Verified answer

Only about every difference there is.

Norwegian Dawn was launched in 2002. It's 965 ft long. 2,224 passengers.

Carnival Miracle was launched in 2004. Same length, fewer passengers. Newer and less crowded.

Carnival ships are known as the fun ships. They will have lots of great drinks of the day specials. A disco playing up to date music since most of their passengers are in your age range. Carnival's claim to fame is their rooms are the largest in the industry.

NCL on the other hand...freestyle dining means you wait in line for service. The service is terrible b/c you don't have the same waiter every night. As they know they won't get tipped at the end, they don't care. The rooms were so tiny. I lived in a dorm and if you were in the bathroom you had to knock before exiting. This gave your roommate time to hop back up on the bed b/c the bathroom door could not open if someone else was in the room.

Honestly I'm known on this forum for bashing NCL. It was my first cruise and the worst. My floor wasn't even carpeted! Every time we rode the elevator someone on the floor mentioned the death rate of the 3rd class passengers on the Titanic. That's what we felt like--3rd class. The food was sparce. I probably wouldn't have done another cruise if so many people hadn't made a point to mention Carnival and Royal are so much better. Don't judge cruising by this line. Random strangers felt the need to mention that on the cruise. I've done Carnival several times since then and am a frequent cruiser. I love it now and I cruise Carnival and Royal.

Carnival is laid back, fun, with great drink specials (carry your souvenir glass around for the refill price), and great music. It's the perfect line for your age. Now that I'm getting closer to 30, I'm liking Royal a bit more. Carnival will also run some great spa specials you might want to check out on the last day at sea and the prices are cheaper on port days so come back 15 minutes early for a massage.

For the price, Carnival is exceptional value. NCL is cheaper and you are aware of it every minute.

Then of course there is the itinerary. Eastern Caribbean is always better than bermuda. It will be a good deal warmer and a good deal more things to do. I'm not sure which stops you are making but I'm sure St Thomas is one of them. That's a shoppers paradise. You don't have to do a shore excursion there--you'd have a great time just wandering around. If you bring your own snorkel gear (it's like $20 right now in Target for mask and snorkel), you can get a cab to take you to the best snorkeling beach.

Hands down I say Carnival Miracle. It has a whimsical feel with the rooms being named after fictional characters.

Here's what I recommend:

Get all your costs together, total them, and divide by the number of days to arrive at your per person/per day cost. Include fare, taxes, port fees, and add $10 pp/pd for tips.

Does one departure date or another save you a night in a hotel the night before you sail? Some ships will leave in the morning, others in the afternoon... this may save you plenty.

Can you take public transportation to the pier vs. parking your car at the pier? Parking is very expensive near the pier.

That should get you a little closer.

Now as far as which ship... well, I prefer Carnival. But everyone is different and has different things that are important. So unless you have specific questions about specific things, I recommend you read some reviews from passengers who have sailed the cruise you are considering. You can do that at:

http://www.cruisemates.com/

http://www.cruisecritic.com/

You can look up the ports of call, differences in rooms, which are offering upgrades and other amenities. Of course, also check the cruise line's own web sites.

That should get you a lot closer to being able to decide, and or ask more questions.

Bon Voyage!

Read above for your best answer, I'd choose Carnival too.