CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[mevelandry]

I'm rarely on disboards anymore since I just don't feel Disney is enough bang for my buck, honestly. But I did pop in the other day and was thrilled that this thread is still going! I believe I commented on it early on and I've enjoyed reading through and catching up the last couple of days. I've sailed several lines but I think it's been >10 on Carnival. I should have been taking notes as I read all of this because I wanted to point out a few things and have now forgotten what they are! 37 pages was a lot of reading!

It always amuses me when people make a negative judgement about Carnival based on the ONE ship they've been on. I promise you - there are a TON of differences between them. Some have the Farcus (think Vegas) decor, the newer ones don't. Some are small without many bells and whistles (Fantasy Class), some are bigger and were built with the 2.0 upgrades (Dream Class) and then there's Vista Class, which I haven't been on yet. Oh, there's also Spirit Class which is laid out differently and is much less crowded because it has more space per passenger. There's also Conquest Class and Destiny Class.

I had a Havana Aft Extended Balcony booked on Vista in May but DH didn't want to go. EIGHT days and FOUR Caribbean ports I'd never been to; you'd almost think that was impossible at this point. I'm still mad at him. Not really, I took my mom and sister on the Breeze instead. Right now, we've got the CCL Magic booked next February. It's the John Heald Blogger's Cruise (recently renamed the For Fun's Sake Cruise) and while I really have no interest in the Magic or the itinerary, getting to sail with him sealed the deal. He is the Brand Ambassador, for those who aren't familiar with the name.

I've experienced good and bad service on Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Disney. I've experienced drunk/rude behavior on all of the above, too. I'll give you one guess which line we associate mostly with that kind of behavior - hint: it isn't Carnival. Seriously though, cruises are great fun and I just want to be on the water. Now that my kids are getting older, my friends all have 9-5 jobs, and my husband doesn't want to cruise much - I find myself looking at solos. NCL consistently has the best deal for solo travelers.

I find this thread fun so I'm going to be watching it now. I can't wait to hear how mevelandry likes that upcoming cruise!

Also, in case anyone doesn't know - If you have Your Time Dining on Carnival and like your servers, you can request the same servers each night. The 50% bottle of wine in the Steakhouse is on formal nights, too, not just the first night. And there's a punch card for specialty coffees - I don't remember the exact number but it was buy x# then get one free. The specialty coffee shop is also a great place to hang out in the morning if you want to see the Captain and other senior officers; they tend to get their coffee there from what I've experienced.

AND - If you want a special evening - shell out the $95 each for the Chef's Table. We'd always said Remy on Fantasy was the best meal we'd ever had at sea...then we did Chef's Table. Such a wonderful night!

Welcome to the Carnival thread! Feel free to comment and help any time you want.

I can't wait to come back with a review and pictures!!

 

[mevelandry]

My experience on the Victory was also excellent food and service. And it wasn't even a Funship 2.0 ...

However, I though the cleanliness could have been improved and that a little more care/fixing/replacements of old furniture could have been done.

For us, what brings us back to Carnival for a second is definitely the entertainment. Comedy shows is our jam. (We like Louis CK, Amy Schumer, Jim Jefferies type of humor so we are not easily offended.) Also, I can't wait to see some more Non-Disney movies.

 

[cyclenut]

We always have great service on DCL, but there are times when the servers just get on my nerves. I used to love having the same servers everynight, but the last few cruises I've wished that wasn't the case.

I have never really been happy with the servers on any line. I remember getting up to fill my own water glass on Carnival. I would have done son on Disney too but they hide the water pitcher. I hated the fact that we were "required" to color in our animations before they would even serve us drinks. I brought a beer in with me and they wanted to take it from me until I was done coloring. I felt like a child. I told them no. They are friendly enough but there is this "standard" experience they expect to create and they just expect you to fall in lock step.

4. Another shocker: the people working at Carnival are a cut above those working on DCL. Carnival is much more customer focused. Employees happy and not just going through the motions like on DCL. Room steward was awesome.

That is not only a shocker but it has not been my experience. At all. Ever. The people on both lines are generally very friendly, but the level of professionalism and understanding of what customer service really means puts DCL far ahead in nearly every category. Even my complaints about the servers have DCL far ahead. I am so surprised by this comment I felt compelled to address it. While I have met crew on Carnival that are very friendly and willing to help and I've met CM on DCL that did a poor job, I encounter excellent customer service skills much more frequently on DCL than on Carnival. It's most noticeable out on the open deck where every DCL CM, no matter what their role, seems to understand that they are there to provide the best guest experience possible.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

That is not only a shocker but it has not been my experience. At all. Ever. The people on both lines are generally very friendly, but the level of professionalism and understanding of what customer service really means puts DCL far ahead in nearly every category. Even my complaints about the servers have DCL far ahead. I am so surprised by this comment I felt compelled to address it. While I have met crew on Carnival that are very friendly and willing to help and I've met CM on DCL that did a poor job, I encounter excellent customer service skills much more frequently on DCL than on Carnival. It's most noticeable out on the open deck where every DCL CM, no matter what their role, seems to understand that they are there to provide the best guest experience possible.

I'm sorry, are you expecting these people to be your personal servants for the week? They have jobs to do while still being friendly. The guy who spends his day sweeping floors yet still smiling, saying hello and giving information when asked is not professional enough for you? How professional do you want him to be? Geez. I don't care what company you work for so long as you are positive and friendly that is professional enough.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I have never really been happy with the servers on any line. I remember getting up to fill my own water glass on Carnival. I would have done son on Disney too but they hide the water pitcher. I hated the fact that we were "required" to color in our animations before they would even serve us drinks. I brought a beer in with me and they wanted to take it from me until I was done coloring. I felt like a child. I told them no. They are friendly enough but there is this "standard" experience they expect to create and they just expect you to fall in lock step.


That is not only a shocker but it has not been my experience. At all. Ever. The people on both lines are generally very friendly, but the level of professionalism and understanding of what customer service really means puts DCL far ahead in nearly every category. Even my complaints about the servers have DCL far ahead. I am so surprised by this comment I felt compelled to address it. While I have met crew on Carnival that are very friendly and willing to help and I've met CM on DCL that did a poor job, I encounter excellent customer service skills much more frequently on DCL than on Carnival. It's most noticeable out on the open deck where every DCL CM, no matter what their role, seems to understand that they are there to provide the best guest experience possible.

I know, it seems like you are in the majority and that most people agree with you that DCL's customer service is superior. We would agree on WDW or DL, but not the cruise line. My main complaint is that CMs on DCL insist on telling you their backstory unsolicited and seem quite miserable with their jobs. We have only had one dcl waiter who did not do this. He was on the Dream, and he was very good, but then he disappointed us by giving us the excellect speech the last night. It is so remedial. Two DCL cruises ago, a bartender basically cornered dh and I and talked at length about how miserable his life was and how awful an employer DCL was. He communicated that all the other lines had better working conditions (had friends working for other lines). We were really left speechless. Obviously it was very uncomfortable. We did feel like he was trying to solicit money from us to start a business at home in the Philippines. The dcl cruise before that one we had a room steward who also complained about her working conditions and she looked lile she was barely holding it together. We felt lile she stalked us to make us feel uncomfortable as she was always parked in the hallway outside our room. None of the other room stewards on our floor did this. On our last three or so dcl cruises, there has been this weirdness about getting shampoo, even when we ask, very nicely. I could go on with more examples. There seems to be a rising passive aggressive hostility from many dcl employees which we find exhausting.

None of this exists on Carnival. Their employees are more straightforward. Carnival definitely has less employees around doing general cleaning, but all of the Carnival employees we encountered were customer focused, as opposed to focused on communicating their misery to us, and they all did an amazing job. We tipped our room steward extra, more than we have ever done before. He did an amazing job- DCL needs to take some notes.

 

[mevelandry]

On our two first DCL, we were treated well but outside of Palo & Remy, nothing outstanding.

On our Carnival cruise, the service was outstanding.

On our third DCL cruise, the service was better than our two DCL cruises and much more closer to our Carnival cruise.

But. As long as CM/Staff are polite and smile, I don't need them to become my best friend. As good as the service is, I cruise for the sea, the ports, the good food and good entertainment and those are my main criterias.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

We got back from a Vista cruise a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Some things stuck out for us, both good and bad.

"Bad" first:
1. The air conditioning in the cabin was fabulous but lacking everywhere else. There were sometimes it felt like it was actually just off and very uncomfortable. It was August, so it was hot, but we have been on DCL in August and the air conditioning was perfect throughout the ship. I hate giving any nods to DCL, but just trying to be objective.

2. Virtually no one followed the no bathing suit rule in the buffet, so the buffet area was always on the slippery and wet side, compounded by the lack of air conditioning in there- okay it was awful honestly. Too hot, wet people, very crowded, not enough people working there picking up plates. Had a very dirty feel to it.

3. Ship was generally clean but not as clean as DCL. Dh was surpised the ship was only 1-2 years old and thought it looked older.

Good:
1. This was a shocker: our kids loved the kids club more than DCL- and more than any other line. We did not expect this at all and it really made our cruise. We always get a bit of "I'm bored" on a cruise from them, but instead all we heard was, "Carnival is our favorite cruise line" and, "can we go back to the Ocean(kid club)?" I cannot emphasize enough how dramatically different this was for us and how surprised we were. Crazy with all the fancy stuff in the DCL kids club, the kids are bored, but there you have it.

2. The food was amazing. Completely blew DCL out of the water. Even in the hot, sticky, and wet buffet the food was amazing. We also thought the food on NCL was far superior to DCL, but Carnival had so many free, casual options that even on an 8 night cruise we still didn't get to try all of them. Yes, Blue Iguana, I am talking to you. We did not do any specialty dining but did go to the main dining room almost every night, beautiful and so many appetizing choices. We hate having the same server every night on DCL, and we prefer lines that do not force you to have the same team to eat in the main dining room. Plus, no excellent speech!!

3. Matt is an amazing cruise director, completely down to earth and engaging. In contrast, I find the cruise directors on DCL more standoffish and withdrawn (exception Clayton- is he still with DCL?).

4. Another shocker: the people working at Carnival are a cut above those working on DCL. Carnival is much more customer focused. Employees happy and not just going through the motions like on DCL. Room steward was awesome.

5. We loved the movies in the outdoor theater at night. Great selection of movies, amazing atmosphere, free popcorn! So relazing.

6. Even though the ship did not appear quite as clean as DCL ships do and even though our kids spent a lot of time in Camp Ocean, our son who always, unfailingly, gets sick for at least a day on every single cruise did not get sick. Did not expect that either.

Not good or bad:

1. Other cruisers did seem from a different socioeconomic group than those on DCL. This is not so on NCL. I had read this was the case but did not really believe it. Things like there were more people licking their fingers openly and gratuitously. I don't think we saw one male wearing a golf shirt. No one had the trappings of wealth like people display on DCL. And yet, people cared more about what they wore to the dining room and got more dressed up than on DCL. Never noticed any meltdowns with kids like I always see on DCL. Very happy crowd on Carnival.

2. We saw one show and thought it was nothing special. But we also barely go to the shows on DCL. On our last DCL cruise, DH overheard a woman saying she was skipping dinner to see the Aladdin show twice. He couldn't get over it and asked if people on the ship were out of their minds. He said he could barely sit through it once.

I would say Carnival really lives up to its marketing and is a fun ship.
Next cruise for us? DCL? No... it's Carnival Conquest!

I think the problem with the Lido Marketplace being so hot is because if the sliding glass doors at each end. We actually didn't experience the heat when we sailed the Mediterranean on her last year, but this year in the Caribbean there was a huge difference. They need to install air curtains at the doors or put in revolving doors like they have on both sides of Ocean Plaza on deck 5. Ocean Plaza was always nice and cool.

I totally agree that Carnival lives up to their name as the Fun Ships! We laughed so hard on the Vista.

Matt was our CD for last years cruise and we absolutely loved him, (especially my 16 year old daughter), but they pulled him last minute for this year and we had The Flying Scotsman, Chris Williams, instead. Amazingly enough we actually like Chris better! CW is normally on the Carnival Dream so if you get a chance to sail her go for it, he's great!

 

[cruiser21]

I know, it seems like you are in the majority and that most people agree with you that DCL's customer service is superior. We would agree on WDW or DL, but not the cruise line. My main complaint is that CMs on DCL insist on telling you their backstory unsolicited and seem quite miserable with their jobs. We have only had one dcl waiter who did not do this. He was on the Dream, and he was very good, but then he disappointed us by giving us the excellect speech the last night. It is so remedial. Two DCL cruises ago, a bartender basically cornered dh and I and talked at length about how miserable his life was and how awful an employer DCL was. He communicated that all the other lines had better workin

On our two first DCL, we were treated well but outside of Palo & Remy, nothing outstanding.

On our Carnival cruise, the service was outstanding.

On our third DCL cruise, the service was better than our two DCL cruises and much more closer to our Carnival cruise.

But. As long as CM/Staff are polite and smile, I don't need them to become my best friend. As good as the service is, I cruise for the sea, the ports, the good food and good entertainment and those are my main criterias.

That's how I feel. I don't remember ever getting a service speech on Carnival or being chastised about not ordering dessert, not showing up or leaving early. I realize dcl wants everyone on the MDR because it's a big part of the experience... I get that. I always feel like waiters try to hard on DCL which makes me like I need to pretend I'm having a good time...all the time. Your stuck with each other for several nights for better or worse.

 

[ilovetexas]

For October Carnival Cruisers - I just copied this from John Heald's FB page:

Here are the October movies to be shown on the ships that have the Dive In Movie big screens.


The Fate of the Furious
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Wonder Woman
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Boss Baby
Sing
La La Land
Hidden Figures
Cars 3
Despicable Me 3
Baby Driver
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Arrival

 

[mevelandry]

For October Carnival Cruisers - I just copied this from John Heald's FB page:

Here are the October movies to be shown on the ships that have the Dive In Movie big screens.


The Fate of the Furious
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Wonder Woman
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Boss Baby
Sing
La La Land
Hidden Figures
Cars 3
Despicable Me 3
Baby Driver
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Arrival

Great selection. I will definitely try to see at least one of those movies. I've been wanting to see a dive-in movie during our last cruise on the Victory but with all the shows/comedy shows we did not have the time to try it...

 

[RedSox68]

Another funny thing that happened is when the waiter asked me on the second night how everything was. I said fine. He looked at me like I had just slapped his mother. I guess "fine" is a four letter word on a Disney ship. I guess I supposed to say excellent. The world excellent just isn't part of my normal everyday vocabulary. There was also a couple of nights I just wanted to bail after the main course. They looked so put off they I didn't want to stay for the cheesy show I've seen more then a couple dozen times....and then there was the time he implied that I must be lonely cruising with just my son....Um no. My dh and I have been married 23 years, but were not one of those couples that's attached at the hip.
We always have great service on DCL, but there are times when the servers just get on my nerves. I used to love having the same servers everynight, but the last few cruises I've wished that wasn't the case.

A little intrusive that server!

Right!

We used the Carnival internet package on our cruise last month- it was great for the 4 of us to share, to keep connected when we got bored or to look up info when we wanted to. I am so conflicted about what to do for connectivity when I am on the Fantasy. Since my family is staying at home, I want to have a way of keeping in touch with them while I am away.

And- Go Sox!

We were just looking over their offerings -- they have one for just $4/day if I book ahead and it covers my husband using Facebook (he has a history travel site on there), and instant messenger, which is all he needs for the week. That is a great price.

And YES, GO SOX! [Cannot believe they haven't clinched the berth yet]

The Miracle is a Carnival ship. Guys burgers is found on Carnivals newer ships. I remember Teena from our AP days back in 2010 to 2012. We stayed at the BC 5 or 6 times. We finally made it back to WDW this year. Now my son wants to go again. I guess I should appreciate that he just turned 13 and I'm sure those days are numbered. He wants to stay at WL next time. I guess I should of upgraded to annual passes while we were there.....could of, should have, would have....

Loved Guy's Burgers -- can't wait to hit them up next week!

 

[RedSox68]

1. Other cruisers did seem from a different socioeconomic group than those on DCL. This is not so on NCL. I had read this was the case but did not really believe it. Things like there were more people licking their fingers openly and gratuitously. I don't think we saw one male wearing a golf shirt. No one had the trappings of wealth like people display on DCL. And yet, people cared more about what they wore to the dining room and got more dressed up than on DCL. Never noticed any meltdowns with kids like I always see on DCL. Very happy crowd on Carnival.

2. We saw one show and thought it was nothing special. But we also barely go to the shows on DCL. On our last DCL cruise, DH overheard a woman saying she was skipping dinner to see the Aladdin show twice. He couldn't get over it and asked if people on the ship were out of their minds. He said he could barely sit through it once.

I would say Carnival really lives up to its marketing and is a fun ship.
Next cruise for us? DCL? No... it's Carnival Conquest!

Our first Carnival cruise on Glory was where we were sitting in the buffet and saw the young teen come in from the pool deck (in bathing suit and dripping) and proceed to use the water spout at the soda machine to wash his hands -- when the bathroom was just outside the door!

I read about one show on the Carnival Sunshine -- Rock Epic (or something like that) -- and we're looking forward to seeing that, and the Latin show.

 

[RedSox68]

Great selection. I will definitely try to see at least one of those movies. I've been wanting to see a dive-in movie during our last cruise on the Victory but with all the shows/comedy shows we did not have the time to try it...

Wonder if that list will be the same on the Carnival Sunshine next week?

 

[natebenma]

We were just looking over their offerings -- they have one for just $4/day if I book ahead and it covers my husband using Facebook (he has a history travel site on there), and instant messenger, which is all he needs for the week. That is a great price.

Do you mind sharing the name of your husband's travel site, either here or by private message? My 16 year old is a serious history buff and has already planned a trip for next summer visiting all of the Civil War memorials and sites from Pennsylvania to Virginia. He also wants to do a trip to Europe and visit WWII sites.

 

[mevelandry]

Wonder if that list will be the same on the Carnival Sunshine next week?

I can't confirm this is accurate but this is what I have found online...

 

[cruiser21]

I can't confirm this is accurate but this is what I have found online...


View attachment 270500

The La La Land 2 made me laugh.

 

[RedSox68]

I can't confirm this is accurate but this is what I have found online...


View attachment 270500

Brilliant last comment

Thanks for the heads up. I'm sure it will be pretty close to that. I'd love to see Kong and Galaxy again, and want to see Pirates.

 

[RedSox68]

Arrghh, two requests. I cannot find the information I printed about there being a welcome aboard BBQ on the Sunshine to choose from instead of the buffet. Can someone tell me how you find out if it is being held? And where it is again?

Also, has anyone done the Epic Rock show -- is it really loud and does it have strobelights?

Oh, and does anyone know where I can see current menus? Thanks much.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I think the problem with the Lido Marketplace being so hot is because if the sliding glass doors at each end. We actually didn't experience the heat when we sailed the Mediterranean on her last year, but this year in the Caribbean there was a huge difference. They need to install air curtains at the doors or put in revolving doors like they have on both sides of Ocean Plaza on deck 5. Ocean Plaza was always nice and cool.

I totally agree that Carnival lives up to their name as the Fun Ships! We laughed so hard on the Vista.

Matt was our CD for last years cruise and we absolutely loved him, (especially my 16 year old daughter), but they pulled him last minute for this year and we had The Flying Scotsman, Chris Williams, instead. Amazingly enough we actually like Chris better! CW is normally on the Carnival Dream so if you get a chance to sail her go for it, he's great!

We looked at the Vista cruise for a while because of the ports and your review from last summer (I think it was) definitely helped us decide to book. So thank you! That is great to hear about CW because we are actually looking at the Dream for next summer. New Orleans is a close drive for us. You are right about the doors on lido and 5 on the Vista and we thought that the Vista would probably be about perfect in winter. The ship is so open to the sea that I think the air conditioning has trouble keeping up. But that openness is also very appealing. I know I pointed out a couple of "negatives" about the Vista but those negatives were not significant, just distant background noise, for us. The upbeat vibe on that ship is phenomenal and there is so much going on and so many food options to try that it is just impossible to do it all. Which is how it should be in an ideal world. Thanks again

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

My experience on the Victory was also excellent food and service. And it wasn't even a Funship 2.0 ...

However, I though the cleanliness could have been improved and that a little more care/fixing/replacements of old furniture could have been done.

For us, what brings us back to Carnival for a second is definitely the entertainment. Comedy shows is our jam. (We like Louis CK, Amy Schumer, Jim Jefferies type of humor so we are not easily offended.) Also, I can't wait to see some more Non-Disney movies.

I forgot to mention we did see some of the comedy shows and they were hysterical-- even the family friendly ones!