Considering trying carnival

Hello,

I am looking for a cruise this winter to go on with DH, DS (12/13 depending on date of sail), and MIL. This will be my MIL first cruise. DH and I usually cruise with princess and have taken DS on a Holland America cruise.

So I'm looking to find a cruise where the adults will get the peace and relaxation and my son will be entertained. I'm looking at going on either

Breeze, Dream, Glory, Freedom

Does anybody have any ship or cabin suggestions for us. What does the entertainment typically look like on carnival. We found it to be lacking in holland America. DH really missed the game show style activities we were used to on princess.

Are there any charges for room service (other than beverages) my son really enjoyed being able to order cookies and milk as a bedtime snack.

What is the teen centre like for the 12-14 age group?

How does the mdr menu compare to other lines?

Is there a thermal suite or something similar in the spa?

Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise.

 

 

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Hello,

I am looking for a cruise this winter to go on with DH, DS (12/13 depending on date of sail), and MIL. This will be my MIL first cruise. DH and I usually cruise with princess and have taken DS on a Holland America cruise.

So I'm looking to find a cruise where the adults will get the peace and relaxation and my son will be entertained. I'm looking at going on either

Breeze, Dream, Glory, Freedom

Does anybody have any ship or cabin suggestions for us.

 

This is something that only you can really decide. I'd suggest a balcony cabin since you're used to paying more for Princess and HAL. With 4 people you might want to opt for two cabins, and it's also important to remember that Carnival has -- on average -- the largest standard cabins of any of the major lines, with a comparatively huge size (225 sq. ft.) on some oceanview cabins.

 

As for the ship and itinerary, again, I'd look at the features and deck plans and the itineraries and go from there.

 

What does the entertainment typically look like on carnival. We found it to be lacking in holland America. DH really missed the game show style activities we were used to on princess.

Your DH should enjoy the game-show style entertainment on Carnival.

 

Are there any charges for room service (other than beverages) my son really enjoyed being able to order cookies and milk as a bedtime snack.

No delivery charges but some (hot) items on the room service menu carry a small upcharge. Cookies would be free although, now that I think about it, they might charge for milk.

Don't forget to tip the room-service attendant, as those tips are not included in your automatic gratuities.

 

What is the teen centre like for the 12-14 age group?

Can't speak with certainty but Carnival's youth activities tend to get high marks from reviewers. Certainly should be better than HAL.

 

How does the mdr menu compare to other lines?

This is highly subjective, but I've enjoyed Carnival's MDR fare -- even the newer, oft-reviled "American Table" menu -- more than I've enjoyed the recent fare on Royal Caribbean.

 

Is there a thermal suite or something similar in the spa?

This might vary by ship....pretty sure it will involve a fee, though.

 

Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise.

Enjoy your cruise, whichever ship you choose! Edited September 20, 2017 by Pellaz
Added RS tip suggestion

Thanks for the reply. We were planning on doing 2 cabins either way I'm not a fan of being cramped and fighting for space to shower and get ready for dinner.

I've looked at the itinerary for those ships for around the time we want to go and there isn't much difference. I know with princess people often don't like the island princess because of the refurbishment adding more cabins without adding more public spaces. So being unfamiliar with carnival and her ships I'm open to tips and suggestions.

I'm used to accounting for tips for room service and extra fees for use of the thermal suite. Other than the specialty restaurant is there much else that is additional fees.

 

 

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If home port isn't an issue I would choose the Breeze. All the bells and whistles.

 

I have never taken a child as young as yours, but the 15-17 year old group offers a great time both for scheduled activities and for giving the kids a chance to form quick friendships and hang out together according to interests.

 

We enjoy the Main Dining Room experience. Some of the food is a step above really good, some is fairly mediocre, some nights I order multiple appetizers and no entree. The staff, on the other hand, has always been top notch and eager to please.

 

Hope this helps.

We love Holland and we love to sail with them again for Spring Break again. I would not just drop HAL just because your grandson is coming. Club HAL is good and there are children on the boat. We tried HAL last year because it was the same price on on the Conquest and it's the same situation this time. You can get a good deal on HAL if you find a TA to get you the non-refundable rates (of course that's the catch, but I think of it like Early Saver). Foodwise, HAL has a better lido set-up in our opinion with better quality food and HAL's service is superb. Breakfast foods are also very high quality. MDR I would say is about the same as Carnival. Carnival is just a little bit more basic, but I would say the food was just a bit better, but not enough to make a difference in the MDR on HAL. Part of Carnival's room service is free, but it's nothing compared to HAL's if you want to order an omelette or even food from the MDR. There's Circle C on Carnival, but they never went. There was something along the lines of some 14 year old underage drinkers hanging around (not in Circle C but outside).

 

Breeze will be the nicest boat as it's the newest and has the new Carnival design throughout the ship. I would honestly not consider any of the other boats unless itineary. I haven't been on the others, but based on pictures, the Breeze is just good on the eyes.

 

But otherwise, HAL was truly relaxing for us. Nice and quiet and everything felt calm. I can't wait for HAL again, but I'll have to stick to other lines for weekend criuses.

Edited September 20, 2017 by DisneyDatknee

We have a son who falls into that 12-14 range, and that's the only time he's cruised, so he's been in that club for 4 cruises now (one was RCI though). He LOVES cruising because of the teen club. It's definitely more relaxed than the younger one (according to our friends who cruise a lot), but he likes that. They have a schedule and they will do some of the things on there. But, depending on the group, they sometimes change things. He always goes on the first night, meets kids, and that's who he hangs with. They do a lot of video gaming, other games, watching movies, etc...

Thanks. That's great information. I'm sure he will love the teen club, he found club hal a little to young for him last year he was looking for more video games and movies and less arts and crafts.

And yes there are deals for Holland America and we enjoyed our cruise we would have to make sure we cruises after our sons 13th birthday so he didn't end up with the younger kids again because he didn't really like it 2 years ago and definitely wouldn't enjoy it now and we did find the entertainment options to be lacking. We enjoyed the production shows but otherwise there wasn't much to do at night. I'm thinking I should take a closer look at the breeze.

 

 

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My sons love cruising at that age. I cannot compare to the other lines but we all enjoy the MDR food and service. If you chose assigned dining the early seating works better with the teen club schedule. As mentioned above it is really important for him to go the first night. The kids group up then and hang out the rest of the cruise. Both of mine are still in contact with kids they met on cruises 3+ years ago.

Will you be cruising this Winter when school is out or not. If school isn't out, there will probably be fewer kids onboard. We are cruising this November and choose the Dream because we wanted to see a little of New Orleans and experience a Cove Balcony (close to the water). It used to be that Carnival only had the Lido, the MDR and the upcharge steak house. Now they have a bunch of included themed restaurants: Blue Iguana (Mexican); Tandoor (Indian); Mongolian Wok; Guy Fieri's Burger Joint and his Pig and Anchor Bar-b-que; 24 hour free pizza . Lots of varity to choose from. Check out Carnival's site to see which restaurants are on the ship you choose or choose the ship based upon the restaurants. Everybody should try Carnival at least once. They may be entry level, but they are quite the trip. Enjoy.

Home port is not an issue. We are coming from Toronto so it doesn't make much difference to us. We will be cruising while school is in so I know there will be less kids onboard no matter which cruise we choose.

 

 

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Home port is not an issue. We are coming from Toronto so it doesn't make much difference to us. We will be cruising while school is in so I know there will be less kids onboard no matter which cruise we choose.

 

We pull our kid out of school, so we can cruise during less busy times as well. But there's still usually enough kids for him to hang out with. There are plenty of people who do homeschooling, so they can travel whenever they want. And some areas have a different school schedule.

I’ve been on the Dream and Breeze. I love to hang out at the aft pool. That area is not adult only but there are a lot less kids there and it’s generally quiet. Personally I like 2 decks below the lido deck and Ialso like aft. I find that location to be nice and quiet. They have recently added items on to the room service that are at a cost but there are many things included as well. I’m not huge on carnival’s mdr menu or their entertainment. That being said I love Carnival anyway.I can always find food somewhere that I like and I enjoy the comedy shows alot!

Of the Carnival ships you're considering .... Breeze would be my choice!

Teens seem to LOVE Carnival cruises. :D

Hi!

 

I would recommend the BREEZE in staterooms 8436 and 8440 if you could swing it. They are connecting balcony rooms and when you look down, you can see the ocean BUT if you look to the right, you can see the jacuzzi right outside Red frog Pub. This was great as you can see if anyone is in the jacuzzi before you head down. Most people are unaware of this spot, and it is usually not crowded at all in that one.It is a nice quiet room area with little to no noise as it is towards the back of the ship and really ideal going up to lido for a bite to eat.

 

As for Circle C club, I have had 2 different children there and they both liked it enough. ( Not as much as the Magic, but was good enough) It is loosely structured, but keeps the "little kids" out and treats the bigger kids to more activities like video games, dodgeball, ping pong matches, hangout spots, etc... Just keep in mind that the Circle C room itself is not monitored 24/7 by the staff and sometimes the staff never even shows up to the activities shown in the flier.:(

We have sailed on the dream twice with our teenage boys and they have loved it. Plenty of things to do. Shows and comedy shows good. Boys enjoyed the trivia and slides. We stayed in a 6n ocean view Deluxe that has two bathrooms in it. Was a very spacious room for a good price. New Orleans is a really neat place to visit. Get in a day or two early and just walk around or take the trolley. Fun HomePort and good ports in Honduras and Cozumel.

 

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I do think that the dream is a little more casual and has a more laid-back atmosphere. It has more of a southern feel with a lot of the passengers being from Mississippi Alabama and Louisiana.

 

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We love the Dream class ships (been on all 3). My kids have been on 4 different ships and still rave about the Breeze (they were 14 and 12 at the time). We are booked on the Magic for an Spring Break cruise next year in side-by-side cove balconies. Wife and I had a cove a couple years ago and they are my favorite cabin now, really close to the water and you don't get much direct sun so they don't get so blasted hot you cant sit outside for hours on end. Only drawback to a cove is that you often have spray so it can get a little wet and then when it dries you have salt left over. My kids loved the water park, the ropes

coarse, Circle C, all the food options. They can't wait to sail again!

Thanks for the reply. We were planning on doing 2 cabins either way I'm not a fan of being cramped and fighting for space to shower and get ready for dinner.

 

Hear, hear. Even with Carnival's relatively spacious staterooms, I wouldn't want to fit four in a stateroom. (We did 3 in an aft balcony last October, with a sofa-bed, and it was.....acceptable.)

 

I've looked at the itinerary for those ships for around the time we want to go and there isn't much difference. I know with princess people often don't like the island princess because of the refurbishment adding more cabins without adding more public spaces. So being unfamiliar with carnival and her ships I'm open to tips and suggestions.

I'm used to accounting for tips for room service and extra fees for use of the thermal suite. Other than the specialty restaurant is there much else that is additional fees.

Surprisingly little that is up-charged when it comes to dining on Carnival. This will depend on the ship you choose, but it looks like you're leaning toward the Breeze, which has a lot of free/included dining options:

 

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-food/?shipCode=BR

 

I counted 34 dining options listed, of which 8 are "additional cost"...the remaining options are free/included.

Of special note -- to me -- are the Mongolian Wok (how I've missed it so these last 3 cruises!), the Deli, the Seaday Brunch, Guys Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina (a great, usually-uncrowded choice for breakfast, BTW) and Pizza Pirate, which is IMHO lightyears better than Sorrento's on RCCL.

Thanks everybody for all of the good information.

 

 

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Breeze is the best of Carnival

Rest assured Carnival is not HAL or Princess. Kids will love Carnival, we usually only cruise them with the grandkids. Princess is our fav.

Just got back from the Victory. I would totally say go for Carnival. We had lots of fun and the food was actually quite delicious. Some things weren't like HAL, but definitely loved Carnival. It was better than Royal Caribbean and my great aunt who has been on 3 day cruises on Royal, NCL, and now Carnival within the past year agreed that Carnival provided the best experience and value out of the three.

Have you looked at the Vista?

 

 

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So we decided to give msc a try for this run. Liked the 10 day option over back to back 7 days I was looking at on the breeze. Maybe next cruise we'll try carnival.

 

 

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Lol