what To Do With RCI Leaving NOLA

DW and I are going on our first cruise in February out of NOLA on the Serenade of the Seas. We chose this cruise because NOLA is within driving distance of home, and didn't book on Carnival Dream due to that line's 'party' reputation.

Looking to the future (assuming we enjoy our first cruise), the departure of Serenade from NOLA in 2016 leaves us with the choice of either Carnival Dream out of NOLA, or possibly Houston/Galveston on Liberty of the Seas or Caribbean Princess ( not much farther than NOLA).

Does anyone here have any opinions on how these 3 ships might compare to each other? They are all larger than the Serenade with more passengers, will they seem more crowded to us? Does Carnival really live up to it's party rep?

Any input would be appreciated.

DW and I are going on our first cruise in February out of NOLA on the Serenade of the Seas. We chose this cruise because NOLA is within driving distance of home, and didn't book on Carnival Dream due to that line's 'party' reputation.

 

Looking to the future (assuming we enjoy our first cruise), the departure of Serenade from NOLA in 2016 leaves us with the choice of either Carnival Dream out of NOLA, or possibly Houston/Galveston on Liberty of the Seas or Caribbean Princess ( not much farther than NOLA).

 

Does anyone here have any opinions on how these 3 ships might compare to each other? They are all larger than the Serenade with more passengers, will they seem more crowded to us? Does Carnival really live up to it's party rep?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

Are you excluding NCL from your options for a reason?

I LOVE Carnival and the Dream is supposed to be a GREAT ship!! I am NOT a partier, and love their ships.

Are you excluding NCL from your options for a reason?

Not deliberately. Didn't know they sailed from NOLA or Houston. What ship do they use there?

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Not deliberately. Didn't know they sailed from NOLA or Houston. What ship do they use there?

 

 

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We like Carnival, not as much as RCCL. We don't drink and are not party people and we enjoy most all cruises we have been on.

We are cruising on the NCL Jewel in April. We were originally booked on Princess Emerald but the price was so much less on NCL that we changed to it.

I hope you have a great time on your cruise and I am sure you will be able to find something that you will enjoy for your next cruise. We may go on the Liberty in 2016.

We love RCCI and Carnival and NCL.... each has their own style but are all good. The Serenade is the smallest ship out of the choices. Very pretty ship. Our favorite is RCCI Liberty. So much to do.

Don't fret much, you can a great time on any of these ships!

Much of the Carnival Party Ship reputation is from the short 3 day weekend cruises. On most ships, any cruise of 7 days or more will not have that party out of control atmosphere. Sure, you will get someone who will over indulge one night, but not likely to do that 5 or 6 nights. Gets too expensive too fast.

On a3 day, where you are really only partying 2 days, the younger folks can drink to excess without declaring bankruptcy.

DW and I are going on our first cruise in February out of NOLA on the Serenade of the Seas. We chose this cruise because NOLA is within driving distance of home, and didn't book on Carnival Dream due to that line's 'party' reputation.

 

Looking to the future (assuming we enjoy our first cruise), the departure of Serenade from NOLA in 2016 leaves us with the choice of either Carnival Dream out of NOLA, or possibly Houston/Galveston on Liberty of the Seas or Caribbean Princess ( not much farther than NOLA).

 

Does anyone here have any opinions on how these 3 ships might compare to each other? They are all larger than the Serenade with more passengers, will they seem more crowded to us? Does Carnival really live up to it's party rep?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

I had always cruised Carnival and had no comparison, so the past two years, I did just that. We tried RCCL on the Navigator of the Seas. It was a beautiful ship dressed out nicely and a nice change with it's inside promenade. I liked their adult only pool area, very nice, quite and relaxing.

This past January we tried the Norwegian Jewel. Again it was a nice ship, lots of pay dining options. I think I enjoyed the friends we made here on Cruise Critic more than the actual ship experience.

Both were good ships, really nothing bad I can say about them. I just missed Carnival. It's much more casual on Carnival, which suits me just fine. I actually think the MDR food on Carnival was better.

As for the party reputation, it depends if you go. When school is on break, it can be a mad house. A better time for me is mid to late January when all the kids are back in school, my preference.

So to sum it up, You can have a great cruise on any line you choose. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Don't let people (or situations) steal your peace!

Good luck and Happy Cruising!

Much of the Carnival Party Ship reputation is from the short 3 day weekend cruises. On most ships, any cruise of 7 days or more will not have that party out of control atmosphere. Sure, you will get someone who will over indulge one night, but not likely to do that 5 or 6 nights. Gets too expensive too fast.

 

On a3 day, where you are really only partying 2 days, the younger folks can drink to excess without declaring bankruptcy.

I absolutely agree with this. The party cruises are the 3 day Bahamas and the like.... not so much on the 7 day cruises. We were on the Dream when it was out of Port Canaveral and it was my least favorite cruise to date. I can't blame it entirely on the ship, we had crappy weather and that colored everything. Plus, for me, it was our 5th Carnival cruise in fairly quick succession, and I was just tired of their "brand" - the food, the decor, the entertainment.... The Dream was 'more of the same', and for me it was time for a change. We did NCL Jewel out of New Orleans last February and had a great time, and I'm looking at the NCL Dawn out of New Orleans for April 2016. This is the best of 2 worlds for me, a visit to New Orleans, and a cruise that includes two of my favorite ports (Cozumel and Roatan).

Ultimately, if you find that you do enjoy cruising, I wouldn't arbitrarily eliminate any line from your list of possibilities without at least trying them once. Variety is good.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Just seems a shame. Our first cruise will be on Royal Caribbean, and if we enjoy it, then Carnival or Norwegian will benefit. Oh well....

For 2014 winter season and 2015 winter season, NCL Dawn out of NO and NCL Jewel out of Houston. Both good ships. Not too large, not too small, 2000-2400 passengers.

DW and I are going on our first cruise in February out of NOLA on the Serenade of the Seas. We chose this cruise because NOLA is within driving distance of home, and didn't book on Carnival Dream due to that line's 'party' reputation.

 

Looking to the future (assuming we enjoy our first cruise), the departure of Serenade from NOLA in 2016 leaves us with the choice of either Carnival Dream out of NOLA, or possibly Houston/Galveston on Liberty of the Seas or Caribbean Princess ( not much farther than NOLA).

 

Does anyone here have any opinions on how these 3 ships might compare to each other? They are all larger than the Serenade with more passengers, will they seem more crowded to us? Does Carnival really live up to it's party rep?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

Our story is similar to yours except it will be our 2nd cruise. Our first was on Princess 10 years ago so we know we like cruising. We are booked for Serenade of the Seas in March and it will be our first time on Royal Caribbean. We are a 6 hour drive from NOLA so that would be our preffered port of departure. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews here before ooking the Dream for April 2016.

What follows is my opinion and perception of the difference between the 2 lines without having stepped foot on either's ship yet. It is based purely on internet research and LOTS of cruise critic forum reading.

1. The actual difference between the two lines is not the great. They are more similar than different.

2. Carnival ships (except for The Breeze) are either a bit more glitzy or gawdy depending on your tastes. Royal looks more like a Marriott hotel.

3. Royal food tries to be more upscale whereas Carnival leans more to comfort. People will hate the food on either so ignore all food reviews.

4. Royal passengers are more concerned about "class" and status and Carnival passengers care more about value and having a good time.

5. The shows will be better on Royal. Carnival is more about comedy shows and passenger involved entertainment.

We are booked on both so I am not letting people talk me out of trying Carnival. Carnival Dream, Magic, and Breeze are their newest ships and people seem to like the a lot. They are more equivalent to the Explorer class ship on Royal. So the Dream is like getting a top line ship out of NOLA. :)

Again, these are only my opinions and perceptions. :)