Comparing Norwegian and Carnival- Cruise Reviews

Norwegian Versus Carnival For the purpose of this review I will be comparing the 7 day Carnival Conquest, which we did in May of 2014 with the Norwegian Getaway, 7 day, which we did in May of 2015. We have been on the Getaway again in May 2016 and that review is forthcoming!
Cabins-
Conquest- we got a great deal on a SPA floor cabin, right next to the steamroom (1102). While there is no special for pay spa on the Conquest we had very easy access to the saunas, steamrooms and gym. The floor smelled really nice as well, and there was no smoking allowed. The balcony was nice, but uncovered and very sunny. We were lucky to have nice weather the whole week. Being at the very front of the ship and so high up it was nice- we did not feel much movement at all. The steward we had was excellent-very attentive and knew our names on day one. We got towel animals and chocolate each night (they gave chocolate then) and our favorite animal was a monkey!
Getaway- we were considering a spa balcony but we found out our son (15) would not be permitted to use the facilities, as you needed to be 18 and up. He really like the steamroom, sauna on the Conquest so we opted for a family balcony, deck 12. Our room was forward (12730) and was very modern and new. While we were lacking drawers (like the Conquest) there were closet shelves which was just fine. The balcony was a wee bit smaller than the Conquest balcony, but we all felt the room seemed a little bigger. Perhaps the modern touches and layout made it seem that way. Our steward was okay- he was not overly friendly and he needed a few reminders (like we were out of soap!), which I felt he should have noticed when cleaning. Other than that service was fine for our cabin. We got 3 towel animals throughout the week, a dog, an elephant and a really cute gerbil in a glass.
Choosing a winner is tough, but the Getaway takes the top spot for balcony accommodations overall as it is simply a newer and nicer ship. The Conquest room steward takes the lead in terms of passenger care, however.
Entertainment-
Conquest- Our CD was a last minute replacement for Gary Brierly (who we had on the Liberty in November 2014 and he was just ok)- and his name was Noonan. He was a CD for a while and was pulled from the Entertainment division for our one week cruise. We got lucky! Noonan was fantastic! J He was personable, friendly and energetic. We enjoyed the shows The Brits, Divas and the Hasbro Game show. The comedians were funny and the trivia was enjoyable too. However, that was really all the entertainment options. Additionally, the shows were not performed more than a few times and the times were hard to get to, like 7:30. Our early dinner seating was 6pm and we had to really rush to make it to the shows. The comedy shows were often totally booked so we missed some family comedy we really wanted to see. I am unsure of why Carnival doesn’t utilize their theater for other shows and events, other than Bingo and shopping presentations. My husband didn’t care for The Brits, and neither did my son, as they felt it was too much video and less live performance. Divas was good and I really liked the Hasbro game show (Family Game Night). If you and your kids have watched Family Game Night before on cable it is just like that and they give away games to all contestants. I did not play but I enjoyed watching. We did a lot of trivia,and I won my 4th ship on a stick, for TV theme trivia. Noonan even sent a bottle of champagne to the winners rooms when they won. There was live music and a deejay, but there was also a lot of downtime after dinner. There should have been 2 shows each night in my opinion. We didn’t realize how much Carnival’s entertainment is lacking until we went on the Getaway.
Getaway- Joel “Jersey Boy” was the MOST AMAZING CD ever! He had high energy, humor, charisma and you could tell he was giving 200% to his job every day. The shows, Legally Blonde and Burn the Floor were broadway caliber, and the additional performances of the Burn the Floor troop in the Tropicana dining room was such a treat! There were multiple shows offered throughout the week at various times, and you could reserve your spot if you wanted to have a seat a specific one online or via the easy touchscreens throughout the ship. You could also get an app for your I Phone to schedule show and dinner reservations. The comedians performed many times in a smaller theater, but there was also a family comedy show in the large Getaway theater with all new material from the comedians which was wonderful! In addition to these shows there were nightly performances by a grammy winning artist in The Grammy Experience, dueling piano bars/performances, a plethora of shows at the Atrium stage, including the fabulous Celebrity Dance off. This was better than Dancing with the Stars and so funny!!!! There were parties every night for families to enjoy, fireworks, lots of Nickelodeon character meet and greets, a kids pj party ($), a magic show and dinner at the illusionarium ($), the usual fun pool contests, line dance classes, ballroom lessons with the Burn the Floor troop, live music in the Tropicana dining room, daily activities like origami and scrapbooking, cupcake decorating ($), a family party with face painters, pizza making and treats the last night, and more that I am forgetting to mention!! There was an art gallery show/auction. just like on Carnival, as well.
The teen clubs, in my son’s opinion were similar. He said Carnival provided water and sodas to the kids during the dance parties, which he wished NCL Entourage did. He ended up stepping out to get water from lots of dancing! However, he said NCL had more of a hangout for the teens, with foosball, games, etc, while Carnival had a club more or less. He said the people on board really made it fun-so he liked both! J
The winner for Entertainment hands down is NCL!!! Carnival needs to make changes to their entertainment if they want passengers to return to their ships-especially now that they are charging just as much as other lines for balcony rooms!
Food & Drink-
Conquest- we had the early seating and did find the dinners to be tasty. The issue of time was apparent, as they were slow to serve food and we were trying to rush to see the only show of the night! The addition of Guys Burgers and The Blue Iguana Cantina were super, though. We really enjoyed the yummy burgers and burritos. The breakfast burritos were my favorites. The buffet was okay-nothing stood out. The pizza was crispy and good-but with one poor guy working it took forever to get a slice! Pizza was the only option for dining after 10pm. There was a fish and chips spot hidden on the deck above the buffet, which was actually quite good. They had ceviche, fried oysters and fish and chips. The hours were limited however, with lunch being the only option on sea days. Guys and Blue Iguana were also open limited hours, which makes the lines for both long and frustrating. The 24 hr ice cream/froyo machines were great as always. We also had a “tea time” on one afternoon of the cruise. You have to really scan your daily for the day/time. It was nice with a sit down tea and carts with traditional scones, cakes, etc. As for drinks we do like to indulge so we brought our allotted 2 bottle of wine. We did buy a few mixed drinks on board, usually the drink of the day or the one featured at the Taste bar, which was $5. We wished the package wasn’t so pricey or we would have gotten it. Maybe a few types of packages would be better to offer, like a certain # of drink coupons, etc.?!
Getaway-complimentary dining is top notch- the dining rooms Taste, Savor and the Tropicana all have the same menu, which changes nightly (specials). People usually choose which dining room they prefer or which one fits their time frame best. We loved the live entertainment in the Tropicana so we went there 3 times! Savor and Taste are also open for breakfast and lunch on sea/embarkation days. They have a unique menu that has special items daily. My son really liked their Heuvos Rancheros for breakfast one day and the “English” breakfast another day. O’Sheehans is open 24/7 and offers typical pub fare, along with some great corned beef hash for breakfast (according to my hubby). The burgers, fries, wings, etc. were good and reminded me of a TGI Fridays or Applebees fare. The Garden Café is the buffet which is really great! I was surprised that the food choices were so varied, especially for lunch. The had ice cream machines and hard scoop ice cream, yogurt and sherbet as well. There is a bar to get drinks (alcoholic and sodas) in the buffet also. My son and hubby liked the Indian selection of food, as well as the Asian options. Their pizza is actually really good too and there is no wait! The buffet times were changed to be open to meet the needs of guests based on port times, etc.I found there was always a time to go there- even for their late night snack buffet from 9:30-11:30!! Hot dogs, salads, cookies, etc are all available for your late night cravings! The Flamingo Grill is another complimentary option for breakfast and lunch. This buffet has yummy Latin themed cuisine and the lunch specials vary a bit day to day. You can also get an omelet there, which is the case at all the dining spots for breakfast! I highly recommend the Banana Caramel pancakes in the main dining rooms for breakfast- and don’t wait till the last day to order them as their debarkation breakfast is streamlined and they don’t offer it then, Shanghai’s was yet another complimentary dining spot- and the food was excellent! We ordered at least one of everything throughout the cruise and every single dish was delicious! Now, there are also paid ($) dining options-specialty restaurants you can go to by either purchasing a dining plan or paying individually. We opted to pay one night for Moderno, the Brazillian meat restaurant and it was extraordinary!! The others restaurants include a steakhouse, French food, Italian, Japanese and seafood. Food Network’s chef Geoffrey Zakarian has his Ocean restaurant on board, along with a waterfront location with appetizer/tapas sized goodies to buy ($). We splurged on the lobster roll, calamari and crab toasts and they were all fantastic! Oh! There is also a sushi bar ($) and a cupcake bakery ($)-Carlos’s! As for drinks we received the UBP (Unlimited Beverage Package) from NCL as a perk- and it was fabulous!!! We really didn’t end up drinking what the package was worth, but since it was a bonus we really enjoyed it. We got to try new drinks, excellent Mojitos from The Chocolate Cowboy at Sugarcane and every drink of the day! Our son got the soda package which while he is not a big soda drinker, he enjoyed the Pepsi products offered daily.
So, the winner for Food and Drink is without a doubt Norwegian Getaway!!!!! I am dreaming of all the amazing food and drink I had on board and I cannot wait to get on the Getaway again and try all the eateries I didn’t get to!
As you can see the overall winner here is Norwegian Getaway!!! We were surprised to see that the a comparable cruise on Carnival would cost the same as NCL, and we would get no perks!