've sailed on the Norwegian Gem, I haven't sailed on my carnival ship yet, but here are a few things I've noticed off the bat:

Cabin size/price - CCL cabins seem HUGE compared to NCL and they are much cheaper.

Dining - There seems to be many more free options on Carnival then NCL. I found the food on NCL to be very good though. I LOVED freestyle dining, we never had to wait more then a couple of minutes for a table for 2. They post wait times in the hallways so you know what you're in for at each venue. The fact that Carnival could make me sit at a table with strangers is appalling. I do not want to be forced to sit and talk to strangers during meals.

Alcohol - You CANNOT bring a bottle of wine in NCL without paying a corkage fee regardless of where you drink it. Yes even if you drink it in your room you still have to pay

Clientele - I was on the Gem the week of April 27th 2013. There was a good mix of people, a few couples in their mid 20s like us, a few families and a few older people. We kept mostly to our selves though so I may not be a reliable witness...

Staff - they were excellent, very friendly and the whole "washy washy" hand sanitizer thing is hilarious. My steward was incredible, he greeted us by name on day 1, had my egg crate thing in place, always had ice for us, he knew more about what we might want or need then we did lol.

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I've sailed with both lines, and I'd say that they're generally comparable, except for the food and entertainment departments. Carnival's MDR food can range from mediocre to decent, and so can NCL's. NCL's buffet blows Carnival's buffet out of the water. Entertainment is far, far superior on NCL, especially when compared to the Carnival ships with Playlist Productions. The specialty restaurants on both ships are good, but I really enjoyed the variety on the Breakaway and the reasonable prices. I ate at the sushi bar (Wasabi) on the Breakaway several times, and the vegetable roll was very good, and only $2.50.

I've sailed on the Norwegian Gem, I haven't sailed on my carnival ship yet, but here are a few things I've noticed off the bat:

 

Cabin size/price - CCL cabins seem HUGE compared to NCL and they are much cheaper.

 

Dining - There seems to be many more free options on Carnival then NCL. I found the food on NCL to be very good though. I LOVED freestyle dining, we never had to wait more then a couple of minutes for a table for 2. They post wait times in the hallways so you know what you're in for at each venue. The fact that Carnival could make me sit at a table with strangers is appalling. I do not want to be forced to sit and talk to strangers during meals.

 

Alcohol - You CANNOT bring a bottle of wine in NCL without paying a corkage fee regardless of where you drink it. Yes even if you drink it in your room you still have to pay

 

Clientele - I was on the Gem the week of April 27th 2013. There was a good mix of people, a few couples in their mid 20s like us, a few families and a few older people. We kept mostly to our selves though so I may not be a reliable witness...

 

Staff - they were excellent, very friendly and the whole "washy washy" hand sanitizer thing is hilarious. My steward was incredible, he greeted us by name on day 1, had my egg crate thing in place, always had ice for us, he knew more about what we might want or need then we did lol.

 

 

 

 

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Just fyi Carnival doesn't make you dine with other people, it's your choice or not. We never have.

I have also sailed on both and each has their pros and cons.

Ncl pros: entertainment!! We did the murder mystery luncheon- awesome!

Comedians and stage shows surpass carnival

Food similar, can always find something i like

Freestyle is awesome- love!!!! The Teppenyaki well worth it

Cons: lack of free drinks- no lemonade only unsweetened tea

Carnival pros: bigger rooms

Better drink offerings

Both have great staff- bingo on carnival better :)

In the end this is all subjective- if you want to have fun you will....

I just did carnival last month and had a blast

Just booked an ncl in sept and I'm sure it will be equally fun

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Having sailed the Norwegian Pearl, I can offer some point of view.

Overall Carnival and NCL are more alike than different. You will probably like NCL if you like carnival.

Ice Cream was always available and IIRC there is at least one 24-hour free restaurant on every NCL ship.

Food in the main dining rooms was comparable. Staff was comparable. We enjoyed the many dining option son NCL (which is irrelevant if you plan to not use any of them). The kids club is a little better on carnival, more organized IMHO.

The biggest downside of NCL, and it's not a really big deal, is that the cabins are noticeably smaller than those on Carnival ships. We sailed a "Mini Suite" on the Pearl, and it was about the same size as a standard balcony on Carnival. The balcony cabins on NCL are ~30 square feet smaller than those on carnival.

Just fyi Carnival doesn't make you dine with other people, it's your choice or not. We never have.

Really, everyone keeps talking about table mates, I don't see online where I can uncheck the "table mates" box, I'm traveling with a whole group is there someone I can call to make sure we sit together? I was gonna leave it up to our travel agent but I like to double check for myself

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You just tell them when you get to the mdr- if you chose anytime dining.

My husband and I always chose table for 2 and we never had a problem

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I've sailed on the Norwegian Gem, I haven't sailed on my carnival ship yet, but here are a few things I've noticed off the bat:

 

Cabin size/price - CCL cabins seem HUGE compared to NCL and they are much cheaper.

 

Dining - There seems to be many more free options on Carnival then NCL. I found the food on NCL to be very good though. I LOVED freestyle dining, we never had to wait more then a couple of minutes for a table for 2. They post wait times in the hallways so you know what you're in for at each venue. The fact that Carnival could make me sit at a table with strangers is appalling. I do not want to be forced to sit and talk to strangers during meals.

 

Alcohol - You CANNOT bring a bottle of wine in NCL without paying a corkage fee regardless of where you drink it. Yes even if you drink it in your room you still have to pay

 

Clientele - I was on the Gem the week of April 27th 2013. There was a good mix of people, a few couples in their mid 20s like us, a few families and a few older people. We kept mostly to our selves though so I may not be a reliable witness...

 

Staff - they were excellent, very friendly and the whole "washy washy" hand sanitizer thing is hilarious. My steward was incredible, he greeted us by name on day 1, had my egg crate thing in place, always had ice for us, he knew more about what we might want or need then we did lol.

 

 

 

 

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Please realize that freestyle dining is a newer concept in the cruising industry. Most cruise lines, including Carnival, offer this type of dining if that is what you prefer. But they also offer assigned tables for 2-10 people if that is more to your liking. Many people find that large assigned tables offer an easy way to become acquainted with other people, and offers many topics to discuss during your meal. You can make new friends, and share experience with them. Smaller tables allow you to spend time alone if that is what you prefer. More important, assigned tables allow the wait staff to get to know you more personally. By the second day, they will know you by name and the drinks you like. So while you might think the idea of sitting with strangers is appalling, many others continue to love the idea.

Really, everyone keeps talking about table mates, I don't see online where I can uncheck the "table mates" box, I'm traveling with a whole group is there someone I can call to make sure we sit together? I was gonna leave it up to our travel agent but I like to double check for myself

 

 

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If you have a group you want sitting together, just call Carnival and give them the booking number for each person/cabin. They will then "link" them together, and you will be seated together (or in multiple tables next to each other, depending upon the size of your group). We've done this many times.

Really, everyone keeps talking about table mates, I don't see online where I can uncheck the "table mates" box, I'm traveling with a whole group is there someone I can call to make sure we sit together? I was gonna leave it up to our travel agent but I like to double check for myself

 

 

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Don't know how many are in your "group", but your TA should have linked all of you together so you'll be dining together.

Please realize that freestyle dining is a newer concept in the cruising industry. Most cruise lines, including Carnival, offer this type of dining if that is what you prefer. But they also offer assigned tables for 2-10 people if that is more to your liking. Many people find that large assigned tables offer an easy way to become acquainted with other people, and offers many topics to discuss during your meal. You can make new friends, and share experience with them. Smaller tables allow you to spend time alone if that is what you prefer. More important, assigned tables allow the wait staff to get to know you more personally. By the second day, they will know you by name and the drinks you like. So while you might think the idea of sitting with strangers is appalling, many others continue to love the idea.

...great I'm glad there's something for everyone...

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Don't know how many are in your "group", but your TA should have linked all of you together so you'll be dining together.

There's about 20-30 of us but idk if we all picked the same dining option. I'll still call to make sure I'm seated with my dad. He might supplement my drinks :D

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...great I'm glad there's something for everyone...

 

 

 

 

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I'm with you. I have to make small talk to strangers at my job. I certainly don't want to do it on vacation. :)

Thank you everyone for your input. What scares me the most are the quality of food options for free, since this has the most disagreement. Don't know what to do!!

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Thank you everyone for your input. What scares me the most are the quality of food options for free, since this has the most disagreement. Don't know what to do!!

 

 

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Food quality is so subjective...just take what everyone says with a grain of salt! The only way to find out if you like it, is to try it! We thought the buffet on NCL was better, Carnival's MDR was slightly better. NCL also has O'Sheehan's (no charge), which serves food 24 hours, as well as room service. Carnival only has room service 24 hours. Something else I wanted to add....NCL is very generous with the alcohol in a mixed drink...Carnival isn't.