Cruising From New Orleans--Norwegian or Carnival--Best Choice and Why?

Question

We are over 40 and not bringing our kids! Not very "sporty" or outgoing.....not unfriendly but we do take our time before we jump in.

We have cruised with NCL and it was wonderful, but am wondering if there might be advantages with Carnival.

Answer 1

NCL--Better ship and freestyle dining is more comfortable for a first time cruiser your age. If you like to booze it up, Carnival's drinks are a little cheaper and you will have more fellow drunks.

Answer 2

I like Carnival. There are a lot of people who go there to have fun, but they lay out the ships well enough that you can keep your distance and still have a good time. The ship that is in New Orleans now is the Carnival Fantasy, which was the first ship we cruised on out of Port Canaveral. It is a smaller and older ship, but still very well maintained and friendly.

You may want to consider going to Galveston and sailing the Carnival Conquest. It is a much larger and newer ship. I sailed on the Carnival Glory last Sept, which is basically the same ship. It was wonderful. 3500 people and you would never have known it. Even the night of the deck party with all of the loud music on the lido deck, we went into the restaurant and could not hear any of it.

Mostly, Carnival gives us the best value for our dollar. Our last seven day cruise for four people was under $60 per person per day. The benefits of booking a year in advance and catching a past guest promotion and one day sale at the same time.

Answer 3

It really depends on your age and what activites you are looking for. Which cruise line has the better itinerary that meets your needs?
Then shop around for the best cruise fare.
good luck!

Answer 4

Try CruiseCritic.com, "Boards" and "Reviews" to get more of a feel for these two cruiselines.