CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[we"reofftoneverland]

Well, in a fit of boredom at work my mom and I decided to just go ahead and book our adult only Fall cruise for 2020! Eeek. We will be back on my favorite Breeze for a 6 night to Grand Turk, HMC & Amber Cove. I've only been to GT so I am excited about HMC and meh on Amber Cove. We also decided to try a cove balcony as we usually do regular ones. This may change if there are price drops and we decide to upgrade.

Awesome!

 

[mcd2745]

So, we are leaving tomorrow morning for our Horizon cruise (first ever on Carnival) on Saturday. I think it's normal, but we've been feeling a little nervous about it - being something new after 6 DCL, 3 RCCL, and 2 NCL cruises. What hasn't helped is some of the posts we've seen from people in our cruise group on "the social media site that shall not be named here on the DIS" making us wonder what the heck we've gotten into with the "Carnival crowd". As an example, people were wondering why the Carnival Hub app doesn't basically have an equivalent of Tinder built into it for people on the ship to hook up. Perhaps, I'm just old.

 

[mevelandry]

In the recent days, we've seen reappearing the news of the failed inspection of the Carnival Fantasy...

I noticed that the rest of the recent inspections (2018-2019) are pretty good and they are usually scoring notes in the 90+.

The previous Fantasy inspection had a great score.

I wonder what happened?

 

[mevelandry]

So, we are leaving tomorrow morning for our Horizon cruise (first ever on Carnival) on Saturday. I think it's normal, but we've been feeling a little nervous about it - being something new after 6 DCL, 3 RCCL, and 2 NCL cruises. What hasn't helped is some of the posts we've seen from people in our cruise group on "the social media site that shall not be named here on the DIS" making us wonder what the heck we've gotten into with the "Carnival crowd". As an example, people were wondering why the Carnival Hub app doesn't basically have an equivalent of Tinder built into it for people on the ship to hook up. Perhaps, I'm just old.

Can you be more specific about what you have read? Other than this weird suggestion for hook ups? (WTH?!?!?) LOL

I could rant for hours about the overrated "Carnival crowd" reputation.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

So, we are leaving tomorrow morning for our Horizon cruise (first ever on Carnival) on Saturday. I think it's normal, but we've been feeling a little nervous about it - being something new after 6 DCL, 3 RCCL, and 2 NCL cruises. What hasn't helped is some of the posts we've seen from people in our cruise group on "the social media site that shall not be named here on the DIS" making us wonder what the heck we've gotten into with the "Carnival crowd". As an example, people were wondering why the Carnival Hub app doesn't basically have an equivalent of Tinder built into it for people on the ship to hook up. Perhaps, I'm just old.

Don't worry too much. The party crowd (if there is any) won't even get out of bed until Noon Then they will bake in the sun before going to dinner and then the club or bars to dance the night away. You will probably never see them!

On a more serious note, have a great time. Eat lots of tacos from Blue Iguana and pizza (so good). Try the cakes at the lunch buffet. Sit on deck and watch the ocean. It might not be as classy as the other cruise lines but it is a relaxing vacation with your family.

 

[belle032]

So, we are leaving tomorrow morning for our Horizon cruise (first ever on Carnival) on Saturday. I think it's normal, but we've been feeling a little nervous about it - being something new after 6 DCL, 3 RCCL, and 2 NCL cruises. What hasn't helped is some of the posts we've seen from people in our cruise group on "the social media site that shall not be named here on the DIS" making us wonder what the heck we've gotten into with the "Carnival crowd". As an example, people were wondering why the Carnival Hub app doesn't basically have an equivalent of Tinder built into it for people on the ship to hook up. Perhaps, I'm just old.

Ok before I was married and I worked at WDW, I often wished for a Disney themed dating app! It would have been awesome to find someone who shares that Disney love! But in all seriousness, go and have a great vacation! I've heard wonderful things about the Horizon and it looks like she is a beautiful ship. Don't walk on board and immediately start looking for drunken craziness because chances are you are just going to worry yourself to death (and not find it!). Check out the Fun Times newsletter or the app and see what you want to do that day and avoid any activities you don't. Side note: avoid the adult comedy shows and the Quest game if you don't want to be a part of anything that could be considered risque or inappropriate. But unfortunately, I think people get it in their minds that as soon as you walk onto a Carnival ship it's like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras....and it's really just not that at all.

So just have an amazing vacation and enjoy yourselves! And please feel free to come back and tell us all about it - both good and bad.

In the recent days, we've seen reappearing the news of the failed inspection of the Carnival Fantasy...

I noticed that the rest of the recent inspections (2018-2019) are pretty good and they are usually scoring notes in the 90+.

The previous Fantasy inspection had a great score.

I wonder what happened?

I honestly think it might be time to retire the Fantasy. It's either the oldest or maybe second oldest (is the Fascination older?) and I think she deserves to rest. With multiple new ships coming out, I would be all for slowly letting some old ones go.

 

[mevelandry]

I honestly think it might be time to retire the Fantasy. It's either the oldest or maybe second oldest (is the Fascination older?) and I think she deserves to rest. With multiple new ships coming out, I would be all for slowly letting some old ones go.

I've been thinking the same thing. Also, Fantasy and Fascination are repeat offenders when it comes to failing CDC inspections. Bye Bye!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I honestly think it might be time to retire the Fantasy. It's either the oldest or maybe second oldest (is the Fascination older?) and I think she deserves to rest. With multiple new ships coming out, I would be all for slowly letting some old ones go.

Yes, as of now the Fantasy is the oldest ship. The clientele is usually on the older side as well.

 

[StarSeven7]

OK has anyone been on the Fascination? Somewhat recently? I really like the Southern Caribbean itinerary and the prices are great for the ports. The ship looks like it has some upgrades, but the ship itself does play a part in our cruising decisions and it being the oldest & smallest ship worries me. Does anyone have experience?

My parents are booked on the Fascination in January, so I can’t give you any feedback yet! We also read over Mitsugirly’s review. They only paid around $1200 for the 2 of them for an inside room on a 7 night Southern Caribbean and they’re pretty laid back and not fussy so they figured it would be fine for them. It’s also their first cruise so they have nothing to compare it to. We’ll see how they feel afterwards!

 

[mcd2745]

Can you be more specific about what you have read? Other than this weird suggestion for hook ups? (WTH?!?!?) LOL

I could rant for hours about the overrated "Carnival crowd" reputation.

Don't worry too much. The party crowd (if there is any) won't even get out of bed until Noon Then they will bake in the sun before going to dinner and then the club or bars to dance the night away. You will probably never see them!

On a more serious note, have a great time. Eat lots of tacos from Blue Iguana and pizza (so good). Try the cakes at the lunch buffet. Sit on deck and watch the ocean. It might not be as classy as the other cruise lines but it is a relaxing vacation with your family.

Ok before I was married and I worked at WDW, I often wished for a Disney themed dating app! It would have been awesome to find someone who shares that Disney love! But in all seriousness, go and have a great vacation! I've heard wonderful things about the Horizon and it looks like she is a beautiful ship. Don't walk on board and immediately start looking for drunken craziness because chances are you are just going to worry yourself to death (and not find it!). Check out the Fun Times newsletter or the app and see what you want to do that day and avoid any activities you don't. Side note: avoid the adult comedy shows and the Quest game if you don't want to be a part of anything that could be considered risque or inappropriate. But unfortunately, I think people get it in their minds that as soon as you walk onto a Carnival ship it's like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras....and it's really just not that at all.

So just have an amazing vacation and enjoy yourselves! And please feel free to come back and tell us all about it - both good and bad.

I'm sure it will be fine and we'll have a great time. As is typically the case, the activity in our cruise group really ratcheted up over the last few weeks, and the "party crowd" is still really in the minority. We had similar apprehensions when we did Alaska (on DCL) a couple of years ago. In the weeks leading up to it, we started Wonder-ing (see what I did there?...i know, lame "dad joke") if we made a big mistake not sticking to the Caribbean. Ended up being our absolute favorite cruise out of all the ones we have done. So it's just our normal feelings before a "first". We definitely are not offended or turned off by anything we'd see/hear at the adult comedy shows or the late night "Newlyweds"-type game shows they do, we enjoy them. Perhaps just a little more sensitive to the talk of things like "hooking up" now that we have a 14-yr old daughter.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Well, in a fit of boredom at work my mom and I decided to just go ahead and book our adult only Fall cruise for 2020! Eeek. We will be back on my favorite Breeze for a 6 night to Grand Turk, HMC & Amber Cove. I've only been to GT so I am excited about HMC and meh on Amber Cove. We also decided to try a cove balcony as we usually do regular ones. This may change if there are price drops and we decide to upgrade.

I want to try a cove balcony so bad, I just can’t talk my wife into it though. I hope you keep it and can give us a report on it.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

So, we are leaving tomorrow morning for our Horizon cruise (first ever on Carnival) on Saturday. I think it's normal, but we've been feeling a little nervous about it - being something new after 6 DCL, 3 RCCL, and 2 NCL cruises. What hasn't helped is some of the posts we've seen from people in our cruise group on "the social media site that shall not be named here on the DIS" making us wonder what the heck we've gotten into with the "Carnival crowd". As an example, people were wondering why the Carnival Hub app doesn't basically have an equivalent of Tinder built into it for people on the ship to hook up. Perhaps, I'm just old.

I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised at the clientele on Horizon, especially for the 8 night itinerary. When we did that as a B2B followed by the 6 night on Vista in 2017, the vibe was completely different between the 2 cruises. Everyone was so calm and just wanting to relax on the 8 night portion. The people on the 6 night were fine, but just more ready to have a good time. We earned gold status in 3 years on Carnival and have never heard of anyone wanting a Tinder type portion on the Hub app - crazy!! I think you’ll have a great time and Curaçao is amazing, by far my favorite Caribbean island.

 

[belle032]

I'm sure it will be fine and we'll have a great time. As is typically the case, the activity in our cruise group really ratcheted up over the last few weeks, and the "party crowd" is still really in the minority. We had similar apprehensions when we did Alaska (on DCL) a couple of years ago. In the weeks leading up to it, we started Wonder-ing (see what I did there?...i know, lame "dad joke") if we made a big mistake not sticking to the Caribbean. Ended up being our absolute favorite cruise out of all the ones we have done. So it's just our normal feelings before a "first". We definitely are not offended or turned off by anything we'd see/hear at the adult comedy shows or the late night "Newlyweds"-type game shows they do, we enjoy them. Perhaps just a little more sensitive to the talk of things like "hooking up" now that we have a 14-yr old daughter.

I absolutely understand the jitters when trying something new! Especially when you're spending your hard earned time and money on an experience and you're not quite sure how it will turn out or compare to something else! And I hope I didn't offend you with saying "definitely avoid this or that," it's just that a lot of people who "complain" about Carnival say they showed up to a comedy show or other activity and were horrified at how adult it was and how no one warned them or whatever. I didn't mean to throw you in that category! So after all my rambling, just have a GREAT time!

 

[mevelandry]

I'm sure it will be fine and we'll have a great time. As is typically the case, the activity in our cruise group really ratcheted up over the last few weeks, and the "party crowd" is still really in the minority. We had similar apprehensions when we did Alaska (on DCL) a couple of years ago. In the weeks leading up to it, we started Wonder-ing (see what I did there?...i know, lame "dad joke") if we made a big mistake not sticking to the Caribbean. Ended up being our absolute favorite cruise out of all the ones we have done. So it's just our normal feelings before a "first". We definitely are not offended or turned off by anything we'd see/hear at the adult comedy shows or the late night "Newlyweds"-type game shows they do, we enjoy them. Perhaps just a little more sensitive to the talk of things like "hooking up" now that we have a 14-yr old daughter.

Not gonna lie, I stopped subscribing to cruise groups because I would see people on FB that would make me go "Ooffff... Party Animals" (that and all the "alcohol smugglers" & "swingers" threads on Reddit... Yikes!) and would always worry about the ambiance... Turns out, I never noticed any of them and had a great time every time!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I want to try a cove balcony so bad, I just can’t talk my wife into it though. I hope you keep it and can give us a report on it.

We'll see! I am a bit worried about hurricane weather and I know they close the balconies off if the waves are too high. That is the only thing that would really keep me from enjoying the room.

 

[belle032]

We have officially booked the Conquest (again!) for a 7 day Western Caribbean on January 24, 2020. Ports in Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay & Grand Cayman. Looking at dates and overall price, this one worked the best for us and we honestly really liked the Conquest last time, so no regrets!

This is our first time going with just another couple so I think it'll be a little different than normal, but we are both the types of couples that have no problem doing our own thing. You know how you have friends that you love dearly but would never want to vacation with them? Luckily these aren't those people.

We will be buying the beverage package and might actually do a few excursions this time. I really want to do a Mayan ruins excursion in Belize and we'll need something new to do in Cozumel for sure! If anyone has suggestions for what they enjoyed in our ports, feel free to post!

 

[mevelandry]

We have officially booked the Conquest (again!) for a 7 day Western Caribbean on January 24, 2020. Ports in Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay & Grand Cayman. Looking at dates and overall price, this one worked the best for us and we honestly really liked the Conquest last time, so no regrets!

This is our first time going with just another couple so I think it'll be a little different than normal, but we are both the types of couples that have no problem doing our own thing. You know how you have friends that you love dearly but would never want to vacation with them? Luckily these aren't those people.

We will be buying the beverage package and might actually do a few excursions this time. I really want to do a Mayan ruins excursion in Belize and we'll need something new to do in Cozumel for sure! If anyone has suggestions for what they enjoyed in our ports, feel free to post!

Grand Cayman: Royal Palms Beach Club.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

I found this article pretty interesting, just talks about Mardi Gras and the future of Carnival. I really feel like they are trying really hard to get rid of their party reputation, and at the same time attracting more families. https://cruiseradio.net/how-mardi-g...wt2bGccLr54pS0gb-FpoIrCLnZBsNreDkvVTwbpv50pqs

 

[mevelandry]

I found this article pretty interesting, just talks about Mardi Gras and the future of Carnival. I really feel like they are trying really hard to get rid of their party reputation, and at the same time attracting more families. https://cruiseradio.net/how-mardi-g...wt2bGccLr54pS0gb-FpoIrCLnZBsNreDkvVTwbpv50pqs

I really feel like the Mardi Gras will be the beginning of a new era for Carnival. IMO, with the Vista, Horizon and Panorama, they were already going "somewhere else" but THIS is definitely a 180 degree.

 

[mevelandry]

Anyone cruising this week? Can't wait to see how Dorian will affect all cruises...