First time on NCL but longtime cruiser on Carnival

[Gari]

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice 

 

Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

Edited March 29 by Gari
Misspelling

[bkrickles1]

32 minutes ago, Gari said:

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice 

 

Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

Don't do it. 

NCL is the worst cruise line and is even worse for solo travelers! 

Food stinks, service is atrocious and entertainment is non-existent! 

Carnival is way way way better than NCL! 

 

Darn! Just realized April Fools Day is still a few days away. 

 

Nevermind! 

[Joanne G.]

I am also a long-time Carnival cruiser, many with my sister in the Caribbean but 3 solo cruises in Europe.  A couple years ago I booked a solo NCL cruise for a specific itinerary in Europe, which is finally upcoming in a couple months. 😃  There was absolutely no solo deal or discount!  The cruise fare was much more per day than a comparable cabin on Carnival on a European itinerary. Thankfully a friend was able to join me and share the cruise fare.  

I would say just compare prices on the ships and cabins and itineraries you are interested in.  Consider the value to you of the “Free at Sea” items on NCL, which are not all exactly free.  For example, you pre-pay gratuities on the “free” drink and dining packages, which can be significant - but those packages are optional.  If you are inclined to take ship-sponsored excursions, NCL’s $50 credit per excursion has real value. 
 

Carnival doesn’t have anything comparable to the solo studio cabins and solo lounges as on some NCL ships.  Those cabins are interiors, which don’t interest me, so I have never priced them.  The solo ocean view and solo balcony cabins that NCL  now has made available on all their ships are, as I understand it, standard-sized cabins that they have priced for solos.  They may be in less desirable locations, or the ocean view may be a porthole rather than a window, but it is still nice that NCL recognizes that solos like a price break and options besides a studio interior.  
 

I have read that onboard, NCL is particularly attentive to solos, with gatherings and events making it easy to meet up with dining companions.  I would have checked out those activities had my friend not decided to join me.  
 

If you are interested in cruising in Europe, NCL has many more choices of ships and itineraries than Carnival, which has recently had only one (older) ship in Europe.   
 

Enjoy your retirement cruises!

 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I am Diamond on both CCL and NCL but find NCL a better fit for us.  Especially for interesting itineraries overseas.  

[sailingships]

36 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I am Diamond on both CCL and NCL but find NCL a better fit for us.  

So am I and I thought I really miss the unlimited laundry on CCL. However there ways to get around that problem. As a veteran, I get treated better on NCL than on CCL. Plus we get the vouchers for free dinners at the specialty restaurants etc. After nearly 40 cruises with CCL and many with NCL overall I've been treated better and had a more enjoyable experience with NCL, and spent much less for the cruise.  I still cruise with CCL if friends are going but about one a year. Last year we took 12 cruises only one of them with CCL. This year only one also.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, Gari said:

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice. Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

I think that you will be happy with NCL. 

 

"Value for Money" for us does not mean the "cheapest". It is truly value. For example, when we travel, we are not looking for the absolute cheapest motel to stay in that may change the sheets every second or third guest. We are willing to spend a little more for a better product. 

[IAcruising]

4 hours ago, Gari said:

I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar.

 

Consider our advice but apply it to your dollar. If you drink more than 2 drinks a day, NCL is for you. If you want a couple gratuities-only specialty meals, NCL is for you.

 

If you are a partier and want to be entertained every moment of every day and night, look at other options. Large, expensive production shows are on the wane with NCL. Others do better.

 

The solo lounge, and solo cabin options (and cost) can be incredible, but not always.

 

Research, research, research. It's your dollar, not ours.

 

Happy cruising!

 

(personal opinion: choose NCL)

 

 

 

 

Edited March 29 by IAcruising

[MoCruiseFan]

4 hours ago, Gari said:

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice 

 

Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

 

If you thought that CCL was good, you will absolutely love NCL.  NCL is far and away a better cruise experience than CCL.

[Distinctive-Destinations]

4 hours ago, Gari said:

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice 

 

Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

If you’re on the fence about it, just start off with a short duration cruise of like a week.
 

If I was going solo, I’d go NCL.

[zqvol]

4 hours ago, Gari said:

I'm thinking trying NCL as I've heard about the solo traveler deals and discounts. I just retired and wanting to get the best value for my dollar. Most of my previous cruise experiences have been on Carnival.  I'd love to get your thoughts and advice 

 

Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions

NCL and Carnival are pretty much the same product. 

[IAcruising]

2 minutes ago, zqvol said:

NCL and Carnival are pretty much the same product. 

 

Uh, no. They are not.

 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

12 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Uh, no. They are not.

 

While they are similar, I think NCL has a superior product for OUR tastes.  Better sit down dining options on NCL but there’s a lot to be said for Guy’s and other breakfast and lunch time options.  The buffet is pretty anemic on CCL vs NCL, and night time dining is very limited.  CCLs sea day brunch is quite nice,

 

As someone said, if you drink more than two mixed drinks per day, you are ahead of the game with FAS.  And NCL even gives you a bamboo straw, not that disgusting' sticky, taste altering candy straw foisted on you by CCL.

 

we get better casino offers from CCL than NCL, and have more luck.

 

The loyalty program on CCL pales in comparison to Not even close.  Their most worthwhile perk to us is the priority disembarking in an orderly fashion, usually from one of the MDRs. The Diamond brunch with free drinks and a photo is nice, but doesn’t compare overall to NCL.

 

now having said all that, it doesn’t stop us from driving to Galveston several times a year to hop on a casino offer special, but if I’m going to pay full price for a ship, it most likely will not be on Carnival.

[Pookie2u]

Give it a try, @Gari
I've cruised solo on Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal.  I've had fun on all three but not really interested in booking again on Royal.  It would really take a good itinerary, price, and possibly a companion as they don't have much in the way of solo fares. 
NCL and Carnival are both very good but my opinion is NCL is winning right now.   They do solo travel best with their room offerings, pricing, and programs.  The studio cabins and lounges are fun but I have yet to try the new categories.  A solo balcony sounds like something I must try!  I love Free at Sea, it give me the chance to try new things and not have to worry about blowing a budget or maximizing drink values. I get what I want when I want it.  I've had a ton of fun with the people who attend the solos meetups and the host staff can be delightful.  I feel like they are much more geared to my style of cruising and am excited about their ships and itineraries.
I can't say the same for Carnival.  You can still get good prices on rooms, but they are mostly interiors.  Other categories get quite costly with the solo supplement.  I'm stuck in between not being a heavy enough drinker and budgeting because I didn't prepay for drinks.  I've found myself thinking more about it and monitoring my account on board than I do with Free at Sea.  I've never seen a well attended solo meeting on Carnival, although I've found fun people on their ships, I've never met them at the solo meetups.  I don't see a whole lot of changes that make me excited about them, I really kind of miss the novelty of their old ships.  I loved the cheesy, gaudy themes.  I haven't really booked anything with them lately because the itineraries and experiences just haven't won my monies lately.
Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions.
And I'd love to hear your thoughts after giving NCL a try.  Happy cruising!

Edited March 30 by Pookie2u

[graphicguy]

Haven't done as many as my friend @MagnoliaBlossom, she offers good advice.  And, our tastes are similar.

 

I personally have done both lines often, too.

 

It's really a preference thing.  I'm not a teen, or 20-ish, or 30-ish....oh heck, who am I kidding, I'm probably 2x the age of Carnival's target audience.  You'll find "more mature" guests on Carnival, but it's really gauged more towards the pool and party young(er) set.

 

NCL will offer more in the way of a resort feel.  Depending on ship, you'll either get some truly Broadway type shows for entertainment.  Their pools are small and don't lend themselves to just hanging out.  Although, the ships with the "Waterfront" are really quite nice places to just hang with a drink and a book.  The White Hot party is good, though.

 

Let's just say I have to be "in the mood" to do a Carnival cruise.  I'm ALWAYS in the mood for an NCL cruise.

 

I know some who will chastise me for these comparisons.  But, my opinion.  You get what you paid me to provide.

[Joanne G.]

1 hour ago, Pookie2u said:

Give it a try, @Gari
  . . .I can't say the same for Carnival.  You can still get good prices on rooms, but they are mostly interiors.  Other categories get quite costly with the solo supplement.  . . . .

The OP hasn't come back to let us know what itineraries he or she is looking at.  My experience is the opposite of the above.   I spent a lot less per day solo in an aft-facing balcony on Carnival in northern Europe last summer than I would have spent as a solo in a standard balcony on my upcoming NCL northern Europe cruise, had my friend not decided to join me.

 

Early last year, I put a deposit on a 2025 NCL itinerary circling Ireland.  The cost was so high (and on an older ship, the Dawn) that I booked an ocean view rather than a balcony for the first time in years.  When NCL announced their new solo pricing for all categories, the balconies were still much higher than I had paid on Carnival.  I switched to one of their solo ocean view cabins to save some money.  I went down a deck and accepted a porthole rather than a window.  The per day cost for that cabin is almost the same as a Celebrity Mediterranean cruise that I will be doing later this summer in a balcony cabin.  

 

Granted, cruise pricing is extremely variable by ship, time of year, and itinerary. I am only reporting my experience, and I find per day comparisons of cruise fares to be useful. The OP needs to compare the particular cruises that interest him or her.  

 

The OP should compare cabin and balcony sizes, also, if that is important.  My standard balcony cabin on an upcoming Carnival Caribbean cruise on the Magic is bigger than a comparable cabin on the Getaway. 

 

If I had to come up with reasons that Carnival has been a better value to me, one factor might be that the ships have less of the amusement park features of the newer NCL (and Royal Caribbean) ships.  That doesn't matter to me.   Also, the onboard entertainment doesn't have the variety and quality of what I remember on NCL years ago.  A lot of the "FUN" that Carnival promotes is activities that feature passenger involvement - pool and deck games, trivia, dance lessons, etc.   I will go to production shows occasionally, but I don't cruise for them.  And the passenger activities can be fun to watch.

 

Another point for NCL is that, in my experience, their deposits are low and refundable.   Carnival's deposits have various restrictions unless you accept a much higher cruise fare in order to have a refundable deposit.  

Edited March 30 by Joanne G.

[dbrown84]

Great comments.  I'm looking to do the reverse.  I've been in 9 NCL sailings, and I'm looking to try out carnival for the first time in November.  It will only be for 4 days to give them a test run.  Not too thrilled by the daily drink limit, but guess I can make do 😉

[Joanne G.]

15 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Great comments.  I'm looking to do the reverse.  I've been in 9 NCL sailings, and I'm looking to try out carnival for the first time in November.  It will only be for 4 days to give them a test run.  Not too thrilled by the daily drink limit, but guess I can make do 😉

Enjoy your cruise!  Just be aware that a 4-day cruise on Carnival, presumably in the Caribbean, could be a very different experience than a longer Carnival cruise.  I have been on many Carnival Caribbean cruises of 7 or 8 or 10 days, and I have never encountered the drunken party crowd that Carnival is known for - accurately or not.  

 

Or maybe you want to be part of that party crowd!  Nothing wrong with that, and have fun.  

Edited March 30 by Joanne G.

[complawyer]

i dont know, but any time a cruise ship gets bad press, or something goes wrong, it seems to usually be a carnival ship. I would never exchange my ncl cruise for carnival. of course, at 76 my partying days are long, long, gone

 

regardless, of the cruise line, youre on a cruise, which imho is a joy unto itself

[7Contraveler]

21 hours ago, zqvol said:

NCL and Carnival are pretty much the same product. 

Absolutely NOT.. its like saying a ford car is the same as a BMW. 

[IAcruising]

5 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

Not too thrilled by the daily drink limit, but guess I can make do 😉

 

At least you'll get a cheeseburger you can consume before the bun falls apart. 😆

 

[dbrown84]

49 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

At least you'll get a cheeseburger you can consume before the bun falls apart. 😆

 

Ha ha.  I don't get the reference but a 3 am burger is my go-to, after NCL destroyed the wings 

[IAcruising]

5 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Ha ha.  I don't get the reference but a 3 am burger is my go-to, after NCL destroyed the wings 

 

There is a fellow poster whose consistent complaint on NCL is that he can't get through a burger without the bun falling apart. I now find myself on a constant search for the illusive good bun.

 

 

[luv2kroooz]

The lines are more similar than different. You can't go wrong with either. If you want value, go with whatever is cheaper. 

 

Carnival is bare bones, low key fun. NCL  feels a bit more upscale to us. Lots of opportunities to have fun on both lines.

 

Lido deck complimentary food options are better and more varied on Carnival. MDR is about the same with complimentary filet and Caribbean lobster on Carnival.

 

Highlighter entertainment is about the same....average, low quality entertainment. Carnival excels in dedicated comedy shows and movies at night on Lido, if that is your thing. Typical trivias, game shows, etc.

 

NCL far better itineraries offered, Carnival is basically US to Caribbean, over and again.

 

NCL's Free at Sea offers are a better value than paying Carnival $65 per day for drinks. Sometimes Carnival includes their Cheers program in the fare, but this is very rare. If you can get the Cheers included, it is far superior to NCL.

 

 

[dbrown84]

13 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

NCL's Free at Sea offers are a better value than paying Carnival $65 per day for drinks. Sometimes Carnival includes their Cheers program in the fare, but this is very rare. If you can get the Cheers included, it is far superior to NCL.

And here is one of the drivers getting me to venture out..... NCL has gotten rid of the free drinks in the casino.  Carnival MSC does.  My next two cruises are on MSC and carnival 

[dbrown84]

9 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

Enjoy your cruise!  Just be aware that a 4-day cruise on Carnival, presumably in the Caribbean, could be a very different experience than a longer Carnival cruise.  I have been on many Carnival Caribbean cruises of 7 or 8 or 10 days, and I have never encountered the drunken party crowd that Carnival is known for - accurately or not.  

 

Or maybe you want to be part of that party crowd!  Nothing wrong with that, and have fun.  

I probably can't party with the kids anymore 😞, but I'm not afraid of it either 😭.  I was specifically looking for a short cruise for Thanksgiving, and carnival fit.  So it's a good way to give them a test run.  I was also looking to do a longer one out of Baltimore, which is local to me, but I'll have to see how things go after the bridge collapse