Loyal NCL cruiser thinking of Carnival Splendor next summer, but nervous!

[fergusonvt]

Yes they do. What is this other thing/person you are referring to? happy happy, washy washy?:confused:

 

That is what the NCL crew say when they squirt the Sanitizer on your hands.

 

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[Georgiagolfer]

That is what the NCL crew say when they squirt the Sanitizer on your hands.

 

Sent from my LePanII using Tapatalk 2

 

Cool, DW would like this, she is a kid at heart, me I would just go with the flow, but complain to her that it was "cheesy."

[doitallWMB]

You will be surprised to know that most people on Carnival threads think NCL is the bottom cruiseline and Carnival is better. Seriously ...

 

Splendor is a ship designed for Costa from what I understand, so its in a class by itself .. but its not too different than Conquest class really. It does have a pay spa option like Dream class .. if you are a spa person, you might want to check how much more expensive a spa balcony is? Its included if you book a spa cabin, but extra otherwise.

 

From everything I know, NCL has a lot more pay options, but the regular food isnt a good. Who knows as food is subjective .. but I like the beds on Carnival and never had food I was unhappy with. You can get anytime dining or traditional.

 

How can you even comment on a line that you have NEVER experienced??? That is wrong.

[glorialagos]

Thanks very much for your comments! I also have never heard that NCL was at the bottom, if anything I heard Carnival was. Curious; what exactly did you prefer with NCL? We have done All the pay options on NCL, but also enjoy the MDR and buffet, especially with the kids. More variety for them. I dislike crowds and slow lines (who doesn't??) :eek:

We just returned from a 7 day out of NY on the Gem with family, I liked the itinerary.

 

The Gem is my FAVORITE of all ships!! We have cruised her twice - once out of Barcelona and last December out of NYC. I think I was spoiled by her and compare everything to the Gem.

 

Things I like better about NCL - well, specifically the Gem, I LOVE the spa!! We really liked the option of the Blue Lagoon and went there often for a snack or just coffee. I feel like NCL caters to the passengers more, pays attention to this board, and really makes an effort to earn our business. Meet and Greets on NCL are amazing and make the passenger feel so important - when we met the hotel director and then he stopped and talked to us the entire week, danced with our daughter at the past guest party - things like that are just an extra special touch that Carnival does not do.

 

I was surprised to see that if you want to arrange a Meet and Greet on Carnival, a passenger must arrange it, everyone is charged for snacks and drinks, the passenger must collect everyone's money and then pay on board. NCL rewards you for going to the M and G - one time we had a bottle of wine sent to us, one time were invited to the bridge for a tour with the captain.

 

Buffets on NCL are much easier to navigate, way fewer lines because it is an open space in an enclosed dining room - not just random stations throughout a deck. I really dislike Carnival buffets. And I love how NCL cooks the special dishes out by the pool - the large pans of paella, the grilling, etc.

 

I know I am sounding anti Carnival and I am not. I absolutely love a Carnival cruise too. I just prefer NCL. (btw - booked the Breakaway today for June but I am booking a Carnival cruise tomorrow for October!!)

[tomsuelaw]

I am with you, as an NCL loyalist too. Just booked my 1st CCL cruise a few months ago. NCL gets bashed so much and you and I know that is all hog-wash. All the cruise lines have their lovers and haters. I am assuming that the haters of CCL are just like the haters of NCL...wrong :p

 

At least for my family, CCL is cheaper price wise. So I say we give it a whirl and make the best of it! ;)

 

Oh but, if I were you I would be concerned about going on any cruise line in the summer months. We are off-season travelers so I am not speaking from experience here. I imagine you will have to expect a full ship and lots of kids in the summer. I am always baffled when I read reviews of people who travel during summer or holidays and then complain about large crowds and lots of kids...these seem like a given to me.

[tomsuelaw]

Oh and I love happy happy washy washy too ;) I will miss that from NCL, along with the assurance I got knowing that the hand sanitizer police were all over everyone like white on rice!

[glrounds]

Hello,

 

My husband and I have only cruised with NCL but friends of ours with kids the same ages as ours, have booked a cruise on the Splendor, 8 days next summer out of NY. We really love NCL and are hesitant to book Carnival, mostly because we don't know anything about the line and the ship. I do NOT want to deal with drunk kids everywhere! Can anyone give me some insight about Carnival and this ship in particular? And any cabin suggestions would also be appreciated. We are looking at a balcony on deck 9. Thank you!:)

 

Have cruised the SPLENDOR 3 times . . . 4th coming this Fall some time when I can get away again. Plenty of pics on my WEBSHOTS below. Enjoy her. She's a beaut.:)

 

[RMM34667]

I sailed NCL once......... and maybe I will again some day. But not if another line has a similar Itnerary in a compatible price range. When you only cruise once or twice a year you don't want to risk major disappointment.

[bdann]

I have sailed (twice) on Carnival and (once) on NCL. I liked them both, honestly a very similar experience. I'd give Carnival an edge on the "free" food and NCL an edge on the "extra charge" food. I have booked Carnival again and will book NCL (or any other line) again if the right price/itinerary comes up!

[glorialagos]

I have sailed (twice) on Carnival and (once) on NCL. I liked them both, honestly a very similar experience. I'd give Carnival an edge on the "free" food and NCL an edge on the "extra charge" food. I have booked Carnival again and will book NCL (or any other line) again if the right price/itinerary comes up!

 

 

I agree with this except for the food part. I have sailed NCL three times and have never paid to eat at an extra charge restaurant. (I think that will change when I am on a ship with a Moderno). I prefer NCL food.

 

Carnival's buffet food might be better but I wouldn't know. I refused to give up all my vacation time waiting in lines to try the food. I wish they would open buffet lines earlier and keep them open longer and then there would not be such a ridiculous wait to get food. I am a very early riser, usually on the Lido deck by 6:00 am, and there were many people waiting and waiting for breakfast with the "Buffet closed" signs everywhere. The food was there covered in plastic. Just did not make sense to me.

[Carolin]

The only time I've seen drunken adults is on a short cruise (3 days) out of Tampa.

 

Carnival is a very family friendly atmosphere. Longer length cruises tend to have an older crowd as well as families.

 

Go with an open mind and enjoy yourself. Please check out the punch liners club.

 

Oh.. you can bring aboard one bottle of wine per adult and you can order your favorite adult beverage for your cabin. It's a money saver for sure.

 

Have a fantastic cruise.

[Unknotted]

Someone mentioned the confusing deck plan on the Splendor, but NCL has a little of that too. It's not that big of a deal once you get it figured out. The "you can't get there from here" areas are usually because of where the galley is located. OP, think NCL Dawn as an example...you need to down, then follow the hallway and go back up (or vice versa.) It's not really that bad. I am one of those people who can get lost in a Walmart parking lot, and I didn't have too much trouble with the Splendor, so I don't think it's something for you to fret over.

 

I've cruised with both NCL and CCL and although there are differences, for me they are minor. I do wish NCL had more free drink options 24/7 though...I drink a bunch of the 24/7 lemonade (lemon kool-aid?) that you'll find on the Splendor.

[khall]

Lately we have been pretty loyal to NCL but are going to give Carnival another try in October. Our last Carnival cruise was so far our least favorite of all we have been on. I don't say bad cause I think it is impossible to have a bad cruise, just not our favorite. However, we went with a couple that were our friends and they had never been on a cruise before. Needless to say they didn't have fun which I think in turn soured our experience with Carnival (and them :eek:) as well. We have only seen them about a handful of times since our cruise 6 yrs ago so that gives you an idea of how that week went. lol

 

Anyway, I see you posted you have been in suites on NCL...just prepare yourself that nothing will compare to how they treat you in a suite on NCL! Especially a Garden Villa! That said I agree with several of the others that there are more similarities than differences between the two. I think the entertainment was better on Carnival and am excited to try some different menus/food as well.

[Jenbo57]

OP, book it...you'll do fine! We've been on the Splendor twice; once in a suite and in December in one of those crazy L-shaped cabins near aft with a super long balcony. I liked the ship; true that it is a crazy layout, but once you have that part figured out, it's not so bad. You'll notice right away that the cabins are larger than on NCL.

 

We've been on NCL twice. I LOVE the whole Freestyle concept, but the food, not so much. That's subjective, though. We don't tend to stick to one cruiseline; too many great ships/itineraries not to check them all out!

[mizLORInj]

Best to check out various lines for yourself. I'm booking Splendor for next year too as we're finally getting a different Carnival ship out of NYC.

Cabins on Carnival are larger, the waterslide is great (better than NCL other than Epic), food better IMO on NCL, entertainment and service very similar

have fun. I wouldn't hesitate to book either line.

[Winnigirl]

Hello,

 

My husband and I have only cruised with NCL but friends of ours with kids the same ages as ours, have booked a cruise on the Splendor, 8 days next summer out of NY. We really love NCL and are hesitant to book Carnival, mostly because we don't know anything about the line and the ship. I do NOT want to deal with drunk kids everywhere! Can anyone give me some insight about Carnival and this ship in particular? And any cabin suggestions would also be appreciated. We are looking at a balcony on deck 9. Thank you!:)

 

I know just how you are feeling. We, too, love NCL (especially the Free Style Dining) and we've just booked our first Carnival Cruise on the Legend in Sept. I'm trying not to listen to the "negative" about Carnival - many people I've spoken to (and I've spoken to a lot!) says the reputation - which may have been at one time justifiable - is no longer the case.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Our first cruise was NCL and we really enjoyed it. When we tried to book another, the NCL agent literally talked us out of booking. We booked Carnival and have never had a bad cruise with them. I don't even consider other lines.

Shalom

 

An agent for NCL talked you out of booking with NCL? Or was it a travel agent?

 

If it was an NCL agent I'm sure they didn't last long at their job.

 

Bill

[tee3240]

Thanks everyone, for your input. We just booked the Splendor for next July! :):)

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I would be more nervous going from Carnival to NCL.

[jasbo49]

I would be more nervous going from Carnival to NCL.

Doesn't look like you've ever sailed on NCL. On what do you base your opinion?

 

I'd definitely rank some things on NCL as superior to Carnival. Buffet (islands instead of long lines), entertainment and probably overall service impressed me more on NCL.

 

Jim

[TennesseeTater]

You will be surprised to know that most people on Carnival threads think NCL is the bottom cruiseline and Carnival is better. Seriously ...

 

Splendor is a ship designed for Costa from what I understand, so its in a class by itself .. but its not too different than Conquest class really. It does have a pay spa option like Dream class .. if you are a spa person, you might want to check how much more expensive a spa balcony is? Its included if you book a spa cabin, but extra otherwise.

 

From everything I know, NCL has a lot more pay options, but the regular food isnt a good. Who knows as food is subjective .. but I like the beds on Carnival and never had food I was unhappy with. You can get anytime dining or traditional.

 

Trust Firefly, she knows what she is talking about. I have been on several Cruise Lines. I have been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit and I know you will be very happy with Carnival.