CARNIVAL VS DCL: The discussion and comparison thread!

[mevelandry]

Some people go out for valentines day... our tradition is to bake Palo's chocolate souffle.

Who needs a valentine's day date when you can feast on Palo's souffle?!? ❤

 

[mevelandry]

And the update none of you has asked for:

The Carnival Warm Chocolate Melting Cake that I have baked myself (ridiculously easy to make)! Just like Palo's Chocolate Souffle, it was to die for.

 

[wombat_5606]

And the update none of you has asked for:

The Carnival Warm Chocolate Melting Cake that I have baked myself (ridiculously easy to make)! Just like Palo's Chocolate Souffle, it was to die for.

Would you please share your recipe? That looks absolutely delicious and picture perfect!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

And the update none of you has asked for:

The Carnival Warm Chocolate Melting Cake that I have baked myself (ridiculously easy to make)! Just like Palo's Chocolate Souffle, it was to die for.

View attachment 500420

I have made this too but we bake it all the way through. We like the cake part, not the melting part!

 

[hdrolfe]

Official Carnival recipe https://www.carnival.com/recipes/melting-chocolate-cake-recipe.aspx

CARNIVAL’S MELTING CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
Are you craving some chocolate cake? Learn how to make Carnival’s famous melting chocolate cake at home!

SERVES
4 servings

TOTAL TIME
14 Mins

DIFFICULTY
2/5
INGREDIENTS:

• 6oz Dark Chocolate
• 6oz Butter
• 4 Eggs
• 3oz Sugar
• 2oz Flour

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Melt the chocolate and butter
2. Mix eggs and sugar and whisk for a few minutes, then add flour
3. Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate and mix
4. Pour the mix in a greased mold
5. Bake directly in the oven at 390°F for 14 minutes

 

[mevelandry]

Official Carnival recipe https://www.carnival.com/recipes/melting-chocolate-cake-recipe.aspx

CARNIVAL’S MELTING CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
Are you craving some chocolate cake? Learn how to make Carnival’s famous melting chocolate cake at home!

SERVES
4 servings

TOTAL TIME
14 Mins

DIFFICULTY
2/5
INGREDIENTS:

• 6oz Dark Chocolate
• 6oz Butter
• 4 Eggs
• 3oz Sugar
• 2oz Flour

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Melt the chocolate and butter
2. Mix eggs and sugar and whisk for a few minutes, then add flour
3. Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate and mix
4. Pour the mix in a greased mold
5. Bake directly in the oven at 390°F for 14 minutes

This is the recipe I used.

It takes about 5 min to mix and it's ready to eat within 30 minutes.

 

[mevelandry]

I have made this too but we bake it all the way through. We like the cake part, not the melting part!

I'm sure it's just as good.

 

[AquaDame]

Thanks for the recipe!! soon as we finish the lemon tart I made last night I'm trying this...!

 

[wombat_5606]

Thanks for the recipe!! soon as we finish the lemon tart I made last night I'm trying this...!

Thanks, now I want a lemon tart!

 

[AquaDame]

Thanks, now I want a lemon tart!

In case you're serious...

The recipe is from Americas Test Kitchen (it came out VERY lemony but I like that!)

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 ½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces) sugar
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• Filling
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus ½ cup juice (3 lemons)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.
3. Add oil and water and stir until uniform dough forms.
4. Using your hands, crumble three-quarters of dough over bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough to even thickness in bottom of pan. Crumble remaining dough and scatter evenly around edge of pan, then press crumbled dough into fluted sides of pan. Press dough to even thickness.
5. Place pan on rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and firm to touch, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
6. For the filling: About 5 minutes before crust is finished baking, whisk sugar, flour, and salt in medium saucepan until combined.
7. Whisk in eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remain.
8. Whisk in lemon zest and juice.
9. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping corners of saucepan, until mixture thickens slightly and registers 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.
10. Off heat, whisk in oil until incorporated.
11. Strain curd through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Pour curd into warm tart shell.
12. Bake until filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken, 8 to 12 minutes. Let tart cool completely on wire rack, at least 2 hours.
13. Remove outer metal ring of tart pan. Slide thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom, then carefully slide tart onto serving platter.
14. Cut tart into wedges, wiping knife clean between cuts if necessary, and serve. (Leftovers can be wrapped loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Additional notes
Use a fresh, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil here; our favorite is California Olive Ranch Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Make sure that all your metal equipment—saucepan, strainer, and whisk—is nonreactive, or the filling may have a metallic flavor.

 

[wombat_5606]

In case you're serious...

I was. Thank you for posting your recipe.

Since it's now getting a little warm where I live, I've been craving lemons. I bought a 3 lb bag from Sam's this week, so I'm happy to have this.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

After our 9 night Fantasy Cruise got cancelled we decided to book Carnival Horizon for 6 night on 8/2. My wife is a teacher but she decided she’d take a week off from school, (we start in July in our district). We found out our kids college decide to start on 8/12 now instead of 8/24 That means we would get back on 8/8 and have to drive up to northern Arizona to get them moved in on 8/9. It’s not a big deal for our son because he’s just moving into the fraternity house and is already established. Our daughter is starting her first year up there and still doesn’t even know when they’re opening up the dorms to move in there. So even if Carnival doesn’t cancel our cruise, we still may have to if daughter decides she wants to go to school earlier.

If Horizon gets cancelled, I’ve now booked Carnival Panorama for the first week in December. We wouldn’t normally be able to do a cruise then but the purpose of NAU starting early is so the semester ends at Thanksgiving. My wife said she could take that week off instead of August.

I’m bound and determined to get a cruise in this year!

 

[belle032]

After our 9 night Fantasy Cruise got cancelled we decided to book Carnival Horizon for 6 night on 8/2. My wife is a teacher but she decided she’d take a week off from school, (we start in July in our district). We found out our kids college decide to start on 8/12 now instead of 8/24 That means we would get back on 8/8 and have to drive up to northern Arizona to get them moved in on 8/9. It’s not a big deal for our son because he’s just moving into the fraternity house and is already established. Our daughter is starting her first year up there and still doesn’t even know when they’re opening up the dorms to move in there. So even if Carnival doesn’t cancel our cruise, we still may have to if daughter decides she wants to go to school earlier.

If Horizon gets cancelled, I’ve now booked Carnival Panorama for the first week in December. We wouldn’t normally be able to do a cruise then but the purpose of NAU starting early is so the semester ends at Thanksgiving. My wife said she could take that week off instead of August.

I’m bound and determined to get a cruise in this year!

I hear you about cruising this year. I have at least 5 sailings saved on the Carnival website right now! And I'd like to make a decision by the end of the month because DH got a great casino rate and it expires June 30. We'd love another 8 day, but none of the dates seem to be working out for us.

I'm looking at a bunch of Magic sailings, particularly a 7 night on Oct. 31. We'd love to do a Halloween cruise, but I worry that there's more likelihood of cancellation if they don't get somewhat up and running by August.

Also, looking at 2 different sailings the weekend directly after Thanksgiving. The same Magic out of Miami and also a 6 night on the Radiance out of Port Canaveral. In my mind, we could fly down a day or 2 early, do Disney Springs & a value resort before going to the port on Sunday. However, you can't make any reservations on the Disney site, who knows if they'll even take new reservations, don't know cost, etc. Lots of unknowns with that one. And, just found out our dog boarding place is closed that week, which could be a deal breaker.

And now I'm looking at another 7 night the first week of December. It's a touch more pricey (flights seem really expensive and I'm not sure why?). Magic again, but prefer the itinerary. And I feel like if ships will be more likely to sail and have a new "routine" up and running relatively smoothly.

Ugh so many factors & unknowns!

 

[hdrolfe]

Sorry you may not get to go on Horizon in August @Club Disney Chandler but it sounds like some exciting steps for your family! Getting the kids off to College and settled. And you would get to go on Panorama which is the same as Horizon but newer, and thus nicer

We have Horizon booked for early December and MSC for the week after it... I am still hopeful! But not sure what will happen with the border (we're in Canada). I know we can fly to the US at this point any way. Just have to isolate for two weeks when we return (so far, maybe that will change by December).

I'm looking at what to book after for late 2021 or early 2022 and not sure if we want to do RCL Harmony (with stops in both Labadee and Coco Cay) or Mardi Gras. I'd love to do both but the price is a bit high for both ships still since they are new and nice. If for some reason we don't get to do Horizon in December, maybe I'd consider a B2B on there instead. So many trips, so little time The benefit of Harmony or Mardi Gras is they are out of Port Canaveral and of course if we are all the way there, we have to go to Disney (or maybe Universal this time?) for at least a few days! Instead of B2B, land and sea

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Sorry you may not get to go on Horizon in August @Club Disney Chandler but it sounds like some exciting steps for your family! Getting the kids off to College and settled. And you would get to go on Panorama which is the same as Horizon but newer, and thus nicer

We have Horizon booked for early December and MSC for the week after it... I am still hopeful! But not sure what will happen with the border (we're in Canada). I know we can fly to the US at this point any way. Just have to isolate for two weeks when we return (so far, maybe that will change by December).

I'm looking at what to book after for late 2021 or early 2022 and not sure if we want to do RCL Harmony (with stops in both Labadee and Coco Cay) or Mardi Gras. I'd love to do both but the price is a bit high for both ships still since they are new and nice. If for some reason we don't get to do Horizon in December, maybe I'd consider a B2B on there instead. So many trips, so little time The benefit of Harmony or Mardi Gras is they are out of Port Canaveral and of course if we are all the way there, we have to go to Disney (or maybe Universal this time?) for at least a few days! Instead of B2B, land and sea

We have a B2B booked on Mardi Gras for June 2021 and the 8 night Greek Isles on the Disney Magic, I don’t know which one we’ll end up keeping. Both have pros and cons but I think I’m actually leaning toward Mardi Gras. I love the Disney ships and service but we always just end up having more fun on Carnival.

I really want to try RCCL so bad, but my wife really has no interest in them for some reason. One of these days maybe we’ll do it.

 

[mevelandry]

After our 9 night Fantasy Cruise got cancelled we decided to book Carnival Horizon for 6 night on 8/2. My wife is a teacher but she decided she’d take a week off from school, (we start in July in our district). We found out our kids college decide to start on 8/12 now instead of 8/24 That means we would get back on 8/8 and have to drive up to northern Arizona to get them moved in on 8/9. It’s not a big deal for our son because he’s just moving into the fraternity house and is already established. Our daughter is starting her first year up there and still doesn’t even know when they’re opening up the dorms to move in there. So even if Carnival doesn’t cancel our cruise, we still may have to if daughter decides she wants to go to school earlier.

If Horizon gets cancelled, I’ve now booked Carnival Panorama for the first week in December. We wouldn’t normally be able to do a cruise then but the purpose of NAU starting early is so the semester ends at Thanksgiving. My wife said she could take that week off instead of August.

I’m bound and determined to get a cruise in this year!

But if it doesn’t get cancelled... You’ll do both, right?

(I know I would! )

 

[mevelandry]

We have a B2B booked on Mardi Gras for June 2021 and the 8 night Greek Isles on the Disney Magic, I don’t know which one we’ll end up keeping. Both have pros and cons but I think I’m actually leaning toward Mardi Gras. I love the Disney ships and service but we always just end up having more fun on Carnival.

I really want to try RCCL so bad, but my wife really has no interest in them for some reason. One of these days maybe we’ll do it.

In my opinion, RCCL is the perfect mix between DCL and Carnival! The best of both worlds (Best buffet, specialty dining on par with specialty dining found on DCL and CCL, best selection of entertainment and amazing performers, excellent cleanliness, nice cabins, excellent service from the staff), best activities for kids, fun and large main pools and great adult section with gigantic hot tubs!!!

 

[hdrolfe]

In my opinion, RCCL is the perfect mix between DCL and Carnival! The best of both worlds (Best buffet, specialty dining on par with specialty dining found on DCL and CCL, best selection of entertainment and amazing performers, excellent cleanliness, nice cabins, excellent service from the staff), best activities for kids, fun and large main pools and great adult section with gigantic hot tubs!!!

We are looking forward to trying an Oasis class RCL at some point, and going back to Coco Cay because my son is obsessed with water slides. But he hates the kids club on RCL, and will go to the one on Carnival. We also have more fun on Carnival, and not sure why that is since we don't do trivia or games and such, we rarely go to shows (I'd love to but kiddo won't and on RCL I can't even make him go to kids club while I go to a show).

I do love that we have the choice though, and they go to different ports, and their ships are different as well. Maybe it's too much variety, how will we ever have time to try them all?

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

But if it doesn’t get cancelled... You’ll do both, right?

(I know I would! )

I wish we could. My wife won’t take two weeks off from school, it’s a miracle she’s even going to take off one. Plus, the restaurant isn’t doing that great right now, so I’m watching my cruise funds just dwindle to nothing

 

[auntlynne]

DCL v Carnival.
Sailings on each: DCL 17, Carnival 1

My Carnival experience:
One week out, I booked on the Carnival Fantasy, 5 nights, RT Mobile, Alabama. Solo cruiser, ~ $400 inside cabin, cheapest category - with cruise line option of cabin. I was assigned a porthole room, forward, lowest deck.

Parking and embarkation: late reservation date meant last embarkation time, but I managed to secure one of the last spots in the parking deck. There was no time to enjoy the terminal, as all pre-boarding time was spent in line. Which was in the parking deck most of the time. This was Superbowl weekend and in the South, and the atmosphere was very much that of a pregame tailgate, with people happy to meet up with families and friends. Lots of matching t-shirts for family reunions, birthdays and Pre-wedding festivities. And people carrying refrigerator boxes of soda - allowed - as no free soda (and now Pepsi). Patient and friendly despite an hourlong wait. X-ray and check-in efficient enough, then walk into ship. (It might be worth it to pay for Faster to the Fun if you can’t stand long).

No family announcement nor lovely atrium to set the tone. Room was ready, with luggage outside the door on arrival. And key to room was at the door, not in your hand at check-in.

Cabin: Twin beds, chair, desk. I liked having a shower with no tub underneath. No thermostat in room; housekeeping had to come close the vent in the ceiling to cut down the very cold air. Likewise, no hairdryer, but they were prompt to bring one when called - and brought an extra blanket (nice and cozy) without being asked.

Appearance - couldn’t hold a candle to DCL, but who can?

Food - A great soup every night on main menu. Probably comparable meals to DCL, but I’m not such a fan of theirs, either. I have never been hungry on a ship, though.

They offer afternoon tea on Sea Days. Very few partakers; also not advertised, just a line on the food listings. A very peaceful time on a party ship. I knew to look for it and was satisfied. Treats varied by the day; one was excellent, the other okay.

Carnival’s desserts were superior.

Atmosphere - crowd was predominantly 20s to 60s. Southern. More racial diversity of passengers than DCL.

Sail-away party was no big deal. Some people standing around grandstand in pool area; cruise director and staff leading / teaching a dance.

I missed the neat and tidy cast member uniforms over the t-shirts of Carnival. One rainy morning, the multi-level atrium was alive with a lesson in the Thriller dance.

My day usually had a few rounds of trivia, usually standing-room only in a smaller pub.

i went to the night-time comedy shows. First showing was PG-13/14 or stronger; adult show was borderline vulgar - from the same mouth /mind. Two comedians on the ship. That was about it for my cruise-led activities. I actually read a book on a ship, after having lugged the same one around for several vacations.

The biggest downside - Smoke. The casino allowed smoking and there was no wall separating it from the major thoroughfare. That is what would keep me off Carnival.

Positive - Crew members were friendly and conscientious about their work. The assistant waiter was excellent at making suggestions, and like a DCL, they knew my name by the second visit. The food came out quickly; wait staff did not hover but were there when needed. And no requests to make sure we reviewed them positively on the exit survey.

Cheap and close to home. Destination was Cozumel, where Carnival has its own dock / port shops.