Help: Ships being considered for April 2019 cruise - Carnival Ships or Holland NS?

[aimcat]

Ok so my husband and I have narrowed down to a few options to planning a April 2019 cruise. Our options are as follows and want opinions on what you guys think:

Carnival Magic - Balcony (all that was available)

Carnival Sunshine - Balcony or Splurge for Suite

Carnival Breeze - Balcony or Splurge for suite 

Carnival Horizon - at the VERY top of our budget - Havana rooms - is it worth $1500-2000 more than the rest?

OR

Holland's new ship - Nieuw Statendam - Veranda Balcony room - ship looks beautiful but not sure about his line. Surprisingly this cruise is as cheap as the older Carnival ships. 

 

 

All of these itineraries have some southern Caribbean ports we have never been to! 

 

THOUGHTS!? 

[Roz]

23 minutes ago, aimcat said:

Ok so my husband and I have narrowed down to a few options to planning a April 2019 cruise. Our options are as follows and want opinions on what you guys think:

Carnival Magic - Balcony (all that was available)

Carnival Sunshine - Balcony or Splurge for Suite

Carnival Breeze - Balcony or Splurge for suite 

Carnival Horizon - at the VERY top of our budget - Havana rooms - is it worth $1500-2000 more than the rest?

OR

Holland's new ship - Nieuw Statendam - Veranda Balcony room - ship looks beautiful but not sure about his line. Surprisingly this cruise is as cheap as the older Carnival ships. 

 

 

All of these itineraries have some southern Caribbean ports we have never been to! 

 

THOUGHTS!? 

I sail both lines, but they are 2 completely different types of ships, as well as different cruise experiences.  Since you're not sailing with children, I would lean towards the NS because it's a new ship and the price is right.  How old are you?  HAL skews toward an older demographic, but depending on what looking for, it could fit the bill.

 

I'm sure others will come along with different opinions.

 

Roz

[aimcat]

We are 35 and 36. No kids. Young minded couple. We like to drink and have a good time but nothing crazy. We like to relax and mainly keep to ourselves. We like shows and comedy but I dont think we will get that on NS. 

[Roz]

Just curious, why do you think HAL doesn't have shows?  There's some type of show each night in the main show lounge, including comedy acts.  There are also a couple of music venues.  

 

Roz

[Djptcp]

We also sail both lines, but mostly Carnival because I receive great discounted bounce back offers from the casino and we live just 45 minutes from the Port of Tampa. Two very different lines and I prefer HAL because of the elegance of the ships, the service and food are superb, and we always stay in a Neptune Suite with many perks that Carnival suites do not have. While I spend most of my time in the HAL casinos and do not attend shows, DH does attend the shows and there are a number of music venues around the ships. We have found all ages on the HAL ships. Having said this, I also like Carnival as the ships are usually in good shape and the crew is always friendly and helpful. Again, I'm always in the casino, but DH said the shows and comedians on the Carnival ships are pretty good. He finds more to do in the evenings on the Carnival ships than HAL, although he also spends times in the casinos. We find the shorted Carnival cruises to have more party animals, which we are not, but the longer cruises are a bit more sedate. It's a crap shoot for you to decide, but whatever you do have a great time!

[Roz]

To the OP, Djptcp has given you some good insights into the 2 lines. 

 

Roz

[aimcat]

Is HAL king of like Celebrity where every evening is very dressy and most venues are dressy or would we be ok in business casual for dinner for HAL like we usually are for Carnival? 

[Roz]

13 minutes ago, aimcat said:

Is HAL king of like Celebrity where every evening is very dressy and most venues are dressy or would we be ok in business casual for dinner for HAL like we usually are for Carnival? 

On a 7-night cruise, 5 will be casual and 2 are gala nights.  Fewer and fewer people are dressing to the nines.  I usually wear black pants or a black skirt on gala nights, along with a dressy top and some of my fancier jewelry.  You will be fine.

 

Roz

[tallnthensome]

Sailed Holland twice and if I had no kids I'd sail Holland. Classier line, more relaxing, a bit quieter, better service and way way better food. It will be an older demographic but if hairy back contests and belly flop contests are more your thing than you may like carnival better. 

[AIO Cruiser]

I have been on Hal and I am 48, you will never catch me on that cruise line again.  Everything shut down at midnight and the comedians were not funny at all they have to be very careful what they say on that cruise line.  My 75 year old father   won't even go on a Hal ship ever again because he says he wants to have some life around him.

[Tapi]

The big difference that I found sailing on HAL was the attention to detail, something that may go unnoticed by many cruisers. We took a family cruise to Alaska on them and it was my well-traveled mother the one who pointed out the white gloved service, high quality linens, room service delivered in fine china, fresh flowers throughout including in-stateroom, quality of dinnerware, well trained staff with an attention to proper etiquette, the multi-million dollar art collection throughout the ship, laundry delivered in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue and gold foil, throw blankets for balcony use, blissful lack of announcements over the loudspeakers, etc. These are things that may be completely unimportant to many cruisers, but they are all indications of the overall superior quality that HAL delivers and which attract a more discerning clientele. 

 

Overall, the atmosphere tends to be more upscale, but not overly stuffy. On formal nights, fellow cruisers tend to dress up accordingly and stay in their formal wear for the duration of the night. There’s main theater entertainment, comedians, night club, bars, etc, but they do tend to become deserted earlier than on Carnival. Contrary to Carnival where these activities and venues are complemented by hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, etc, on HAL you’ll find culinary demonstrations, lectures, and overall more cerebral entertainment. One of the most popular hang outs was the Crow’s Nest which was the forward facing lounge and which was shared with a well stocked library / cafe which passengers actually used. 

 

Im in my 40’s and although I enjoy the more fun, casual and unpretentious atmosphere found on Carnival, I would jump at the opportunity to sail on HAL’s newest ship, specially if prices are comparable and if I’m sailing without kids. It’s truly a blissful experience and one that I’d find more desirable for a special cruise for just my wife and I. But I can see how it would not be many cruiser’s cup of tea, specially for those seeking high energy entertainment late into the night. 

[Tapi]

4 minutes ago, Tapi said:

The big difference that I found sailing on HAL was the attention to detail, something that may go unnoticed by many cruisers. We took a family cruise to Alaska on them and it was my well-traveled mother the one who pointed out the white gloved service, high quality linens, room service delivered in fine china, fresh flowers throughout including in-stateroom, quality of dinnerware, well trained staff with an attention to proper etiquette, the multi-million dollar art collection throughout the ship, laundry delivered in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue and gold foil, throw blankets for balcony use, blissful lack of announcements over the loudspeakers, etc. These are things that may be completely unimportant to many cruisers, but they are all indications of the overall superior quality that HAL delivers and which attract a more discerning clientele. 

 

Overall, the atmosphere tends to be more upscale, but not overly stuffy. On formal nights, fellow cruisers tend to dress up accordingly and stay in their formal wear for the duration of the night. There’s main theater entertainment, comedians, night club, bars, etc, but they do tend to become deserted earlier than on Carnival. Contrary to Carnival where these activities and venues are complemented by hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, etc, on HAL you’ll find culinary demonstrations, lectures, and overall more cerebral entertainment. One of the most popular hang outs was the Crow’s Nest which was the forward facing lounge and which was shared with a well stocked library / cafe which passengers actually used. Age wise, fellow cruisers were about the same as we’ve found on Carnival, but it’s defintely a more sedate crowd. You’ll be hard pressed to find hardcore partiers on HAL. 

 

Im in my 40’s and although I enjoy the more fun, casual and unpretentious atmosphere found on Carnival, I would jump at the opportunity to sail on HAL’s newest ship, specially if prices are comparable and if I’m sailing without kids. It’s truly a blissful experience and one that I’d find more desirable for a special cruise for just my wife and I. But I can see how it would not be many cruiser’s cup of tea, specially for those seeking high energy entertainment late into the night. 

 

[GradUT]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

The big difference that I found sailing on HAL was the attention to detail, something that may go unnoticed by many cruisers. We took a family cruise to Alaska on them and it was my well-traveled mother the one who pointed out the white gloved service, high quality linens, room service delivered in fine china, fresh flowers throughout including in-stateroom, quality of dinnerware, well trained staff with an attention to proper etiquette, the multi-million dollar art collection throughout the ship, laundry delivered in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue and gold foil, throw blankets for balcony use, blissful lack of announcements over the loudspeakers, etc. These are things that may be completely unimportant to many cruisers, but they are all indications of the overall superior quality that HAL delivers and which attract a more discerning clientele. 

 

Overall, the atmosphere tends to be more upscale, but not overly stuffy. On formal nights, fellow cruisers tend to dress up accordingly and stay in their formal wear for the duration of the night. There’s main theater entertainment, comedians, night club, bars, etc, but they do tend to become deserted earlier than on Carnival. Contrary to Carnival where these activities and venues are complemented by hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, etc, on HAL you’ll find culinary demonstrations, lectures, and overall more cerebral entertainment. One of the most popular hang outs was the Crow’s Nest which was the forward facing lounge and which was shared with a well stocked library / cafe which passengers actually used. 

 

Im in my 40’s and although I enjoy the more fun, casual and unpretentious atmosphere found on Carnival, I would jump at the opportunity to sail on HAL’s newest ship, specially if prices are comparable and if I’m sailing without kids. It’s truly a blissful experience and one that I’d find more desirable for a special cruise for just my wife and I. But I can see how it would not be many cruiser’s cup of tea, specially for those seeking high energy entertainment late into the night. 

Well said. 

 

Plus, HAL has the best music venues around.  Look for the B.B. King Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Lincoln Center Stage.  Also HAL has the best piano bars I've ever encountered on a cruise ship.    

[kcdancerkc]

We went on HAL ten years ago.  We were in our 40s then, we had a blast!

 

in the mixology class, we made some friends , did a pub crawl

and were invited to thier HMC party with hot tub and private bar.   This isn’t of course the norm, but each cruise is like a box of chocolates!

 

try something new to you!

[NCTribeFan]

I was on Koningsdam a year ago in November (sister to NS) and loved the ship.  HAL loyalists seem to think it's too large and too modern.  I thought she was beautiful and not so large as the newer ships on many lines.  Food isn't as great as it was when I first sailed HAL about 6 years ago, but you can probably say that about all mainstream cruiselines.  I don't "do" piano bars, but totally agree about BBKings and Lincoln Center.   Looking forward to sailing HAL and checking out the Rolling Stone venues. Shows were also very good.

 

I'd definitely go with HAL if the price is right.  I often get better discounts on HAL than Carnival and as a solo, that helps.

 

I suppose I now qualify as an Old Fogey, but the Caribbean HAL sailings seem to have a younger demographic than their other sailings.  I really wish they didn't leave the Caribbean by mid-April.  As a CPA, I can't take Spring cruises until after 4/15 and HAL pulls almost all their ships out by then so I can only look at them for Fall sailings.

 

Another plus is that virtually all HAL Caribbean sailings call at Half Moon Cay, which is the most fabulous beach day!

[aimcat]

I wanted to toss this ship in the mix also - what about MSC Seaside stacked up against these? 

[NCTribeFan]

Or MSC Divina.  Sailed her in December (first on MSC) and really enjoyed it.  I liked the European flair and the fact that so many other passengers were not Americans.  But you have to be prepared to share a large space with people who may have different views about waiting in line or elevator etiquette! 

[tallnthensome]

On 1/9/2019 at 2:21 PM, aimcat said:

I wanted to toss this ship in the mix also - what about MSC Seaside stacked up against these? 

The Seaside is fantastic. Our family of four sailed her this past April. We had just as much fun on her as we did the Vista the year prior. The Seaside is a beauty. They have great pools. We enjoyed the food in the  MDR and buffet. Service was excellent. OUr kids loved the bowling, zipline, and 5D theatre. 

[aimcat]

On 1/8/2019 at 11:22 PM, Tapi said:

 

If you could do MSC seaside yacht club interior suite vs a carnival horizon Havana aft balcony room or Havana cabana what would you choose? 

[Tapi]

10 hours ago, aimcat said:

If you could do MSC seaside yacht club interior suite vs a carnival horizon Havana aft balcony room or Havana cabana what would you choose? 

I've never experienced the Yacht Club, but it consistently gets rave reviews, and if you're someone who appreciates a more luxurious experience, the YC may be a great option. I'd be a bit skeptical about booking an inside cabin, even if it s in the YC but that's because I hate insides in general. We did sail on MSC 2 months ago (aboard the MSC Meraviglia in the Mediterranean) and we booked an Aurea Duplex Suite (a suite but without the YC privileges) and it was still a wonderful experience. Although we didn't have access to the YC area, our suite still came with a pretty decent list of perks, including access to the Aurea Thermal Suite, complimentary massages, a reserved area in the MDR with open seating, priority embarkation, Aurea room service menu, access to a private solarium deck, and we had our own jacuzzi tub in our balcony. Since we were traveling with small children, it made more sense to me to book a larger Aurea suite instead of a smaller YC stateroom. But  had the cruise been only for my wife and I, I probably would've chosen a stateroom in the YC (although not an inside). Overall, we had a fantastic cruise on MSC and wouldn't hesitate to sail on them again. 

Edited January 11, 2019 by Tapi

[sailawaybellaluna]

I was in a similar dilemma recently...

 

We've sailed Carnival a ton, but decided to sail HAL's Rotterdam in April for our Spring Break with our young kids (review in sig in case you're interested).

 

To make a long story really short: We've already booked the Nieuw Statendam for our family's Spring Break this year, we loved HAL that much!

 

Now, we usually book balcony cabins, keep to ourselves, don't go to shows, and we don't use the kids clubs. So there's that. 

 

HAL was just so elegant. As soon as we got on board and went to the dining room for lunch, I couldn't help buy notice: proper silver, German porcelain, silver vases and fresh flowers, nice linens, etc etc. Now these aren't things that would ruin a cruise for me by any means, but it all felt very elegant and I loved it! The ports were also really unique on that sailing, so we jumped at it.

 

Then I booked the NS as soon as we returned home, so about 8 months ago. It was a bargain, and we got a veranda stateroom. The ports are ones we've all been to before, but we were excited to be on a brand new ship.

 

I'm also looking forward to the Lincoln Center performance area. They had a great violinist/pianist on board the Rotterdam, and my kids went daily (sometimes twice a day) to listen!

 

HAL also has an amazing room service menu!

 

Overall, it's an older crowd. Many of the music venues were completely empty at night. The shows we popped into were kind of cheesy, and there really wasn't much night life at all. For us it's not a big deal because our kids usually go to bed around 8 - 8:30pm on a cruise, and my husband and I swap reading in the cabin or going to the casino. BUT, if you really enjoy an active nightlife on board, perhaps Carnival is better. 

[Roz]

The NA has some great music venues, so I think you'll find that more people stick around later.  Check out BB King's and Lincoln Center Stage. 

 

Roz