Carnival v Norweigen

Has anyone sailed both? Sailed Carnival this year- had a great time. Some friends have recomended Norweigen. Any comparisons or thoughts?

Carnival and NCL actually have more similarities than differences. We do prefer the entertainment on NCL much more over what Carnival has to offer.

We sail on both lines, but all things being equal, we would prefer NCL, due to their better entertainment options.

Happy sailing!

I too think there are more similarities than differences. I personally did not prefer the entertainment on NCL Breakaway though. I liked the comedy on Carnival.

debbie

I have done both, both have plus and minuses if that is what you are asking.

Lets see.

Norwegian good.

Room service

Washy washy guy

Food options if you pay extra

More tv channels

Bigger balcony rooms

Bigger bathroom

Norwegian, not so good

Casino

Bingo

Entertainment

Carnival good

Lido movies

Bingo

Casino

Shows

Activities on sea days

Mdr

Room stewarts

Carnival not so good

Room size

Port time

Room service.

Its hard to give you a complete overview depending on your age, travel companions and such.

I prefer carnival myself.

If you have specific questions feel free to ask me, I will be happy to share with you anything you need

Sent from my SM-N900T using Forums mobile app

Oh and the Chocolate melting cake on Carnival is the bomb.

Again I can tell you anything you want, I have been on the NCL Jewel and the Carnival Triumph, same sized ships and I have researched both way too much:D

Sent from my SM-N900T using Forums mobile app

We prefer Carnival. On Norwegian there are just too many specialty dinning that you have to pay for. The dinning was really slow in the MDR and the food wasn't all that good. There wasn't many public places to sit due to so much room being taken up with the specialty dinning. We never met our room steward and our room was made up only 3 times during our cruise. This is our opinion and experience on Norwegian. Haven't ever had a bad experience on Carnival so we will stay with them.

Hmmmm….you're going to get opinions all OVER the place….

NCL

Crew- as good, as friendly, and as helpful as they come. Personally met everyone from Captain, hotel director, on down with phone numbers in hand.

Entertainment- hands down better than CCL. Bands AND shows.

Food options- many, MANY varied food options and more choices available at any given time.

Cabins- standard balconies are noticeably smaller than Carnival. A NCL suite is night and day better from anything Carnival offers.

CCL

Room service- great, just great. 24hrs and no extra charge at any time.

Itineraries- lets face it, Carnival goes just about everywhere and from many different ports of departure.

Budget- No doubt, for the money Carnival puts on a good cruise.

Conquest-class ships- I love these ships. LOVE the aft balconies!

Desserts- from creme brûlée, to chocolate melting cake, to bitters and blanc…they are the best.

We have cruised both NCL and Carnival. We enjoyed both. I would choose based on itinerary.

We prefer Carnival. On Norwegian there are just too many specialty dinning that you have to pay for. The dinning was really slow in the MDR and the food wasn't all that good. There wasn't many public places to sit due to so much room being taken up with the specialty dinning. We never met our room steward and our room was made up only 3 times during our cruise. This is our opinion and experience on Norwegian. Haven't ever had a bad experience on Carnival so we will stay with them.

were you on the Pride of America or one of the other Hawaii based ships back in 2009?

Bill

Has anyone sailed both? Sailed Carnival this year- had a great time. Some friends have recomended Norweigen. Any comparisons or thoughts?

since we aren't big drinkers or gamblers the entertainment is important to us.

Based on that criteria I would pick NCL over CCL.

Bill

Loved our cruise on NCL but probably only because we had a suite and they have excellent suite perks. Had we not upgraded I doubt we would have liked it as much.

Much preferred the food on Carnival, enjoyed the pay restaurants on NCL but they did get pricy and were hit and miss in quality and service. And that included the same restaurant on differing nights.

The steakhouse on carnival has always been excellent.

My kids enjoyed both kids club's equally so that was a wash.

I have been spoiled by the suite and butler service so I can't imagine ever sailing NCL unless I can afford that level. So we are going back to carnival for the next cruise where suites are frankly just bigger rooms.

After 16 in a row on Carnival, we tried NCL, and enjoyed the change. I think that is the key word - "change." After the same shows, food, entertainment, etc., it was nice trying something new. We "experimented" with all the different classes of Carnival ships, seeing pretty much every show/entertainment/port offered. NCL seemed new and exciting to us. We are now trying the different class ships on NCL, trying to hit all the new shows and entertainment there. (Love Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar on NCL) As far as food goes - we are not foodies, and never starved on either line! I think we preferred the buffet on NCL. Ate only in the specialty restaurants on NCL, which we swore we would never do on any ship!! Cabins- well, I definitely think Carnival holds the edge there. The cabin we had on Gem (balcony snobs - never cruised in anything else) was tiny!! As far as service goes - both lines were outstanding. Water slides on Breakaway were fun, as was walking the plank on their ropes course. (much larger than CCL's) Looking forward to our Dec. Holiday cruise on NCL Epic, and also to Feb. cruise on CCL Splendor!

The main question is what you hope to experience when you cruise?

I like Carnival mainly because ot the short trip offering and FTTF. I have not been on the larger Carnival ships so I cannot in all fairness base my opinion on class of ship. The DH and I sailed a longer Carnival cruise eons ago and loved it based on itinerary. We had a great time. The shorter cruises I found the food lacking and the cabins so-so. I stayed in oceanviews and suites (I wanted a balcony and the suite is the only option for short cruises). The balcony with the suites seemed small but again I am sailing on smaller class ships. The room stewards were always spectacular the rest of the staff seemed grumpy most days. No one greets you and when you say good morning/good evening/hi some of the staff looked at you with amazement. Best item on Carnival FTTF.

NCL really enjoys hosting CC meet and greets. I agree with legion3 about the suite life on NCL...there is no comparison. The balcony cabins are nice with plenty of room for two loungers and a table. The mini-suite (not included in suite benefits) is larger with a tub/shower combo and large balcony. The entertainment is spectacular. Second City for comedy was great The main dining rooms had good food and better desserts. The martini tasting is hands down better on NCL.:D

On both lines the cabin was always made up and cabin requests were always handled in a timely manner.

As you can see by my signature I have an upcoming cruise with both lines. I choose based on itinerary, price, and embarkation city.

I've done 12 on Carnival and 4 on NCL. I have a very slight preference for Carnival, but really couldn't tell you why, maybe just familiarity? That being said, I didn't feel like I was "missing" anything going from one line to the other. I've done the big and new on both lines and the small and old. I think NCL has more and nicer amenities in a lot of cases, but there is something to be said for the atmosphere and fun on Carnival.

I took my kids on their first NCL last summer, Getaway, and even though it has more bells and whistles than any ship they've ever been on, and they had a great time, they also prefer Carnival.

Bottom line, I'd happily cruise either line. Go try it! You'll like it! Get a suite if you can afford it! It's a nice experience. Don't do it if it stretches your budget too much though, it's not worth all that.

The martini tasting is hands down better on NCL.:D

We cruised Norweigen on our first cruise and it was just so so. Nothing bad per se and nothing to complain about (besides the small room and bathroom)....or so I thought.

We just cruised Carnival last week and I am hooked. I can not say enough good stuff about them. Everyone knew our name, I loved the MDR and our servers made our experience so luxurious. They sang and danced on the tables, sang wonderful happy birthday songs and it was just an all around fun atmosphere. I feel like they rolled out the red carpet.

The rooms and the bathrooms are bigger. Room service was timely, and our steward was very hospitable.

Better activities on Carnival: comedy shows every night ( family and over 18), love and marriage show, karaoke in the cigar bar, of course clubs and bars and a nightly event each night. Mexican buffet at 1130pm, the best ice cream I've ever tasted, late night hot tub parties that led to bathrobe parties on the Lido deck ( they give everyone cushy robes for those cool nights on deck).

I could go on and on.... Researching my next trip, I hope to be on the Breeze next year⚓️

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My family of 4 overall prefers Carnival over Norwegian:

Food: NCL wins the food category with the best variety and and best quality buffet. But Carnival has better MDR food. NCL does not seem have 24-hour ice cream (they always seem to shut them off when we wanted some).

Cabins: Hands down, Carnival!!! On Carnival, the 4 of us comfortably stay in a 220 s.f. OV quad or PT or IS w/ picture window. The NCL cabins were so small, we had to book two cabins. Which greatly increased the cost of the cruise. I have read numerous times that the suite life on NCL is amazing with your concierge. and other perks.

Entertainment: NCL has better main theater shows, but were are not big fans of those. But... we LOVE Carnival's Punchliner's Comedy Club, so Carnival trumps the entertainment.

Kids club: My kids did not like NCL's kids club. They had way too many rules and restrictions, and they didn't stick to their own schedules. Carnival definitely gets both of my kids' votes for the best cruiseline.

Price: CARNIVAL. They have always been the least expensive cruiseline (when comparing similar itineraries) for quad cabins. Carnival has significant reductions for 3rd and 4th guests.

We like NCL, and would definitely cruise again with the right itinerary and price. I would love to try the Getaway out of Miami, but the Breeze is just so much cheaper, I don't know if I can justify it.

I've only sailed on NCL once, but missed Carnival.

Buffet: NCL - good variety and everything I ate was very good.

Cabin: Carnival (but we really liked the mini-suite on the Epic)

Entertainment: NCL - but really missed the Comedy club

MDR food: Carnival. Better variety. We did enjoy the extra charge restaurants.

Fun-factor: much prefer the vibe on Carnival.

Staff: Carnival. Friendly and they always remember my name!

That said, I would sail NCL again. Looking at the Dawn to Bermuda for next summer.

Sent from my phone. Typos are inevitable.

I would choose NCL over Carnival...we like all the various dining options, and the entertainment blows away Carnival! Of course, it always comes down to itinerary for us, so we will cruise any line.

My husband and I were in the Haven 2 bdrm suite in September on the Getaway. The ship was beautiful however, we are going back to CCL on the Freedom in January. We enjoyed the ship but the food was not any better on the Getaway, The crew was not as friendly and drink service was horrible on Getaway(not that we are big drinkers). Entertainment was good on both. We ate at each of the specialty dining rooms on NCL and none can compare with the quality of food and service that you get at the steak house on any CCL ship. The one thing that NCL has that I will miss on CCL is O'Sheehan 7/24 restaurant. Food was good and the view for Atrium entertainment was great. Hope this helps.

We are Platinum on Carnival and have recently sailed twice on NCL (Breakaway and Epic). Here is my comparison:

Buffet - NCL many more options and more space, however, I did miss the made to order deli sandwiches and 24 hour pizza.

MDR - Equal found the food to be comparable on both lines. We really enjoy the Freestyle dining, which is not that great on Carnival, but we missed the WCMC.

Room Service - Carnival as I refuse to pay extra to have room service delivered after midnight. On NCL, you could always go to Blue Lagoon/O'Sheehans for a late night snack, but that required going out of the cabin if you were already in your PJ's.

Staff - Equal have had excellent service on both lines.

Cabins - Carnival for the larger cabins and bathrooms.

Entertainment - NCL for their Broadway shows and live music. I could go and see "Oh What a Night" every night (saw it on the Pearl). Although, we did miss the nightly comedy offered on Carnival.

Casino - Equal they both seemed about the same to me, and I spend a lot of time in the casino.

Daily Activities - Equal they both had various trivia contests, etc.

These are the areas that I can think of. If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to ask.

Has anyone sailed both? Sailed Carnival this year- had a great time. Some friends have recomended Norweigen. Any comparisons or thoughts?

I have sailed 24 times on Carnival and once on Norwegian. I enjoyed my Norwegian cruise and much preferred the casino on Norwegian over Carnival, but the cabins are so tiny on Norwegian that I prefer Carnival for that reason. I had a junior suite the one time I sailed on Norwegian and you could barely turn around in the cabin. Norwegian also has a lot more "for a fee" options onboard than Carnival does.

Both cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses. It is fun to experience them.

I have sailed 24 times on Carnival and once on Norwegian. I enjoyed my Norwegian cruise and much preferred the casino on Norwegian over Carnival, but the cabins are so tiny on Norwegian that I prefer Carnival for that reason. I had a junior suite the one time I sailed on Norwegian and you could barely turn around in the cabin. Norwegian also has a lot more "for a fee" options onboard than Carnival does.

 

Both cruise lines have strengths and weaknesses. It is fun to experience them.

Yes the cabins on NCL are smaller than Carnival for sure.

What NCL ship did you sail?

I like the fact that there are more options for dinner on NCL although they come with a fee but there are still the same amount of free dining rooms as CCL. :)

Bill

I prefer NCL, because my experience is that they are better at dealing with the solo cruiser who prefers to be alone, but there's much to like on both lines.

Carnival has better MDR food; NCL has better buffet and bar-type food (I haven't tried any of the specialty/pay restaurants on either line)

Carnival has better cabins and bathrooms; NCL has better showers, soap/shampoo products, linens and towels

NCL has better entertainment at night; Carnival has more stuff to do during the day.

Like I said, there's a lot to like on both lines.

We have sailed both, DH and I prefer NCL for the entertainment options. We really enjoyed the Blue Man Group, Cirque show, 2nd City comedy etc on NCL in December last year.

Its been a few years (5 actually, it was our honeymoon) since we've been on CCL but neither of us was impressed by the entertainment on the Legend when we were on board.

On both ships we enjoyed the food, yes on NCL there are several food options you pay for, but we mainly ate in the buffet and liked it quite a bit (nutella crepes, pretty much I'm sold at that point). The nights we ate in the MDR we didn't find the service slow, it wasn't lightning speed but we weren't in a hurry, so we were fine. We ate in the brazillian steak house and also had a few sushi rolls while we were on board and felt that for the addl cost the food was wonderful and great quantity per $$ spent.

The room size on NCL was smaller for the balcony cabin than I remember for CCL, but that wasn't a deal breaker for us, I spend most of my time in the room on the balcony to be honest.

On CCL we did more of the ship excursions and we *loved* them, on NCL we did our own thing and so I can't really speak to the excursions. (we've travelled more in the last 5 yrs than we had on our honeymoon so I did more reserach and we booked our own things when we cruised last year)

All things considered they're both great, we're cruising CCL with friends in March and I'm super excited!!