Question on carnival cruise

[buzz2400]

We will never take another royal caribbean cruise even if it is free. We have sailed with them three times. I have sailed with carnival twice. We are going another carnival cruise next jan. I am 44 and my son is now 19. We have been sailing by ourselves throughout his life. We don't drink, we spend about $20 a piece in the casino (not gamblers). He doesn't really like to sit out at the pool. Why we don't like royal caribbean, they don't have enough activities to keep you busy, i.e. trivia contests, games and such. We were so bored. Carnival always has something going on. I found the food on both were comparable, the rooms comparable. I also did not find that there were "more" people partying. We were able to sleep on all of our cruises, carnival and rc. We even went to the nightclub one night on carnival and I felt that there weren't that many people in there. Anyway, if the ship is going to the ports you want and the price is right, go for it.

 

[disney4us2002]

I live an hour from Baltimore so it's a ship that gets talked about a lot here. Just in my small group of coworkers, three have taken it to the Florida, Caribbean ports. None of them are smokers and didn't complain about the smell of smoke except for the casino and one of the bars - maybe a piano bar? Dh and I are going to take it next September although we haven't decided which route yet. I'd love to do Bermuda but I'm not sure the weather will be hot enough for me in September. We're leaning toward the Grand Turk, private island and Bahamas route on 9/11. We sailed on the Miracle (sister ship to Pride) out of NYC in '07 and the food and service were both outstanding then.

Keep in mind that even those cruisers loyal to RC often report that the Enchantment isn't the same level of ship as the new RC ships with all the bells and whistles.

 

[Carlyzmom]

We have been on 6 Carnival cruises and 1 Royal Carribean. We LOVE Carnival!! I think the food is great! THe entertainment is great! THe ships are great!

Of course you will see crazy drunk people. But, you can see that anywhere! It's not a "party ship" like some people think.

We have never been disappointed on Carnival! Planning our next one for June 2012. We are getting the Carnival Magic in Galveston, TX - only a little more than an hour away from our house!!

 

[KKB]

BUT my 85YO VERY active aunt, who has cruised RCCL, NCL & Celebrity was BORED on her 5 day Carnival cruise!!! And she LOVES to drink & gamble! (so if you like a relaxing cruise, should be good!)
My 75YO uncle--who loves to party, drink & gamble--who has also criused RCCL, NCL & Celebrity, did a Carnival w/ his kids & grandkids. He said it was like staying at the Motel 6 after staying at Embassy Suites (hey, his words, not mine!)
I have no opinion--just relaying others! We actually almost booked Carnival for our cruise last October. My theory is ANY cruise is a good one!
We have done 4 Princess cruises & were a bit frustrated w/ the lack of activity offerings at various times of days on RCCL compared to Princess, particularly in the evening. (RCCL & Carnival are owned by same company)
More than likely you will have a good time, no matter what!

 

[gracie1]

BUT my 85YO VERY active aunt, who has cruised RCCL, NCL & Celebrity was BORED on her 5 day Carnival cruise!!! And she LOVES to drink & gamble! (so if you like a relaxing cruise, should be good!)
My 75YO uncle--who loves to party, drink & gamble--who has also criused RCCL, NCL & Celebrity, did a Carnival w/ his kids & grandkids. He said it was like staying at the Motel 6 after staying at Embassy Suites (hey, his words, not mine!)
I have no opinion--just relaying others! We actually almost booked Carnival for our cruise last October. My theory is ANY cruise is a good one!
We have done 4 Princess cruises & were a bit frustrated w/ the lack of activity offerings at various times of days on RCCL compared to Princess, particularly in the evening. (RCCL & Carnival are owned by same company)
More than likely you will have a good time, no matter what!

RCCL is not owned by carnival. Princess is owned by carnival.
I think we may give Carnival a try. I do like the fact that they go to different places than rccl (like the grand turks)

 

[SaraJayne]

We just got off the CCL Valor, from the Western Caribbean itinerary.

It was our first time cruising and we had a fantastic time.

Our ship had all different ages on it...from babies all the way up to people in their 70's...so no one age group outnumbered others. It was a good mix.

Our service was outstanding, especially our room steward and our waiters in the dining room. No complaints about food. It was always the appropriate temp, and there was TONS of it! I was satisfied with the quality.

There was always something to do on the ship, and we also spent a lot of time relaxing.

I was also worried about the whole "party" thing, but honestly, I never even saw anyone drunk.

Our cabin was on the Riviera Deck (number 1) and it was SUPER quiet. I only ever heard people in the halls a few times and I expected that, since we were the first cabin right off the bank of elevators. We didn't have cabins across the hall from us and only on one side ~ the other side was a storage space.

I'd definitely sail on the Valor again and next time, we'll take the kids.

From reading this thread, it seems things vary widely from ship to ship.

Like others have mentioned, check out cruise critic. It's a great resource for cruising, no matter which line you decide on!

 

[JCMHutch]

I have been on 4 Carnival cruises (2 on the Valor and 2 on the Victory) and one NCL. I am not a drinker, smoker or "partier" and I loved my Carnival trips. I found the activities (trivia, The Newlywed Game, bingo, etc) a lot of fun. DH even won one of those fantastic 100% gold plastic trophies at trivia one afternoon. We loved the food and did the late dinner seating because we wanted time to clean up and relax after our exursions. The buffets were great for breakfast and lunch. I have always found the service great and friendly. On the first cruise (the very first I took) we did an interior cabin and it was ok. I've always had a balcony since! It is so nice to sit out there with a book and relax. I will say that Carnival has good sized cabins compared to NCL. We did the Bermuda cruise out of Boston and it was great - just had to get used to a smaller cabin.

 

[gracie1]

I have been on 4 Carnival cruises (2 on the Valor and 2 on the Victory) and one NCL. I am not a drinker, smoker or "partier" and I loved my Carnival trips. I found the activities (trivia, The Newlywed Game, bingo, etc) a lot of fun. DH even won one of those fantastic 100% gold plastic trophies at trivia one afternoon. We loved the food and did the late dinner seating because we wanted time to clean up and relax after our exursions. The buffets were great for breakfast and lunch. I have always found the service great and friendly. On the first cruise (the very first I took) we did an interior cabin and it was ok. I've always had a balcony since! It is so nice to sit out there with a book and relax. I will say that Carnival has good sized cabins compared to NCL. We did the Bermuda cruise out of Boston and it was great - just had to get used to a smaller cabin.

Thanks for the review! We are also going to do an interior cabin, more than likely. I mean, we are never in the room anyways. How did you like Bermuda?? We really want to go there. Like I said before, the only thing that has me leaning towards Carnival is that your in Bermuda longer.

Thank you all for your advice!!

 

[TexasTom]

Two people on the same cruise might have opposite experiences. I find that cruising is much about attitude; you are on vacation, try not to let little things bother you.

I usually go to CruiseCritic board to learn as much as possible before I cruise.

Give it a try.

 

[gracie1]

Two people on the same cruise might have opposite experiences. I find that cruising is much about attitude; you are on vacation, try not to let little things bother you.

I usually go to CruiseCritic board to learn as much as possible before I cruise.

Give it a try.

You are so right bout opinions!

 

[4disneyfans]

We love Carnival....with or without the kiddos....we have cruised both ways and had a great time....now kiddos love cruising.....they wore room service out and one of them is a very picky eater!!

 

[rbork]

My family sailed the Pride from Baltimore in November.
I am an experienced cruiser and have been on Regency, Cunard, NCL, Disney and tried CCL a couple months ago. It was cheap at 750pp for a week. I'd figure I'd give it a try.

We boarded a dirty ship. I actually had to wipe down the cabin counter surfaces and yes there was hair The windows on the ship were NEVER washed the entire trip! No one welcomed us on board for that matter no one went out of there way for us the entire week. Cabin size was good though. Food was just okay with one really good entree durring the week in the main dining room and we did enjoy Davids at 30pp. The buffet was blah with a few good dishes served around dinner time. Always a huge line. We liked the entertainment onboard...a little more revealing but enjoyable. No live music except for the band during a show and a one man band deal on deck and in the atrium. Could never listen to the piano bar- to smokey!
Smoke was an issue for us....It wafted across deck and had smoking balcony neighbors. The pax were both white and blue collar and ranged from toddler to a married couple of 60 years. The carnival towel thing drives me nuts. You are issued these old ratty towels on the Pride and they charge you if you lose them. The cabin steward even asked where mine were on day.

These things may not bother you and if that's the case you'll enjoy your cruise. I went w/ an open mind and didn't let it dampen my vacation however given the choice I will not sail from Baltimore again on CCL.

P.s. saw the Disney ship docked at Port Canaveral on one day. Yes- I had ship envy.

 

[JCMHutch]

Thanks for the review! We are also going to do an interior cabin, more than likely. I mean, we are never in the room anyways. How did you like Bermuda?? We really want to go there. Like I said before, the only thing that has me leaning towards Carnival is that your in Bermuda longer. Thank you all for your advice!!

We loved Bermuda! We were there for 3 days. We took the first cruise out of Boston last Spring. The seas were rough, especially on the way home. A wave actually washed up over deck 12! We did the Crystal Caves with short island tour, a horse & carriage tour, and a Segway tour around the Commissioner's House & the old Navy Yard. We also shopped. There is a free beach right by the dock too.

Have fun!

 

[Kae]

Already signed up to be a member on there
I was just trying to get others opinions.

there is a great trip report thread on the Pride on CruiseCritic right now on the Boards. lots of Pictures. In the Carnival section.

Kae

 

[CleoPahd]

I haven't cruised on the specific ship you are intested in, but cruised carnival 2 years ago with our daughter and inlaws and we loved it. The price couldn't be ignored. We heard from others we'd be sorry, that carnival is known for being a 20something party boat. That wasn't the case at all. We're in our 30's, the inlaws are late 50's-early 60's and our daughter was early teen. I can honestly say we all had a great time and there was something for everyone. No crazy drunk parties, but it certainly wasn't a dud either. We enjoyed the shows or just hanging on the deck at night.

 

[NancyDee]

I love Carnival ALMOST as much as I love Disney

I was on the Pride in January and will be back on her in September.
She just went through dry dock in December (New capets, Tvs in the casino)
This is my favorite class of ship.
The CD Kirk and his ACD Jamie are great, as well as the Kids club staff!

 

[gracie1]

Thank you everyone so much for your reviews. I am really leaning toward giving it a try. Like I said, I only cruised once and it was on RCCL. We had an ocean view cabin (and the windows were so dirty you couldn't see out of them) but hey, you expect that being in the salt water! The dining room was great! But the buffet was okay. No different than any other buffet. The only time I like the buffets are in the morning for breakfast anyways!
As long as my cabin is clean, and I have good food to eat then I am fine. I am just looking at the fact that you can sail for $200 more total than RCCL and have almost 3 full days in Bermuda instead of one.

To the poster that mentioned the Carnival Pride on cruise critic with pictures, I saw that!! I thought it looked very nice! His review couldn't have come at a better time either!

 

[twinz]

RCCL is not owned by carnival. Princess is owned by carnival.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are sister companies.

I use to sell cruises and I have been on a few Carnival Cruises, which I have enjoyed.
Keep in mind that Cruises also have your "star" ratings...if you are use to staying at higher end hotels then Carnival may not be for you.
NCL, Carnival and Celebrity tend to be on the lower end of the star rating, with RCCL, Princess being in the middle, and Holland America closer to your higher end then you have the REALLY high end (And expensive) cruises.
Go have fun.

 

[KKB]

RCCL is not owned by carnival. Princess is owned by carnival.
I think we may give Carnival a try. I do like the fact that they go to different places than rccl (like the grand turks)

I stand corrected! (I got Celebrity & Carnival mixed up...)
(might explain why we liked food in main dining room better on RCCL!)
THANKS!

 

[KKB]

We have cruised Princess, RCCL & Disney (ordering our favs)
My folks have cruised Celebrity, RCCL, Princess & NCL (ordering their favs)
I mentioned relatives who have cruised nearly all lines...
We all have our favs, but all our cruises have been more ALIKE than different. Disney had a sports bar & Palo that no other line has compared to--but otherwise we couldn't justify the much higher price tag of Disney (and we LIKE the casino)
RCCL had bet main dining food--but lack of other free places to eat. (buffet or promenade). We really missed pizza & burgers pool side for lunch (tho MDR lunch was fast & very good).
Princess had the most/best variety of activities throughout the day of the 3.
BUT rooms are relatively similar (small but very efficient--honestly, I could live in one!). Activities are relatively similar (pool games, bingo, trivia, shows, bands). Dining room experiences are generally the same--differing mostly by server experiences. Ports are relatively similar.
My parents say NCL is their distant 4th fav--yet they just got off back to back (2 weeks ) on the Epic.
I don't think you will be disappointed with any cruise line--unless you are looking to be! I will admit comparing RCCL to Princess all week, but it was just little things. We had a GREAT time---ANY vacation is better than work!(my folks & I said we wouldn't have even minded being on that Carnival cruise that lost all the power--and adventure we would talk about for years!)
HAVE FUN! (my parents LOVED Bermuda--but it is VERY expensive)