CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[tidefan]

My husband and I were saying exactly that. Hopefully, we’ll catch a little break for a few weeks.

And you won't have to test for a cruise in the next 3 months...

 

[mevelandry]

And you won't have to test for a cruise in the next 3 months...

I wonder if cruise lines will still ask for tests at the end of July. Things can change so quickly.

 

[mevelandry]

Alright, here is my Carnival Mardi review…

PROS
-Absolutely beautiful. No contest, when it comes to design, Carnival is definitely going in the right direction with the XL class.

-There is a lot to do on the ship. With all the excursions, we didn’t have the time to do everything, even with 7 nights.

-Big Chicken is a wonderful addition and should be added to every Carnival ship.

-There is a pool in Serenity.

-Verandahs are most spacious.

-Wonderful decor and layout in the cabins. They say cabins are smaller but we didn’t feel it. The bathrooms are tiny but they found a way to make bigger showers and there was a lot of room for our personnal items.

-We only went to one show, Celestial Strings. It was absolutely beautiful and the choice of songs clearly targeted people between 30 and 50.

-Food in the specialty restaurants was wonderful. My family loved Chibang and didn’t care for Teppanyaki. I didn’t care for Chibang but loved Teppanyaki.

-I’m not much of a drinking but being a fan of mixology I can enjoy a good cocktail and Mardi Gras did not disappoint. Every bar offered signature drinks and it was amazing. However, the prices went up recently and we regretted not getting the drink package.

-My family and I were among the minority wearing masks in all indoor places except for eating actively, everyone was respectful of our choice. Coming from a place where mask mandate is still in full force, I was a little worried but nothing happened.


CONS
-Too crowded. Sea days with bad weather were a nightmare. Felt like being at the mall on Boxing Day but without the fights.

-20 min+ wait for pizza and burgers (on the last port day, I have 35 guests before me in the line for Guy’s burger).

-When you chose to eat in the dining room, it means having to spend a minimum of 90 minutes there.

-Why did they change the buns and the fries from Guy’s Burger? It was awful.


This is not related to Mardi Gras but Mahogany Bay is heaven and I will post about it specifically later.

Guests on the ship looked happy. Elevator conversations. We encountered one person that was obviously drunk but he was simply in a good mood, polite and funny. Other than that, it was all quiet and classy, nothing to report.

 

[mevelandry]

CARNIVAL MARDI GRAS SHIP AND FOOD PICTURES

 

[mevelandry]

 

[mevelandry]

 

[Minniemoomoo]

I would agree with everything that you said. I told my family it was like being at The Magic Kingdom on a parade night on a ship.
Seriously, the lines were terribly long. Waiting for food at the MDR took forever. The staff was very friendly, and they did their best to make you smile. We prefer the smaller ships. It was nice to see it once. And the food at ChiBang was simply divine. Voted favorite among all 9 of us.

 

[mevelandry]

I would agree with everything that you said. I told my family it was like being at The Magic Kingdom on a parade night on a ship.
Seriously, the lines were terribly long. Waiting for food at the MDR took forever. The staff was very friendly, and they did their best to make you smile. We prefer the smaller ships. It was nice to see it once. And the food at ChiBang was simply divine. Voted favorite among all 9 of us.

Did you try the Chicken Spring Rolls at Chibang? They were sooo good. And I would pay 20$ for a jar of their Rose Mojito Gelato.

 

[belle032]

I think I also have to second just about everything you said! Big Chicken is awesome - more than once I found myself grabbing a salad/deli sandwich/whatever for lunch, but trekking back to Big Chicken to snag the delicious fries!

I really enjoyed the extra included dining. We only ate in the dining room once or twice because of all the extra options. I liked Chibang over Cucina, but I can see it's total personal preference.

Can they PLEASE add a pool to every Serenity Deck space going forward? Heck, send the ships back into drydock and add them to older ships! Why it took them this long is crazy to me.

Love the overall decor and theming. The Fortune Teller Bar was one of my favorite spaces on any ship I've been on. And the Brass Magnolia bar is just gorgeous. I think we lucked out a bit with slightly lower crowds and great weather, but I can absolutely see a mass crowding issue on a rainy day at full capacity. We did see it during the shows (which I know I mentioned extensively! LOL)

Also agree about the other guests - everyone honestly seemed so darn friendly. I don't think there was a single time we didn't have a conversation in the elevator. Maybe something to do with being able to travel again? But it was really nice!

Sounds like you had a great time overall!

 

[lklgoodman]

This is nuts!! I decided to see what an Alaska cruise for 2023 on DCL would cost. We have an Alaska cruise booked on NCL for June 2023. We will be in a family club balcony which has a bigger bathroom and more perks than a regular balcony. Will get free internet package, 4 free speciality dinners, $400 excursion credits, and drink package. Also found out they lowered the price of the cruise last week. I called and they lowered our fare to the new price. So our balance is $600 less. DCL has never done that. Do Carnival and RCL? So our NCL cruise is just over 6k. Guess how much it would be on DCL? Same ports and date for the smaller verandah with NO perks is over $12k!!! I knew DCL would cost more, but to be double!!! Ridiculous! If I were to add on all the perks we're getting on NCL, it would be another 1k. An inside cabin on DCL was even more than our NCL fare!

 

[tidefan]

This is nuts!! I decided to see what an Alaska cruise for 2023 on DCL would cost. We have an Alaska cruise booked on NCL for June 2023. We will be in a family club balcony which has a bigger bathroom and more perks than a regular balcony. Will get free internet package, 4 free speciality dinners, $400 excursion credits, and drink package. Also found out they lowered the price of the cruise last week. I called and they lowered our fare to the new price. So our balance is $600 less. DCL has never done that. Do Carnival and RCL? So our NCL cruise is just over 6k. Guess how much it would be on DCL? Same ports and date for the smaller verandah with NO perks is over $12k!!! I knew DCL would cost more, but to be double!!! Ridiculous! If I were to add on all the perks we're getting on NCL, it would be another 1k. An inside cabin on DCL was even more than our NCL fare!

DW and I are doing a 7-night Alaska this summer on Princess (in an inside, granted) with a specialty meal (Crown Grill), all gratuities, drink package, and wifi included for $2,500. We also have $420 OBC.

 

[lklgoodman]

DW and I are doing a 7-night Alaska this summer on Princess (in an inside, granted) with a specialty meal (Crown Grill), all gratuities, drink package, and wifi included for $2,500. We also have $420 OBC.

Wow, that's a great price!! Our's would be less, if we weren't taking our dd, that wouldn't go over to well with her though. I admit, I'm looking forward to when she's on her own and dh and I can take some adult only cruiseslines like Viking.

 

[tidefan]

Wow, that's a great price!! Our's would be less, if we weren't taking our dd, that wouldn't go over to well with her though. I admit, I'm looking forward to when she's on her own and dh and I can take some adult only cruiseslines like Viking.

Viking looks amazing. That is definitely on our list too. We did try Virgin this past November and loved it, so y'all may want to try that too.

 

[mevelandry]

I think I also have to second just about everything you said! Big Chicken is awesome - more than once I found myself grabbing a salad/deli sandwich/whatever for lunch, but trekking back to Big Chicken to snag the delicious fries!

I really enjoyed the extra included dining. We only ate in the dining room once or twice because of all the extra options. I liked Chibang over Cucina, but I can see it's total personal preference.

Can they PLEASE add a pool to every Serenity Deck space going forward? Heck, send the ships back into drydock and add them to older ships! Why it took them this long is crazy to me.

Love the overall decor and theming. The Fortune Teller Bar was one of my favorite spaces on any ship I've been on. And the Brass Magnolia bar is just gorgeous. I think we lucked out a bit with slightly lower crowds and great weather, but I can absolutely see a mass crowding issue on a rainy day at full capacity. We did see it during the shows (which I know I mentioned extensively! LOL)

Also agree about the other guests - everyone honestly seemed so darn friendly. I don't think there was a single time we didn't have a conversation in the elevator. Maybe something to do with being able to travel again? But it was really nice!

Sounds like you had a great time overall!

I absolutely did. I feel alive again!

 

[mevelandry]

This is nuts!! I decided to see what an Alaska cruise for 2023 on DCL would cost. We have an Alaska cruise booked on NCL for June 2023. We will be in a family club balcony which has a bigger bathroom and more perks than a regular balcony. Will get free internet package, 4 free speciality dinners, $400 excursion credits, and drink package. Also found out they lowered the price of the cruise last week. I called and they lowered our fare to the new price. So our balance is $600 less. DCL has never done that. Do Carnival and RCL? So our NCL cruise is just over 6k. Guess how much it would be on DCL? Same ports and date for the smaller verandah with NO perks is over $12k!!! I knew DCL would cost more, but to be double!!! Ridiculous! If I were to add on all the perks we're getting on NCL, it would be another 1k. An inside cabin on DCL was even more than our NCL fare!

Great deal... But I'm not that surprised. DCL prices have been nuts recently. Trying the Vista and XL class on top of RCCL has just reenforced my idea that DCL overcharges for everything.

 

[belle032]

This is nuts!! I decided to see what an Alaska cruise for 2023 on DCL would cost. We have an Alaska cruise booked on NCL for June 2023. We will be in a family club balcony which has a bigger bathroom and more perks than a regular balcony. Will get free internet package, 4 free speciality dinners, $400 excursion credits, and drink package. Also found out they lowered the price of the cruise last week. I called and they lowered our fare to the new price. So our balance is $600 less. DCL has never done that. Do Carnival and RCL? So our NCL cruise is just over 6k. Guess how much it would be on DCL? Same ports and date for the smaller verandah with NO perks is over $12k!!! I knew DCL would cost more, but to be double!!! Ridiculous! If I were to add on all the perks we're getting on NCL, it would be another 1k. An inside cabin on DCL was even more than our NCL fare!

That's amazing! I wish we would have kept with NCL for Alaska 2 years ago, but with multiple pandemic-related cancellations and then a "cannot pass this up" offer from Carnival, we ended up going with Carnival in the end.

I am heavily leaning towards booking the NCL Prima for Iceland in Aug/Sept 2023. The price is good and with all the extras included, it's almost a done deal. I believe we're looking at $6K-$7K for an 11 night in an Oceanview. I cannot imagine what the cost would be on DCL. Also priced out Celebrity & Carnival - all pretty similar in pricing, but I really like the itinerary, dates, and the thought of a brand new ship.

NCL knows I've been looking though. I've had at least 5 calls with voicemails from their "cruise planners." Just had one earlier today. Not necessary NCL - I'll book when I'm ready. And I'm a control freak so I'll be booking on my own, thank you!

 

[darnheather]

I wonder if cruise lines will still ask for tests at the end of July. Things can change so quickly.

Until other countries ease restriction there will be testing. Covid is now with us forever so I don't think the testing will end any time soon.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Sitting at the airport waiting on our 2 hour delayed departure. Our connection is delayed already also. It’s going to be a long night. Can’t wait to get back on a ship on Saturday though!

 

[lklgoodman]

That's amazing! I wish we would have kept with NCL for Alaska 2 years ago, but with multiple pandemic-related cancellations and then a "cannot pass this up" offer from Carnival, we ended up going with Carnival in the end.

I am heavily leaning towards booking the NCL Prima for Iceland in Aug/Sept 2023. The price is good and with all the extras included, it's almost a done deal. I believe we're looking at $6K-$7K for an 11 night in an Oceanview. I cannot imagine what the cost would be on DCL. Also priced out Celebrity & Carnival - all pretty similar in pricing, but I really like the itinerary, dates, and the thought of a brand new ship.

NCL knows I've been looking though. I've had at least 5 calls with voicemails from their "cruise planners." Just had one earlier today. Not necessary NCL - I'll book when I'm ready. And I'm a control freak so I'll be booking on my own, thank you!

Prima looks really nice. I showed my dd the waterslides on it that go off the side of the ship. She would love it. I'd be too scared to do them.

 

[lklgoodman]

Sitting at the airport waiting on our 2 hour delayed departure. Our connection is delayed already also. It’s going to be a long night. Can’t wait to get back on a ship on Saturday though!

Oh no! At least your connection is delayed, so hopefully you'll make it. We were at MCO last month when storms caused delays/cancellations everywhere. Hope your flights go well and you have a great cruise.