Comparing Carnival and Norwegian. Is Norwegian "Fun"?

[cruisenshop]

I am platinum on NCL but cruise a lot on Carnival. I agree with a prior poster that they are more a like than different. I was on the Breakaway last summer - excellent cruise. Since I love specialty dining I only ate in main dining room twice. Dining similar to Canival. The entertainment is better on NCL. That said - I love cruising and always have fun. There always will be little things that aren't perfect. But it's vacation! So I try not to let it bother me!

[daizee]

I was on the Epic a few years ago for my second Norwegian cruise. LOVED that ship and the entertainment was the best I've seen. However, I think Norwegian's food is awful! I would never sail them again just because of that.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Please realize that freestyle dining is a newer cvesselst 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.

 

I love sitting with "strangers" at dinner in the mdr. More often than not, the people you get seated with at a standard 10-top are cool and enjoy getting to know others while at dinner also. Now sometimes you get stuck with people who aren't social or hate the overall experience, but it is not commonplace in my experience. I have been seated at tables for two or a booth for four also and generally like the bigger tables. I have really hit it off with some people in that type of setting. You get to share stories about your cruise experiences and you might even learn a thing or two. And if you get seated with people you like while at assigned time dining, you have made new friends for the duration of the vacation if not for longer. If you really don't like the situation, you can always ask the maitre d to move your seats and they can usually accommodate your request.

 

Now, as for ncl. I have never sailed on them but my next cruise will likely be with them on one of the newer vessels. I have heard nothing but good things from people I know who have sailed them. Supposedly their mdr experience is average at best and informal but the pay restaurants are good and very diverse in their offerings. I have also heard their buffets are good. Mdr is all ytd which is a definite negative for me and carnival has them beat there. Not sure about the entertainment. Quality of stage shows are likely better on ncl (would be hard not to be now though with ccl's crappy shows) but carnival surely has more overall activities going on throughout the ship. Carnival does have the largest cabins around for sure. For me personally, I'm ready to try out another line just to see but make your own choices.

[lara_lox]

I''ve been on 4 NCL cruises and had a great deal of fun! 2 of these were on the Epic which is comparable to the Breakaway, and I have detailed picture reviews in my signature if you fancy checking them out.

Every ship and sailing has it good and bad points but I believe a cruise is what you make of it. I'm doing my first Carnival cruise on the Sunshine next month and am looking forward to seeing how Carnival compares with other lines I sailed on.

[Westbank is bestbank]

NCL was just as fun as carnival (maybe even more fun).

NCL entertainment was better.

I cruise Carnival the most for my kids. The NCL kids club is not very fun. I also think carnival has much better food.

NO 24 HOUR ICE CREAM ON NCL.

Bingo is very expensive $40 - $60.

[serene56]

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.

 

I would not say it was horrible but we found that NCL is NOT for us.

A cruise is what you make it.

NCL has some of the tiniest rooms on the seas-- I felt like I was in a closet all week.

 

I say try it-- and find out if NCL fits for you. What others experience might not what it will be for you.

[davy jones]

We recently sailed on the Carnival Glory and NCL Gem from NYC within a few months of each other. You will have a good time on either, but here is our take.

 

Ship: I preferred the Gem decor. The Gem was also easier to navigate than the quirky layout of the Glory.

 

Cabins: Both were functional and comfortable, but Carnival was larger.

 

Service: Very good on both. We did anytime dining on the Glory

 

MDR food. Good on both. We slightly preferred the Glory at dinner (this was before the menu change). The Gem was better at breakfast, where the Glory had replaced breakfast with the comic brunch.

 

Buffet: NCL wins easily here for quality and variety. Points to Carnival though for the deli, pizza, burrito bar, and Guy's burger.

 

24 hour food dining - Pizza on Carnival. NCL has a 24 hour restaurant (Blue Lagoon), offering wings, burgers, and comfort foods.

 

Ice Cream - I saw soft serve AND hard ice cream in the buffet from lunch time until closing every day on NCL. The only 24 hour option that I knew of on the Gem is to get takeout ice cream from Blue Lagoon.

 

Alternative restaurants - Many on NCL, Steakhouse only on CCL. I can't compare them though.

 

Entertainment - NCL hands down. The 2.0 entertainment options are poor, unless you like to play the musical chairs game to see the comedians.

 

Passengers: Similar clientele on both. We sailed the Glory during the late summer, and Gem in the fall, so the Glory cruise had more families.

 

Price - It is unfair to compare price on a summer sailing vs. a fall sailing, but we got a very good price on both.

[Waterloomarc]

I've only been on one NCL (Star to Bermuda) vs 8 CCL. I

Of course everyone is different AND this is the Carnival board but I'm surprised how much NCL is disdained.

 

Anyway, IMO NCL is just as much fun if not more so than Carnival. The demographics are pretty similar so you have the same type crowds. NCL's entertainment absolutely beats CCL into the dirt, especially since the 2.0 bs went into effect. There was much more live music on the star vs any carnival sailing I had been on. The activity around the pool was a little more lively than than CCL where it's pretty much just a tv playing most day, however this was just a slight edge.

 

Carnival wins hands down on the waterslide front though! (Although if you're looking at Getaway this might not be true). I also agree that MDR food on Carnival is better, although I preferred NCL desserts. (I prefer a less sweet dessert than the typical American palate)

 

All that said, the Getaway is a gigantic ship compared to virtually all of carnivals so I would take CCL any day over her. I don't like crowds and lines.

 

But for me I'd take any pre-Epic NCL ship over CCL if the itineraries were the same.

 

And before the cheerleaders flog me, I'm not slamming Carnival. Remember I've sailed them 8 times as have another booked. But based on my one and only NCL experience I did prefer it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Waterloomarc]

Since your main concern was the food, let me add one more thing to elaborate on my "carnival MDR is better" comment. By that I meant that carnival seems to have a better variety each night. On NCL some nights it was hard to find something that sounded good. Whereas thus far on Carnival I've never had that problem, some nights it's hard to choose which sounds better! However once I actually picked something on NCL I found that the food was fine and didn't have a complaint about it.

 

So, for me, it wasn't that Carnivals actual food better but that they had more to choose from - which was better.

 

I did like that there was a New York strip and a rib-eye on the menu every night in each dining room on NCL though. Much more consistent than a flat iron, which I like btw but it needs to be cooked properly. An over cooked rib-eye is still edible albeit not particularly enjoyable. But an over cooked flat iron is flat out terrible and could be used to sole shoes!

 

 

 

 

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Edited March 18, 2014 by Waterloomarc

[Beachbum1944]

 

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).

 

.

 

This is one of the main reasons for booking an 11 day cruise....very few children, as most families book 1 week cruises.

[Ciardasully]

I have only done a one night cruise to nowhere on the Norwegian Gem but I do plan to try a full cruise someday. I really want to sail on the Breakaway. Though you can't really compare (nor is it fair to) a one-nighter Norwegian vs. two 7-day Carnival cruises, I thought it was comparable to Carnival. I do think that Norwegian had more late night food options and I thought the shows were slightly better than Carnival.

 

That's just my two cents. :)

[Beachbum1944]

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

 

We were on the Breeze last month and did the Anytime dining. Big disappointment. They have 4 tables for two spaced about 12 inches apart. When they fill all 4 tables up, then they come over and take your order like it was a table for 8. On NCL a table for 2 is just that, like any other restaurant on shore.

[Beachbum1944]

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 carnivalWe just got off the Breeze. Had a Cove balcony. Very nice. Everybody says it is bigger and maybe it is, but I didn't feel it was any bigger.

 

 

We felt that the Breeze was way too crowded. We will be on the Breakaway this Sept. Curious to see if we feel the same about her.

[graphicguy]

My last cruise was on the Breeze. Enjoyed it. CCL has done a nice job with the outdoors areas. Food was good. You can tell there are fewer staff in CCL's main dining rooms, though. The slowness of service, and harried nature of the service staff was clear to me.

 

But, my cruises on both the NCL Epic and Breakaway were my favorites. Their outside areas trump those on the Breeze.

 

While I did enjoy CCL's entertainment, it pales in comparison to what I saw on the NCL ships (Rock of Ages, Blue Man Group, Burn the Floor). NCL does Broadway quality entertainment. By comparison, CCL does community theater type of entertainment. Not bad, mind you. Just not nearly the same caliber as NCL.

 

CCL does a nice job with any time dining. But, NCL has Freestyle down pat. I enjoyed all of my meals on NCL. Even though the buffet ws typical cruise fare, I found the MDR food fresh and prepared well.

 

Optional dining venues I tried were all good.

 

I really love the newer NCL ships. Not sure about their older ones, though.

 

Either way, you can't go wrong.

Edited March 18, 2014 by graphicguy

[Winchester Ranger]

You'll find a similar thread over in the NCL forum where people are saying they used to sail with Carnival but upgraded to NCL - each to their own :D.

 

What sold me on NCL was their Haven concept, or the "ship within a ship" design for people willing and able to spend more on upgraded suites. Haven is a zone of the ship reserved for designated suite passengers, it features its own hot tub and pool and its own restaurant with breakfast, lunch and dinner options all included. I see that some have taken offence to that notion, and prefer a "classless" ship. Well there is no such thing, and NCL simply takes that concept to its next logical level by providing a high class environment for those who can afford it.

 

Personally I think it's the only way to cruise, but then I loved my "el cheapo" cruise on Carnival Miracle as well. Just choose what fits you best and go with it.

[sparks1093]

You'll find a similar thread over in the NCL forum where people are saying they used to sail with Carnival but upgraded to NCL - each to their own :D.

 

 

Same OP;).

[ch27088]

I had actually booked a cruise on the Norwegian Jewel and after reading so many reviews that were not good, I decided to switch back to Carnival and I'm so glad I did. A friend of mine went on that Norwegian cruise last December and said it was the worse cruise she had ever been on. It was boring, not a lot going on after 9:00 PM, plus she mentioned that the people were very "stuffy". So glad I changed my cruise back to Carnival. I know Carnival isn't perfect, but at least it will be a friendly bunch!

[sonicbuffalo]

I had actually booked a cruise on the Norwegian Jewel and after reading so many reviews that were not good, I decided to switch back to Carnival and I'm so glad I did. A friend of mine went on that Norwegian cruise last December and said it was the worse cruise she had ever been on. It was boring, not a lot going on after 9:00 PM, plus she mentioned that the people were very "stuffy". So glad I changed my cruise back to Carnival. I know Carnival isn't perfect, but at least it will be a friendly bunch!

 

We took an 11 day cruise last year on the NCL Sun (one of their oldest ships), and we had the best time we've ever had on a cruise. We met 3 other couples who were eating dinner with us in the MDR and we ended up doing everything with them including excursions. We still stay in touch via e-mail and phones, and they remain our friends. We really had a blast. NCL also offered FREE Rum Punches to everyone as they embarked in St. Thomas. I've never heard of Carnival doing that. We've also enjoyed our 4 Carnival cruises, but never had as much fun as we did on the Sun. We would sail Carnival and NCL again in the future, but this year we're opting for the ship as a destination (The Allure of The Seas) instead of an itinerary as we usually do. We're comparing the different lines. And the people on the Sun were NOT "stuffy". That's bs.

[JinxyB]

I have only been on 2 NCL ships-Epic and Pearl, but have been on 13 Carnival cruises, and yes they are both "fun!" NCL has a much better buffet and has either the Blue Lagoon or O'Sheehan's which is a 24 hour sit-down restaurant with good food/drink. I thought NCL MDR food was awful on both cruises-I think its a plot to get you to go to the upcharge restaurants (the ones I have tried are fantastic and worth the $$). Carnival has much better MDR food.

 

Entertainment on both the Pearl and Epic blows Carnival out of the water-there is no comparison in my opinion (especially on Epic). There is an Ice Bar on Epic! Both lines have many opportunities to try and separate you from your money! Service was top notch on NCL and the crew seem happier to me. Love the washy-washy people! NCL has really good White Hot deck parties and also we experienced a party on the pier in Cozumel while returning to the ship. It seemed like there was more "interesting" and rude/pushy clientele on Carnival than on NCL. Carnival cabins are bigger, so they have the advantage there (hated the cabin layout on Epic).

 

While I have enjoyed all my Carnival cruises and will continue to sail with them, they are no longer my first choice and I am willing to pay a little more money for a better vacation experience. I think it is good to broaden your horizons and experience new things! Have fun!

[azlefty]

We took one NCL cruise, the Star, and liked it in many ways, but the main problem we had with it is that everything rolls up around 11 pm whereas Carnival has entertainment much later. We went to get our daughter (3 years old at the time) at the kids club at 11 and every night she was the last kid to be picked up. We thought it seemed wierd considering people were on vacation.

 

I thought the main dining room was fine and perfectly edible, I would say slightly better than Carnival's, but when you are cooking for 2000 people there is an upper limit on quality no matter where you are. One night we paid to go to the French restaurant and it was really fantastic, well worth it for what we paid, I think an extra $15 per person. I suggest budgeting some money for the upselling restaurants. If you have kids you could send them to camp and dinner for 2 won't break the bank.

 

Carnival's kids club seemed a lot more sophisticated and had better programming and facilities.

 

The shows are a little more interesting on NCL. I'm a big fan of sketch and improv comedy so I went to every Second City show offered and they were great. They also had a lot of the performers do teaching workshops in the afternoons which we enjoyed.

 

I'm not excited about the Fun Ship 2.0 cost cutting measures such as firing the showband so we may see more NCL cruises in our future. If we could just get folks to stay up later, then we would really have something.

[graphicguy]

Doug....no knock at all on Carnival. We had a blast at the "Piano Bar" well into the wee hours when we sailed the Breeze.

 

But, the venues on the NCL cruises I've taken (their recent newer ships) offered a lot of entertainment....late. I know we stayed at their "White Hot Party" way past the time we usually call it a night (early day?:D). Howl at the Moon and the Blues Bar were are usual late night hangouts on NCL.

 

If you can't find something to do late night on NCL, you just aren't looking.

Edited March 19, 2014 by graphicguy

[halos]

We prefer NCL for numerous reasons and none of them matter because the only way you will know if you like any other line is to try it for yourself. We are platinum on CCL and stopped cruising with them because we actually find the fun factor better with Norwegian.

[mmb3124]

For us, it all comes down to something sort of intangible. The general "vibe" / feel of a cruise.

 

While we're relatively new (in comparison to many posters here) to cruising, we've done 5 in the last 3 years. Trying to catch up :-). Our first few were Carnival, and we loved all of them. Still, felt like we should at least test drive a couple of other lines....right?

 

With that in mind, we sailed the Norwegian Gem last June, then RCI's Freedom of the Seas in Dec.. Completely enjoyed both, but we're now even more sold on Carnival.

 

From an NCL standpoint, it was....fine. Entertainment, in fact, was fantastic & kicked Carnival's tail. But, the overall feel / vibe/ atmosphere.....WHATEVER you want to call it, just didn't suit us.

 

Of course, this is completely subjective. That's why I take every review with a grain of salt. Don't regret trying other lines & if the prices ever fall right, won't hesitate to sail RCI again. But Carnival just seems to "fit", for us.

[soccersharon]

For us, it all comes down to something sort of intangible. The general "vibe" / feel of a cruise.

 

While we're relatively new (in comparison to many posters here) to cruising, we've done 5 in the last 3 years. Trying to catch up :-). Our first few were Carnival, and we loved all of them. Still, felt like we should at least test drive a couple of other lines....right?

 

With that in mind, we sailed the Norwegian Gem last June, then RCI's Freedom of the Seas in Dec.. Completely enjoyed both, but we're now even more sold on Carnival.

 

From an NCL standpoint, it was....fine. Entertainment, in fact, was fantastic & kicked Carnival's tail. But, the overall feel / vibe/ atmosphere.....WHATEVER you want to call it, just didn't suit us.

 

Of course, this is completely subjective. That's why I take every review with a grain of salt. Don't regret trying other lines & if the prices ever fall right, won't hesitate to sail RCI again. But Carnival just seems to "fit", for us.

 

Exactly how we felt too.

 

Sent from my mobile device. Typos are inevitable.

[Kingisacruiser]

I've only been on 1 NCL cruise, so for what it is worth I don't think NCL is fun. There was absolutely nothing going on after 9 pm. One night, after the family white hot party, I couldn't find the advertised adult white hot party. And when I got there it was DEAD.

 

There was never a problem picking our kids up at 10 pm and going to the cabin because there was nothing to do. My husband lives the casino, but that atmosphere was dead too.

 

In NCLs defense the food was really good. In terms of food I give the edge to NCL. And I liked the place you get hot fresh food 24 hours. So I went there to eat for fun some nights.

 

This is not to say that I wouldn't try NCL again because I definitely would if the itinerary and the ship were right.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Kingisacruiser