CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[mevelandry]

Bermuda does look pretty nice! Have a look at NCL as well. They have cruises from New York and also from Boston if that is of interest to you. It would be nice if Carnival did longer cruises to Bermuda but they don't seem to have many. NCL does them weekly all summer, from April I believe. Just a thought they also have some good deals sometimes, and charge in CAD so you don't have to worry about fluctuating exchange rates.

I've checked with NCL but they only do 7 days (which is too long for my FIL and MIL) and they are at least 300$ more per person (still a pretty good value, just too long for them!).

I've seen 5 nights with Carnival in the past years but I don't think they do it in June or at least they didn't announce it for 2020.

RCCL also offers rates (and everything else) in CAD.

 

[mevelandry]

Oh. New Carnival website. What do you think of it?

I'm a little lost but I like it... I think?

EDIT: I just noticed that it worked better than before and we now have the possibility to add gratuities online. Love it!

 

[hdrolfe]

Oh. New Carnival website. What do you think of it?

I'm a little lost but I like it... I think?

EDIT: I just noticed that it worked better than before and we now have the possibility to add gratuities online. Love it!

Not sure when it changed? The landing page for the booked cruise is different but when you click to a page from there it's the same (so far?). My next once (March 2020) doesn't list excursions yet, I guess they'll show up later. You can select your dining choice (I have My Time for the next one, but it looks like you can choose the one you want) and also the bed set up you want (we do two twins since I travel with kiddo and he KICKS in his sleep). I do like it better than RCL's any way! or NCL's for that matter lol. No experience with Disney's site so can't compare to that one.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

It looks the same to me but I probably need to get rid of cookies. I hate doing that because I lose other stuff. I have always loved Carnival's site and find it the most user friendly of all the cruise sites.

 

[hdrolfe]

It looks the same to me but I probably need to get rid of cookies. I hate doing that because I lose other stuff. I have always loved Carnival's site and find it the most user friendly of all the cruise sites.

It was only once I logged in to check on my cruise that I saw any differences, before then it looked the same to me... the booking screens all looked the same.

 

[mevelandry]

Not sure when it changed? The landing page for the booked cruise is different but when you click to a page from there it's the same (so far?). My next once (March 2020) doesn't list excursions yet, I guess they'll show up later. You can select your dining choice (I have My Time for the next one, but it looks like you can choose the one you want) and also the bed set up you want (we do two twins since I travel with kiddo and he KICKS in his sleep). I do like it better than RCL's any way! or NCL's for that matter lol. No experience with Disney's site so can't compare to that one.

I get the new page as soon as I click on my countdown to access my planner.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I see the new website now. Interesting how everyone seems to be going with the same wall to wall photo look on their websites. Haven't used it enough yet to comment more.

 

[mevelandry]

I see the new website now. Interesting how everyone seems to be going with the same wall to wall photo look on their websites. Haven't used it enough yet to comment more.

I did as my FIL and MIL paid their cruise in full yesterday and their gratuities (love the fact that they added that option). It's functional. No complaint.

 

[mevelandry]

In a shocking turn of event (Not!) yesterday, my husband announced to me that, in retrospect, he did not really enjoy the Carnival Sensation as much as the Vista and Victory and he said: "If we sail on Carnival again in the future (after our spring cruise) we should stick to new and bigger ships".

I agree with him. I was looking at the pictures of the cruise ships we have sailed on to this day and it was our least favorite. We missed the bigger ships and we even missed DCL a little bit while we were on it. I guess we are not made for the Fantasy class.

We had a big conversation on the things we liked the least on each ship and what went wrong here and there. The Sensation was the one with the worst score. Even the guests were so-so on that one (too much twerking contests for my taste, I'm a prude. LOL).

We kinda feel that we'll be ready to branch out again soon. Our conclusion was: "We need something that would feel just as "Not snotty & fun like Carnival Ship" and "Classic look & slightly more family friendly, like a Disney Ship".

 

[trvlgirlmq]

In a shocking turn of event (Not!) yesterday, my husband announced to me that, in retrospect, he did not really enjoy the Carnival Sensation as much as the Vista and Victory and he said: "If we sail on Carnival again in the future (after our spring cruise) we should stick to new and bigger ships".

I agree with him. I was looking at the pictures of the cruise ships we have sailed on to this day and it was our least favorite. We missed the bigger ships and we even missed DCL a little bit while we were on it. I guess we are not made for the Fantasy class.

We had a big conversation on the things we liked the least on each ship and what went wrong here and there. The Sensation was the one with the worst score. Even the guests were so-so on that one (too much twerking contests for my taste, I'm a prude. LOL).

We kinda feel that we'll be ready to branch out again soon. Our conclusion was: "We need something that would feel just as "Not snotty & fun like Carnival Ship" and "Classic look & slightly more family friendly, like a Disney Ship".

I agree with your husband! We have done 2 Fantasy class ships and did not care for them. We love the bigger ships with bells & whistles. We just booked our Fall girls trip on the Valor. Not as big as Vista class but better than the smaller ships.

 

[hdrolfe]

In a shocking turn of event (Not!) yesterday, my husband announced to me that, in retrospect, he did not really enjoy the Carnival Sensation as much as the Vista and Victory and he said: "If we sail on Carnival again in the future (after our spring cruise) we should stick to new and bigger ships".

I agree with him. I was looking at the pictures of the cruise ships we have sailed on to this day and it was our least favorite. We missed the bigger ships and we even missed DCL a little bit while we were on it. I guess we are not made for the Fantasy class.

We had a big conversation on the things we liked the least on each ship and what went wrong here and there. The Sensation was the one with the worst score. Even the guests were so-so on that one (too much twerking contests for my taste, I'm a prude. LOL).

We kinda feel that we'll be ready to branch out again soon. Our conclusion was: "We need something that would feel just as "Not snotty & fun like Carnival Ship" and "Classic look & slightly more family friendly, like a Disney Ship".

We haven't gone on a fantasy class ship. Our first cruise was on Carnival Liberty when it was still doing 7-night cruises and it is what got us hooked, even without the bells and whistles. We loved Carnival Magic. The water slides and ropes course were big hits, which is good since we are booked on it again next year! I wanted to try Horizon but it was a 6-night cruise and Magic is 8-nights so... we went longer.

Even on RCL we preferred the bigger ship, and we have not done Oasis class yet! We went on Majesty for a 4-night when it was in Port Canaveral and it was a Party, kiddo was young enough not to really notice but I kept a close watch while he was in the pool. There were a lot of people rather drunk on that trip. It wasn't our best cruise but it was still a cruise, so good. We then went on Freedom twice and it was much more sedate, or perhaps it was simply big enough that we could avoid what we don't enjoy. Plan at the moment though is Carnival, bigger/newer ships. They are the most fun to us!

You guys might like the Conquest class, they ships are a nice size and because they don't have the big waterslides/water parks/ropes courses they tend to attract fewer kids. They also have a nice adults only area, and the pool at the back is adults only as well. It could also be the length of the cruise, I'd say 6 nights and up is calmer than the shorter ones.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We have also not been on a Fantasy class ship. We have been on Conquest though and loved it. Is the "new" Radiance in the Fantasy class? We are considering trying that one. It is funny when your spouse says things after the fact like that. We bought a house about fifteen years ago and right after we signed, got the keys and walked in the door, dh was like, "I really don't like this house." Wow, totally shocked. Lol

 

[mevelandry]

We haven't gone on a fantasy class ship. Our first cruise was on Carnival Liberty when it was still doing 7-night cruises and it is what got us hooked, even without the bells and whistles. We loved Carnival Magic. The water slides and ropes course were big hits, which is good since we are booked on it again next year! I wanted to try Horizon but it was a 6-night cruise and Magic is 8-nights so... we went longer.

Even on RCL we preferred the bigger ship, and we have not done Oasis class yet! We went on Majesty for a 4-night when it was in Port Canaveral and it was a Party, kiddo was young enough not to really notice but I kept a close watch while he was in the pool. There were a lot of people rather drunk on that trip. It wasn't our best cruise but it was still a cruise, so good. We then went on Freedom twice and it was much more sedate, or perhaps it was simply big enough that we could avoid what we don't enjoy. Plan at the moment though is Carnival, bigger/newer ships. They are the most fun to us!

You guys might like the Conquest class, they ships are a nice size and because they don't have the big waterslides/water parks/ropes courses they tend to attract fewer kids. They also have a nice adults only area, and the pool at the back is adults only as well. It could also be the length of the cruise, I'd say 6 nights and up is calmer than the shorter ones.

Our upcoming cruise is on the Liberty. *Fingers crossed*

p.s.: We love big waterslides/water parks/ropes courses...

 

[mevelandry]

We have also not been on a Fantasy class ship. We have been on Conquest though and loved it. Is the "new" Radiance in the Fantasy class? We are considering trying that one. It is funny when your spouse says things after the fact like that. We bought a house about fifteen years ago and right after we signed, got the keys and walked in the door, dh was like, "I really don't like this house." Wow, totally shocked. Lol

That's funny! Did you keep the house?


Carnival Victory/Radiance is the Triumph Class. We loved her and sailed on her twice. The ship is already awesome. Can't wait to see what she's going to become.


It's funny because for pretty much all the cruise on the Sensation my husband kept saying that the ship was "perfectly fine". Then by the end of the cruise, he said: "I think I prefer bigger ships"... Then yesterday: "I'm gonna sound like a snob but... the Sensation kinda sucked."

The problem with the Fantasy class is that it's small so it's harder to avoid meeting the same people over and over. And unfortunately, passengers were also a little bit less "well behaved" on the Sensation. Not enough to ruin our cruise but enough to think that maybe we should avoid shorter cruises and smaller ships in the future.

We still have a 4 nights in April and we are praying that it's going to be more like our 3 first Carnival cruises that were more quiet. Also, we have booked large balconies so we are ready to avoid other people a little bit more...

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I keep looking into the Inspiration and Imagination out of Long Beach for a long weekend. It’s only a 6 hour drive from our house, but I just can’t book it. It’s only a few hundred dollars per person, but I just can’t get excited about either of those ships. I seriously doubt I’ll ever sail a Fantasy class ship. I got really spoiled being on Vista for my first Carnival Cruise. I’m even a little hesitant for the Radiance transatlantic we have booked. I’m sure it will be fine and I’m really excited to try Shaq’s Chicken restaurant on board!

 

[mevelandry]

I keep looking into the Inspiration and Imagination out of Long Beach for a long weekend. It’s only a 6 hour drive from our house, but I just can’t book it. It’s only a few hundred dollars per person, but I just can’t get excited about either of those ships. I seriously doubt I’ll ever sail a Fantasy class ship. I got really spoiled being on Vista for my first Carnival Cruise. I’m even a little hesitant for the Radiance transatlantic we have booked. I’m sure it will be fine and I’m really excited to try Shaq’s Chicken restaurant on board!

I wouldn't hesitate with the Radiance/Victory. I've sailed on her before and after sailing the Vista and called her "Tiny Vista" all along on the 2nd sailing ...

Plus, she's going under a major dry dock and will be even better (closer from what we got on the Vista).

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

That's funny! Did you keep the house?


Carnival Victory/Radiance is the Triumph Class. We loved her and sailed on her twice. The ship is already awesome. Can't wait to see what she's going to become.


It's funny because for pretty much all the cruise on the Sensation my husband kept saying that the ship was "perfectly fine". Then by the end of the cruise, he said: "I think I prefer bigger ships"... Then yesterday: "I'm gonna sound like a snob but... the Sensation kinda sucked."

The problem with the Fantasy class is that it's small so it's harder to avoid meeting the same people over and over. And unfortunately, passengers were also a little bit less "well behaved" on the Sensation. Not enough to ruin our cruise but enough to think that maybe we should avoid shorter cruises and smaller ships in the future.

We still have a 4 nights in April and we are praying that it's going to be more like our 3 first Carnival cruises that were more quiet. Also, we have booked large balconies so we are ready to avoid other people a little bit more...

I should know this from reading your posts, but your April cruise, is it on Sensation too? I agree that the other passengers on board do make a big difference in your experience.

We did keep the house but moved after about 7 years. That was about 5 years ago. It was an ongoing joke the entire time we lived there about how much he hated it. I thought maybe he would feel differently over time, and we tried to change some things about the house, but in the end we gave up and moved about 15 minutes further out to a more open floor plan home. He is much happier now. Lol

But the way you described your husband's delayed reaction reminded me of my dh's delayed reaction. I can understand because sometimes I do not realize things right away too. But now I always ask are you sure about 10 times before we do anything that involves money. Before we book cruises I always put the cruise on hold and ask him if he is sure again a couple of days later. At that point he is usually like I thought you already booked that. But the hold is also for me to be sure myself. Usually, when we put a hold on a Carnival cruise we do book. It is the opposite with DCL. Apparently unlike houses, dh is not as particular about cruises and will go on any one (well except msc he said). But... Carnival is not his favorite cruise line. He likes it more than DCL for the pricing (he says their pricing is just obscene) but he really wants to try Royal and Celebrity. Our kids really love Carnival. I like it too but I am more cost focused than dh. We keep meaning to try other lines but time just gets away from us.

 

[AndreaDM]

I have only sailed the Fantasy & the Legend and would love to try one of the newer, bigger ships. BUT, I also really want to go to Cuba so that really limits us. It seems all lines that sail there use their smaller ships so I'm assuming it's due to docking issues. We are sailing out of Tampa in October so I'll be surprised if there are many kids on board, seems that most people who take those cruises do so specifically for Cuba. We sailed the Legend out of Tampa in Jan. like 5-6 years ago and I thought we were on a floating senior's home lol!

My fiance has never cruised, he was in the Navy so isn't too keen on spending more time on ships. I've told him it's not like he has to go up on deck to do night watch or anything haha. I'm hoping this 5 day cruise on a smaller ship will give him the cruise bug as well and we can plan more trips. He loved All-Inclusive vacations so I know he'll like not getting a bill at the end of each meal. Still debating on the Cheers package since we will have 3 port days and won't be on the ship that much.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I keep looking into the Inspiration and Imagination out of Long Beach for a long weekend. It’s only a 6 hour drive from our house, but I just can’t book it. It’s only a few hundred dollars per person, but I just can’t get excited about either of those ships. I seriously doubt I’ll ever sail a Fantasy class ship. I got really spoiled being on Vista for my first Carnival Cruise. I’m even a little hesitant for the Radiance transatlantic we have booked. I’m sure it will be fine and I’m really excited to try Shaq’s Chicken restaurant on board!

I wouldn't bother with the smaller ships! I am really sad we won't be on Radiance. I wanted to try all the new stuff! But, my mom isn't getting any younger (who is?) and she has been saying for years she wants to visit Dubrovnik hence the switch to Legend. I am not excited about the ship at all. They don't even have Dive In Movies. Ok, trying not to think too much about it!

 

[mevelandry]

I should know this from reading your posts, but your April cruise, is it on Sensation too? I agree that the other passengers on board do make a big difference in your experience.

We did keep the house but moved after about 7 years. That was about 5 years ago. It was an ongoing joke the entire time we lived there about how much he hated it. I thought maybe he would feel differently over time, and we tried to change some things about the house, but in the end we gave up and moved about 15 minutes further out to a more open floor plan home. He is much happier now. Lol

But the way you described your husband's delayed reaction reminded me of my dh's delayed reaction. I can understand because sometimes I do not realize things right away too. But now I always ask are you sure about 10 times before we do anything that involves money. Before we book cruises I always put the cruise on hold and ask him if he is sure again a couple of days later. At that point he is usually like I thought you already booked that. But the hold is also for me to be sure myself. Usually, when we put a hold on a Carnival cruise we do book. It is the opposite with DCL. Apparently unlike houses, dh is not as particular about cruises and will go on any one (well except msc he said). But... Carnival is not his favorite cruise line. He likes it more than DCL for the pricing (he says their pricing is just obscene) but he really wants to try Royal and Celebrity. Our kids really love Carnival. I like it too but I am more cost focused than dh. We keep meaning to try other lines but time just gets away from us.

Yes, April 2018 was my cruise one and only cruise the Sensation. April 2019 will be on the Carnival Liberty. (I'm sorry, I should have been more precise. I can't expect you to remember every single detail of MY vacations LOL) ...

It's hard to "branch out" and try another line as there are no way to make sure our time and money will be well invested. We tend to be more confident in what we already know.

It feels like every time I plan a cruise on another cruise line, something is coming up in the media regarding said cruise line. Ex: The Breakaway stuck in a tempest a few months ago. Yesterday, someone poster about bed bugs on their RCCL cruises. I'm trying not to get scared (just like I've been happily surprised with Carnival after I heard all those horror stories about drunk people puking, doing no.1 etc and other non-family friendly things in the pools., which I have never encountered --thank God!-- on my 4 cruises)...