Carnival Vista concerns and Canival vs. NCL

[mahdisbeih]

Hello there,

 

I am planning to book Carnival vista, Athena - Barcelona on July 2016. This will be my third cruise, first two were on NCL Jewel and Epic.

 

This time it will be family cruise with lots of kids between ages of 3-17 and young adults 18-21, along with parents in late 70s.

 

I liked the Epic, but I have a feeling that service on NCL is one level up from Carnival, I hope I am wrong because I don't want a downgrade in service level. I appreciate a feedback from cruisers who tried both lines.

 

I checked some videos online for Carnival Breeze and Magic, ships look very crowded especially in the Lido buffet, is that the case for Carnival?

 

About the Havana Cabana pool, it is not clear to me but it seems it is private for Havana cabins until 5pm, is that correct? if yes, does this mean that after 5pm pool will still be open and for all people? And if one group of our family is booked in Havana cabin, can all members of the group access the Havana pool from this cabin or the crew will prevent this? I am worried about the public pools to be extra full and thinking that if booking one Havana cabin, that will give the whole group access to this less crowded Havana pool.

 

I would really appreciate if someone tried both Epic and latest Carnival ship and give me his/her opinion about both

 

-Mahdi

[BaseballMomof4]

I sailed the Epic in May of 2013 and have had several Carnival sailings. Here is my opinion.

 

Cabins - points go to Carnival. The cabins are roomier and more comfortable.

 

MDR - points go to Carnival. There are more appealing choices in the MDR on Carnival. While we found the "pay extra" restaurants on the Epic to be wonderful, the MDR was lacking for us in a big way.

 

Entertainment - again points to Carnival but this is a more personal preference. We are not Cirque or Blue Man Group fans. In addition, I do not want to have to make a reservation for entertainment when I am on vacation. Carnival has 2 comedy shows every night, the piano bar is fun for the adults, the Vista will have not only the movies under the stars but also the IMAX theater in addition to all of the regular activity venues.

 

I will say that we had difficult weather in May of 2013 which probably impacted some of the entertainment, but my family and I were unimpressed by the offerings on the Epic.

 

You will find plenty of options for your family. The younger (under 18's) will have activities and clubs geared to their particular age group, but be advised they won't be able to mingle across ages, if a group is for 10-12 year old kids a 13 year old will not be able to join in. There are plenty of dance clubs, movies and shows for the 18 and older and the 70's will probably really enjoy the piano bar and other similar venues.

 

We sailed NCL once and I and my sons (who in 2013 were 22, 18 and 15) all wanted to go straight back to CCL.

 

I did a comprehensive review of that sailing if you want to read more. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1857483 I hope that helps.

Edited November 5, 2015 by BaseballMomof4

[Sam_Eagle]

About the Havana Cabana pool, it is not clear to me but it seems it is private for Havana cabins until 5pm, is that correct? if yes, does this mean that after 5pm pool will still be open and for all people? And if one group of our family is booked in Havana cabin, can all members of the group access the Havana pool from this cabin or the crew will prevent this? I am worried about the public pools to be extra full and thinking that if booking one Havana cabin, that will give the whole group access to this less crowded Havana pool.

Yes, the Havana pool area is restricted to only those in Havana cabins until 5pm. After 5pm, it's open to the whole ship. Also, you mentioned sailing with kids as young as 3...younger kids (under 12) are not allowed in the Havana cabins, and therefore, will not be allowed in the Havana pool during the day. You have a good question about booking 1 cabin in the Havana area and using them to get the others in during the day. I have no idea how Carnival will enforce this, but I don't think this would be allowed, especially with kids, due to the age restriction.

 

I have not sailed NCL, but I have sailed on the Breeze with my kids. They had a fabulous time and are very much looking forward to our Vista cruise. The only line I ever found too long was for the Mongolian Wok, and for good reason...it is delicious. The only other time I found it overcrowded was at the adult comedy show. Otherwise, I found the ship large enough to keep the number of passengers spread out enough to not be a problem.

[mahdisbeih]

Thank you guys for the quick replies, it is really helpful.

 

I have two questions about Service and fine dining:

 

How is the service from the staff? For example when reading online it seems celebrity cruises are on the top but never been on celebrity, only on NCL and I found service on NCL to be excellent but no wow. How about Carnival?

 

Find dining, on NCL as you mentioned I didn't dine in the MDR more than once, the food has no taste and all what I can say is that the buffet is much better than MDR. How about the 555 streak house on Carnival, is it going to be fine dining?

 

 

 

Thanks,

[heatherbelle]

To be honest I do not consider Carnival to be fine dining. I haven't sailed on Celebrity, so cannot compare the too.

 

I have sailed on DCL which is very expensive. The food quality when comparing steak to s teak, lamb to lamb etc is the same. Although Disney has a better selection in the Buffett and also fancier things on the main menu. We like plain food so CCL suits us better.

 

If you want fine dining I would try one of the more up market more expensive lines. The Italian restaurant and the Mongolian wok are very nice and we usually have lunch from there.

 

The food on Carnival is fine, the service is excellent although at times very slow. Sometimes the food is cool by the time you get to eat it it. But now I let them know in the dining room now that I like my food hot and after that it has never been an issue.

 

Food can be a very subjective subject what is good for one person can be bad for another. There is nothing wrong with it and this will be my third Carnival cruise and I do like my food. You get what you pay for.

 

We never pay extra for food we just eat in the MDR.

Edited November 8, 2015 by heatherbelle

[b_cruise]

I recently returned from NCL spirit and have sailed on RCL and carnival a few times. I actually thought carnivals service exceeded NCL in almost every area. In fact, I thought the food was better, entertainment was better and staff were more pleasant. That being said, they all were excellent.

 

It was funny because a lot of people on NCL thought carnival was below NCL but I think it is above. You will notice very little difference I'm sure.

[mahdisbeih]

I recently returned from NCL spirit and have sailed on RCL and carnival a few times. I actually thought carnivals service exceeded NCL in almost every area. In fact, I thought the food was better, entertainment was better and staff were more pleasant. That being said, they all were excellent.

 

It was funny because a lot of people on NCL thought carnival was below NCL but I think it is above. You will notice very little difference I'm sure.

 

 

Thank you very much, for some reason I have this feeling that NCL is above Carnival, but now it seems to me from all replies that if it is not the same it is even better.

 

Thanks.

[southerngirl8]

Hello there,

 

I am planning to book Carnival vista, Athena - Barcelona on July 2016. This will be my third cruise, first two were on NCL Jewel and Epic.

 

This time it will be family cruise with lots of kids between ages of 3-17 and young adults 18-21, along with parents in late 70s.

 

I liked the Epic, but I have a feeling that service on NCL is one level up from Carnival, I hope I am wrong because I don't want a downgrade in service level. I appreciate a feedback from cruisers who tried both lines.

 

I checked some videos online for Carnival Breeze and Magic, ships look very crowded especially in the Lido buffet, is that the case for Carnival?

 

About the Havana Cabana pool, it is not clear to me but it seems it is private for Havana cabins until 5pm, is that correct? if yes, does this mean that after 5pm pool will still be open and for all people? And if one group of our family is booked in Havana cabin, can all members of the group access the Havana pool from this cabin or the crew will prevent this? I am worried about the public pools to be extra full and thinking that if booking one Havana cabin, that will give the whole group access to this less crowded Havana pool.

 

I would really appreciate if someone tried both Epic and latest Carnival ship and give me his/her opinion about both

 

-Mahdi

I am going on my first Carnival cruise in May on the Vista. My only other cruise was on the Epic, I did a Med. Cruise in May 2013. One reason why I personally loved NCL and the Epic in particular, was the solo cabins. I am 50 and single. I don't want to have to find a friend or pay double occupancy. I really loved the "Freestyle" cruising. You can dine anytime you want, where ever you want. After being in port all day long, I don't want to have to rush back to the ship, just to go and eat. On the Vista I chose the "dine anytime option". I am bringing my 2 nephews ( 20 and 22 at sailing) since there are no Solo cabins.

 

On the Epic, I did dine solo and never felt "alone" or was a bother to the wait staff.

 

I also think you have to be open minded, as each Company does things a bit different. You would not expect a Marriott hotel to be exactly like a Hilton. Or a resort in Mexico to be exactly like a resort in Jamaica run by a different company. Know there will be differences and if something stands out as a huge inconvenience to you, and that is a deal breaker, than pick the cruise line you personally prefer. After all, everyone has their own opinion and will like one cruise line for a specific reason. If I ever do another cruise where I am not taking my nephews or niece, I will be on a NCL ship in a Solo Cabin.

 

I think all cruise lines nowadays have to be fairly equal - with so much social media, internet and websites such as CC, if one company was THAT much sub-standard than the others, that company would quickly sink like the Titanic.

[MATHA531]

Carnival is far better. They serve real coca cola products; not the undrinkable pepsi products NCL imposes on its clients.

[kpowaza]

We sailed once on NCL Gem and 3 times on Carnival. We will be on the Vista out of NY. In my opinion Carnival service is a lot better than NCL. As well as the food. After our NCL cruise my Mom said she will never cruise NCL again.

[Summerl30]

We are going back and forth. We have never cruised either line. Only Royal twice, Disney once and HAL once. Our favourite has been Royal.

 

We will be going with the kids and they both have a fun looking top deck and good kids programs. We are doing europe so I am assuming there will be not as much time to enjoy these though.

 

Pros for 10 day CCL: -Longer cruise, more of Greece (kids want to see Greece more), finishes in Athens (we will be going to Athens after so no need to fly there)

 

Pros for 7 day NCL: -more time travelling around Europe, can start in Rome, so more time in Rome, cheaper and smaller rooms so we will need to book 2 balcony rooms because the inside rooms are way too small)

[Rosethorn40]

Carnival is far better. They serve real coca cola products; not the undrinkable pepsi products NCL imposes on its clients.

 

I see we have the same the same thought pattern :)

 

I recently had surgery, and the first thing I asked for upon waking was for a Coke! I got ice chips, nurses are so bossy!

[Denisomo]

We sailed on the Epic in Europe and said never again. The rooms are small and to have the bathroom sink in the room is weird, it was a balcony room . The food was not as good as Carnival and the ship was set up strangely. The only good thing, we saw the Blue Man Group.

[emarismom]

I have sailed NCL twice (Epic/Pearl), RCL twice (Allure/Liberty, Princess once and MSC once, and Carnival 10 times. I enjoy Carnival the most. You definitely get more bang for your buck. The service has always been great. The food is very good. I greatly prefer the newer ships (Breeze/Dream) to the older ships. I am sure that Vista will be amazing!!

 

Epic happens to be my least favorite of all of my cruises. It was the most crowded, I did not like the size nor the layout of the cabins, and the food wasn't the best. The cabins on Carnival are much bigger. I always travel with my kids who are now teens and they prefer Carnival and MSC to the other lines.

[Jahquis27]

I have sailed Carnival twice and the Norwegian Gem my last cruise. For me it goes to Carnival hands down. I actually was able to sleep at night on my cruises with Carnival. I stayed in a mini suite on Norwegian and heard my neighbors the whole cruise. I felt the room was bigger on Carnival. The food was bland and desserts were horrible on Norweigan.I felt overall Carnival had more activities to entertain me the duration of the cruise. I am so excited to return to Carnival. My next cruise will be 5/17 on the lovely Vista. I will never do Norwegian again. I was more exhausted after my last cruise than when I first started because of the lack of sleep from the fighting of my neighbors and how guest services handle the entire situation.

[Jahquis27]

To each their own. Have you sailed Carnival or any other line? From your past sailings it appears that you have only sailed Norwegian. My opinion is just like others here. Carnival is the better cruise experience. I love having many options for activities. I can not say the same for Norwegian. I had high hopes and was very disappointed. I can't compare to anything else because I have not had the oppurtunity to experience it otherwise.

[1tarheel78]

Carnival all cruises were prior to 2002, im trying Vista to be open minded and give another try. My sailings listed are listed as i have joined cc.... i believe RCCL to be the best of the 3 yet find the deals that NCL has had over the past 2 years to be what is right for me

[MATHA531]

I've always believed Carnival is a step above Norwegian; especially when it comes to food especially food in the mdr. Norwegian was the first to get rid of once night of the cruise lobster tails in the mdr first for the buffet and then gone, unless you pay a supplement in the mdr, gone forever from rhe included venjes. It always seemed to me that the game at Norwegian was to get as many people as possible into the optional supplemental pay restaurants. (Of course in the interests of full disclosure, I hate pepsi products and much prefer coke products and I am trying not to let that influence my preference). On my vista cruise this past June, formal night included lobster tails in the mdr and while I don't use it, Norwegian was the first to charge for room service except for continental breakfast while I think, although am not sure, that Carnival still doesn't charge for it. However I was very disappointed that they built vista without a proper large theatre.

 

It is interesting though. I have never cruised Royal Caribean and always considered them a step above Carnival and Norwegian and have been researching a cruise next early June before school ends and I have to deal with hordes of kids but have seen very mixed reviews of service on the Independence of the Seas cruise out of Southampton I am interested in and would say at least from what I have read, Royal Caribean has gone a long way downhill. But I can't vouch for that personally.

[Jahquis27]

Carnival all cruises were prior to 2002, im trying Vista to be open minded and give another try. My sailings listed are listed as i have joined cc.... i believe RCCL to be the best of the 3 yet find the deals that NCL has had over the past 2 years to be what is right for me

 

 

 

I am glad you are open minded and willing to give Carnival another try. I hope you have a great time on Vista! I am excited for my 4/30/17 cruise on Vista. I have heard RCCL is the best of the three. I have not experienced this yet but plan to in the future to make my own opinion.

[mooseman52b]

I liked the Epic, but I have a feeling that service on NCL is one level up from Carnival, I hope I am wrong because I don't want a downgrade in service level. I appreciate a feedback from cruisers who tried both lines.

 

I checked some videos online for Carnival Breeze and Magic, ships look very crowded especially in the Lido buffet, is that the case for Carnival?

 

We have cruised on the Epic in a balcony room, but have not yet cruised on any of CCL newer ships yet (will be on Vista in March 17). We found the Epic to be the most crowded/congested worst laid out ship we have ever been on. It did have some nice features, but we felt like a sardines in a can for most of the trip. The balcony room layout is horrible with the toilet and shower right by the front door with those goofy circular partitions :( We found the MDR service was slow and there was no personal interaction.

 

We cruised on the NCL Sky and had a much better experience which I would hope is more typical of a NCL cruise. With that said the service we received from NCL was normally professional and aloof.

 

We have cruised several of the older CCL ships. Overall I would say the service is better than NCL's (friendlier and faster).

Edited September 10, 2016 by mooseman52b

[gbearcruiser]

I am booked to sail on the Norwegian Escape next year, but have heard great things about the Vista. I am thinking of changing but it would be an itinerary that only includes one new port. I had such a great time on the Breeze, and it looks like the Vista would be a great cruise also.

 

Looking for feedback. Have not sailed on NCL's bigger ships, so it would be a brand new experience.

 

Norwegian Escape 7 Day Western Caribbean going to Roaton, Honduras, Harvest Caye, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We have not been to Harvest Caye and Costa Maya.

 

Carnival Vista, 8 Day Southern Caribbean going to Aruba, La Romana, Bonaire and Grand Turk. Includes an extra day but only one new port for us.

[tallnthensome]

I am booked to sail on the Norwegian Escape next year, but have heard great things about the Vista. I am thinking of changing but it would be an itinerary that only includes one new port. I had such a great time on the Breeze, and it looks like the Vista would be a great cruise also.

 

Looking for feedback. Have not sailed on NCL's bigger ships, so it would be a brand new experience.

 

Norwegian Escape 7 Day Western Caribbean going to Roaton, Honduras, Harvest Caye, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We have not been to Harvest Caye and Costa Maya.

 

Carnival Vista, 8 Day Southern Caribbean going to Aruba, La Romana, Bonaire and Grand Turk. Includes an extra day but only one new port for us.

I sailed the Escape in April and am booked on the Vista for next April. Don't cancel you NCL for the Vista. The Escape was amazing in every way and I don't think the Vista will match it, personally.

[gbearcruiser]

Thank you! You have to let us know what you think of your Vista cruise when you get back!

[BaseballMomof4]

We sailed the Vista and May and she was fabulous! I have not sailed the Escape, but I have sailed the Epic and will say the Vista was far better than the Epic IMO.

[rbird]

NCL Getaway was the best cruise we have taken with our teens yet. But I too am open to trying CCL again, especially the new Vista ship. The timing, itinerary and price was right for a Vista booking.

Each cruise line I've tried has been good for one reason or another.