Cruise Line Question

Hello all,

To the seasoned cruisers out there who have done various lines, ship sizes and the like. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Princess and NCL. Have also cruised a very small ship to medium large ones. Old to brand new.

My question is since we are now booked on the Carnival Pride in January 2019. I would like unbiased opinions on what to expect. We have all heard the "Party" Ship description for Carnival but reading lots of reviews and information I think that moniker may be a little deceiving. I am sure we will have a blast as we always do on cruises but just looking for honest responses to what the differences may be and what we can expect.

We are a couple in our early 50's and find cruising to be very relaxing. Not huge drinkers or gamblers. Just enjoy sailing and seeing new and beautiful places.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond and for the help.

Happy Cruising

Perhaps some reading on the Carnival board? Maybe the reviews section as well?

The "party" cruise line is days of yore. Like back in the 70's maybe when Carnival first started.

I'm 60 with 10 Carnival cruises and 4 Royal.

I enjoy both but Yes, Carnival does advertise itself as the "FUN Ships". Yes, Carnival is more of a vibrant, outgoing, let's have some FUN cruises. The FUN is in the sail away party and all of the social directors trying to make all people inclusive in the FUN atmosphere. It does NOT mean they are walking around with bottles of tequila pouring it down your throat like Carlos n' Charlies used to be.

Will there be some people who have embibbed more than they should? Probably, but no more than I've seen on any other cruise line and that includes spring break.

We are in our 60's and absolutely loved the Pride. I think the only time Carnival is a "party" ship, is when it is a 5 day or less cruise ....or "spring break". I would definitely go on the Pride again if the opportunity arises.

Only did one Carnival Cruise and due to being British, we were treated like 3rd class citizens. Never been back.

As you are American, you should be fine but any other nationality I would avoid Carnival.

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Only did one Carnival Cruise and due to being British, we were treated like 3rd class citizens. Never been back.

As you are American, you should be fine but any other nationality I would avoid Carnival.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Forums mobile app

A very interesting statement. (not judging).....but something that did cross my mind. I have read soooooo many threads over the years about people from the UK that ask about removing tips. Do you, in your opinion, think that it may have something to do with it? NOT being facetious....JUST a thought.

I understand that it is not customary to tip in the UK and DO understand the viewpoint of this subject. Just wondering if the staff (when they hear your accent, perhaps) realize there will be no tip for them.

Only did one Carnival Cruise and due to being British, we were treated like 3rd class citizens. Never been back.

As you are American, you should be fine but any other nationality I would avoid Carnival.

 

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Our friends from the U.K. had a great time.

I also would ask this on the Carnival Cruise Line Board where many people who sail Carnival post.

Keith

A very interesting statement. (not judging).....but something that did cross my mind. I have read soooooo many threads over the years about people from the UK that ask about removing tips. Do you, in your opinion, think that it may have something to do with it? NOT being facetious....JUST a thought.

I understand that it is not customary to tip in the UK and DO understand the viewpoint of this subject. Just wondering if the staff (when they hear your accent, perhaps) realize there will be no tip for them.

Interesting point, but I mostly pay tips in advance, and it would be a sweeping statement to say from my accent that they weren't getting tipped.

One problem for example was disembarkation. The Americans had a show in the lounge explaining the process with luggage colours and decks etc.

We British guests weren't invited, and after asking what happens, got a letter posted in the cabin on the morning of disembarkation with instructions, in American English and explaining what Americans should do. Was such an experience.

Interesting point, but I mostly pay tips in advance, and it would be a sweeping statement to say from my accent that they weren't getting tipped.

One problem for example was disembarkation. The Americans had a show in the lounge explaining the process with luggage colours and decks etc.

We British guests weren't invited, and after asking what happens, got a letter posted in the cabin on the morning of disembarkation with instructions, in American English and explaining what Americans should do. Was such an experience.

I have been on 17 Carnival cruises and never received an invitation to the debarkation briefing. It is announced in the Fun Times (former Carnival Capers) and you make it a point to attend on your first cruise. It is also repeated on the TV. There is always a paper with the instruction placed in your cabin the last night whether you attended or not. they don't take attendance. EM

We British guests weren't invited, and after asking what happens, got a letter posted in the cabin on the morning of disembarkation with instructions, in American English and explaining what Americans should do. Was such an experience.

There was obviously some misunderstanding or miscommunications on your part.

There are NO invites to the debarkation briefing. All guests are invited (even the French) and encouraged to attend through multiple announcements and through the programs that are left in all guest rooms every night.

Nope, as we tried to attend and was told this isnt for you, and you would get your own event to attend but never did.

This was over 10 years ago and things might have changed. This was just 1 example of many times, that things were for Americans only and it put me off Carnival.

This is my opinion and my DW agrees that we weren't treated equally.

it likely did not come as a surprise to you that a great many of he pax on board would be American. Did you not realize that when you booked? Did you s ail from Miami to Caribbean, if not, from where, to where?

Sorry you were so displeased being with so many Americans.,

If you had questions regarding the disembarkation process , could you not have your questions answered at the office or from your steward? A phone call to the office may have cleared up any confusion. with which you appear to have struggled

Perhaps some reading on the Carnival board? Maybe the reviews section as well?

I have done that already but thanks for the thought. I just wanted a general idea from fellow cruisers. Sometimes when you post on a particular lines board you don't get an unbiased opinion. Thanks again for your idea.

Happy Cruising

The "party" cruise line is days of yore. Like back in the 70's maybe when Carnival first started.

 

I'm 60 with 10 Carnival cruises and 4 Royal.

I enjoy both but Yes, Carnival does advertise itself as the "FUN Ships". Yes, Carnival is more of a vibrant, outgoing, let's have some FUN cruises. The FUN is in the sail away party and all of the social directors trying to make all people inclusive in the FUN atmosphere. It does NOT mean they are walking around with bottles of tequila pouring it down your throat like Carlos n' Charlies used to be.

Will there be some people who have embibbed more than they should? Probably, but no more than I've seen on any other cruise line and that includes spring break.

Thanks for your thoughts. Sounds like every other cruise we have been on. I love people having a good time and we have not had issues in the least. I just was curious how people that have done multiple lines felt about the differences.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment and Happy Cruising.

We are in our 60's and absolutely loved the Pride. I think the only time Carnival is a "party" ship, is when it is a 5 day or less cruise ....or "spring break". I would definitely go on the Pride again if the opportunity arises.

Glad to hear you had a great experience. I have read good things, again just looking for discussion from fellow cruisers. Thanks for taking time to comment.

Happy Cruising

Only did one Carnival Cruise and due to being British, we were treated like 3rd class citizens. Never been back.

As you are American, you should be fine but any other nationality I would avoid Carnival.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Forums mobile app

Sorry to hear about your experience. We have sailed with many different nationalities and never saw or felt this kind of treatment. Hope this is not the "norm" on Carnival or any other line.

Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Cruising.

Hello all,

 

To the seasoned cruisers out there who have done various lines, ship sizes and the like. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Princess and NCL. Have also cruised a very small ship to medium large ones. Old to brand new.

My question is since we are now booked on the Carnival Pride in January 2019. I would like unbiased opinions on what to expect. We have all heard the "Party" Ship description for Carnival but reading lots of reviews and information I think that moniker may be a little deceiving. I am sure we will have a blast as we always do on cruises but just looking for honest responses to what the differences may be and what we can expect.

We are a couple in our early 50's and find cruising to be very relaxing. Not huge drinkers or gamblers. Just enjoy sailing and seeing new and beautiful places.

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond and for the help.

 

Happy Cruising

Hello from a fellow Central PA cruiser! We are a similar demographic to you: mid 40's couple; sail for the sea, relaxation, and locations; moderate but not huge drinkers and no casino use. Our history is: Carnival Glory (NY to Saint John, NB); RC Grandeur (Baltimore to Port Canaveral, Coco Cay, Nassau); NCL (Miami to Western Caribbean); Princess Regal (NY to Saint John and Halifax); Carnival Pride (Baltimore to Princess Cay, Nassau, Freeport).

I agree that "Fun Ships" is a better moniker than "Party Ship" - think summer camp and picnics. Carnival doesn't take itself too seriously and is about having fun. Our RC cruise was plagued with Norovirus and bad weather, plus what limited outside areas were open seemed to be under maintenance, so I don't have great memories. They did seem to have good service and we really liked the Solarium and MDR. NCL was much more of a party vibe to us, and service was the worst of all our cruises (although they had the nicest welcome back from port visits). Princess was a different type of laid back, but also had good learning opportunities and overall excellent service. I think Fall NE trips have a different feel than warm weather cruises, so not really fair to compare.

We took a Feb/Mar cruise on the pride and enjoyed it so much we booked another cruise for September. The ease of drive to Baltimore and ship size were big factors in the initial booking. We also really liked some of the amenities (Red Frog Pub, Blue Iguana Cantina). For us it was a relaxing cruise listening to music, taking naps, enjoying the sights, and the occasional trivia game.

Here are some of our Pride pro's & con's:

Pro

-location

-ease of boarding (I'd still recommend FTTF, especially with a tender port)

-variety of drink options, reasonable $ for a cruise (we got a $500 card at Weis and had over $100 left drinking as much as we wanted)

-lots of sea views, upper deck promenade and lower promenade

-Guy's burgers (for the fries)

-Blue Iguana Cantina (breakfast and lunch)

-Red Frog Pub - nice variety of music from the house band and good karaoke at other times

-indoor muster

Con

-later arrival/departure time (they typically do not allow pax on the lot before 11)

-MDR service was very slow (even for people who enjoy a leisurely dinner) and didn't feel as special as some ships

-long lines for pizza (which seemed slightly undercooked) and deli; Guys and BI went quickly

-customer service was good, but didn't have the same "pampered" feeling that we had on RC and Princess (although that really shouldn't be expected at a picnic/camp type experience)

Hope that helps. Enjoy your winter escape!

ETA: for a January sailing I'd recommend:

staying in MD the night before (several hotels offer park & cruise packages) if your schedule permits - it's not much more than just the parking and gives piece of mind for the weather.

keep a jacket with you for muster (it's inside but your still go out to see the lifeboats).

rash guard for the beach - the water is cool but we still enjoyed being in the ocean.

Hello from a fellow Central PA cruiser! We are a similar demographic to you: mid 40's couple; sail for the sea, relaxation, and locations; moderate but not huge drinkers and no casino use. Our history is: Carnival Glory (NY to Saint John, NB); RC Grandeur (Baltimore to Port Canaveral, Coco Cay, Nassau); NCL (Miami to Western Caribbean); Princess Regal (NY to Saint John and Halifax); Carnival Pride (Baltimore to Princess Cay, Nassau, Freeport).

 

I agree that "Fun Ships" is a better moniker than "Party Ship" - think summer camp and picnics. Carnival doesn't take itself too seriously and is about having fun. Our RC cruise was plagued with Norovirus and bad weather, plus what limited outside areas were open seemed to be under maintenance, so I don't have great memories. They did seem to have good service and we really liked the Solarium and MDR. NCL was much more of a party vibe to us, and service was the worst of all our cruises (although they had the nicest welcome back from port visits). Princess was a different type of laid back, but also had good learning opportunities and overall excellent service. I think Fall NE trips have a different feel than warm weather cruises, so not really fair to compare.

 

We took a Feb/Mar cruise on the pride and enjoyed it so much we booked another cruise for September. The ease of drive to Baltimore and ship size were big factors in the initial booking. We also really liked some of the amenities (Red Frog Pub, Blue Iguana Cantina). For us it was a relaxing cruise listening to music, taking naps, enjoying the sights, and the occasional trivia game.

 

Here are some of our Pride pro's & con's:

Pro

-location

-ease of boarding (I'd still recommend FTTF, especially with a tender port)

-variety of drink options, reasonable $ for a cruise (we got a $500 card at Weis and had over $100 left drinking as much as we wanted)

-lots of sea views, upper deck promenade and lower promenade

-Guy's burgers (for the fries)

-Blue Iguana Cantina (breakfast and lunch)

-Red Frog Pub - nice variety of music from the house band and good karaoke at other times

-indoor muster

 

Con

-later arrival/departure time (they typically do not allow pax on the lot before 11)

-MDR service was very slow (even for people who enjoy a leisurely dinner) and didn't feel as special as some ships

-long lines for pizza (which seemed slightly undercooked) and deli; Guys and BI went quickly

-customer service was good, but didn't have the same "pampered" feeling that we had on RC and Princess (although that really shouldn't be expected at a picnic/camp type experience)

 

Hope that helps. Enjoy your winter escape!

 

ETA: for a January sailing I'd recommend:

staying in MD the night before (several hotels offer park & cruise packages) if your schedule permits - it's not much more than just the parking and gives piece of mind for the weather.

keep a jacket with you for muster (it's inside but your still go out to see the lifeboats).

rash guard for the beach - the water is cool but we still enjoyed being in the ocean.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! You really gave us the kind of information we wanted. We really enjoy cruising and with no experience with Carnival looking for the similarities and differences with other lines. You have about the same experiences as us. Sounds like it will be another wonderful cruise. I have poured over the reviews and posts.

BTW we loved the fall in NE on the Regal Princess also. It is a different vibe but would (and will) do it again in a heart beat. Of all the lines we have done I really thought Princess would top the list. It was great and a beautiful ship but to this point we think Royal Caribbean has been the best. My DW has informed me our next cruise after Jan next year will be from Baltimore on Royal Caribbean 12 day. Can't wait to get the next one booked. lol

Seems you have used the ports you can drive to like us. Enjoyed cruising out of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cape Liberty in NJ was OK but not great to get to. As you know Baltimore from here is easy. Will be staying the night about 45 min from the port. My DW's sister (who is going also) lives in Maryland. We will take not of your other suggestions too. Thanks for them.

One last BTW.. LOL if you have never done the cruise to Bermuda it is wonderful. It is our favorite destination to date. Have cruise to or stopped in Bermuda 3 times and can't wait to get back again some day. Just a thought.

Hope you are not in the next snow belt coming through tomorrow night. We are on the edge I guess so hit or miss. Thanks again and Happy Cruising.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! You really gave us the kind of information we wanted. We really enjoy cruising and with no experience with Carnival looking for the similarities and differences with other lines. You have about the same experiences as us. Sounds like it will be another wonderful cruise. I have poured over the reviews and posts.

 

BTW we loved the fall in NE on the Regal Princess also. It is a different vibe but would (and will) do it again in a heart beat. Of all the lines we have done I really thought Princess would top the list. It was great and a beautiful ship but to this point we think Royal Caribbean has been the best. My DW has informed me our next cruise after Jan next year will be from Baltimore on Royal Caribbean 12 day. Can't wait to get the next one booked. lol

 

Seems you have used the ports you can drive to like us. Enjoyed cruising out of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cape Liberty in NJ was OK but not great to get to. As you know Baltimore from here is easy. Will be staying the night about 45 min from the port. My DW's sister (who is going also) lives in Maryland. We will take not of your other suggestions too. Thanks for them.

 

One last BTW.. LOL if you have never done the cruise to Bermuda it is wonderful. It is our favorite destination to date. Have cruise to or stopped in Bermuda 3 times and can't wait to get back again some day. Just a thought.

 

Hope you are not in the next snow belt coming through tomorrow night. We are on the edge I guess so hit or miss. Thanks again and Happy Cruising.

Glad I was able to help:halo:

We're looking forward to when we can take longer cruises, but with two kids at home 7 days is about the max for now. Looking at a Princess 15 day Hawaii from CA for our 25th anniversary in a few years:hearteyes:

I know we need to fly to get to different ports (and Miami was a pleasant experience), but it is nice to avoid that cost. I think our next Canada trips will probably be land based and in a few years when we have more time. The cruises were wonderful but not enough time.

Bermuda is definitely on our to do list - just haven't found an itinerary that has fit yet. Hoping to try Royal from NJ and get a 2 for 1 with both Bermuda and a mega-Ship (not sure if we'll like the big ones, but want to at least try it). It's concerning to hear that NJ was difficult to get to. We had an awful time with Brooklyn and while Manhattan was easy to get to, it was a nightmare getting out. Had hoped the third time would be the charm.

I think we are on the edge too (between Williamsport and Lewisburg), but our daughter is coming home today via Newark from a mission trip to PR. Praying for safe travel and minimal delays.

Glad I was able to help:halo:

 

We're looking forward to when we can take longer cruises, but with two kids at home 7 days is about the max for now. Looking at a Princess 15 day Hawaii from CA for our 25th anniversary in a few years:hearteyes:

 

I know we need to fly to get to different ports (and Miami was a pleasant experience), but it is nice to avoid that cost. I think our next Canada trips will probably be land based and in a few years when we have more time. The cruises were wonderful but not enough time.

 

Bermuda is definitely on our to do list - just haven't found an itinerary that has fit yet. Hoping to try Royal from NJ and get a 2 for 1 with both Bermuda and a mega-Ship (not sure if we'll like the big ones, but want to at least try it). It's concerning to hear that NJ was difficult to get to. We had an awful time with Brooklyn and while Manhattan was easy to get to, it was a nightmare getting out. Had hoped the third time would be the charm.

 

I think we are on the edge too (between Williamsport and Lewisburg), but our daughter is coming home today via Newark from a mission trip to PR. Praying for safe travel and minimal delays.

So far so good on the snow tonight. We are not that far from State College. We are empty nest folks now. Our son is happily married but lives close and with no pets at this point we can come and go as long as we have vacation time and money lol.. Flying definitely gets you great itinerary choices. Like you we prefer to save the cost if possible but always an option. We also are so so on taking a mega ship. Our first cruise only had 1000 passengers. That is a little small but we seem to prefer the mid size. The Regal was more then big enough for us.

We didn't have any issue in Brooklyn so I was sorry to hear you all did. Don't let me sway you from cruising out of Cape Liberty. The issues we had we honestly more my fault then anything else. I got really messed up on one of the exits we needed and really caused a wild detour. Once we arrived it was a really easy port to sail from.

I hope you get to try Bermuda at some point. With the bigger ships you dock at the Navy Yard on the western end of the island for your stay but really easy to get around the island on the bus and water taxis. Our first cruise there from Philadelphia actually docked at 3 places while there. That was really something.

Good luck and again thanks for the great advice and help. Hope you get your 25th cruise! We are celebrating 30 this May. Since we are going to Disney in the fall my DW has "banned" us from cruising for that. LOL

Happy Cruising."

PS to

pacruise804

Hope your daughter has a safe trip. It wonderful she did mission service!! Blessings to you and your family.

So far so good on the snow tonight. We are not that far from State College. We are empty nest folks now. Our son is happily married but lives close and with no pets at this point we can come and go as long as we have vacation time and money lol.. Flying definitely gets you great itinerary choices. Like you we prefer to save the cost if possible but always an option. We also are so so on taking a mega ship. Our first cruise only had 1000 passengers. That is a little small but we seem to prefer the mid size. The Regal was more then big enough for us.

We didn't have any issue in Brooklyn so I was sorry to hear you all did. Don't let me sway you from cruising out of Cape Liberty. The issues we had we honestly more my fault then anything else. I got really messed up on one of the exits we needed and really caused a wild detour. Once we arrived it was a really easy port to sail from.

 

I hope you get to try Bermuda at some point. With the bigger ships you dock at the Navy Yard on the western end of the island for your stay but really easy to get around the island on the bus and water taxis. Our first cruise there from Philadelphia actually docked at 3 places while there. That was really something.

 

Good luck and again thanks for the great advice and help. Hope you get your 25th cruise! We are celebrating 30 this May. Since we are going to Disney in the fall my DW has "banned" us from cruising for that. LOL

 

Happy Cruising."

No snow here yet, but school has a 2hr delay (so far). I have family near State College (Milesburg, Bellefonte, & PA Furnace), so we're almost neighbors:D . We were in State College for some pre-cruise shopping in February and tried Otto's Brew Pub - I highly recommend it if you are looking for a nice lunch out (I could see it getting busy at dinners). Great local food and drink, very relaxing.

I think our Brooklyn issue was mostly due to construction. We were using Google Maps for directions and once you got in the city it didn't work as well. We had printed directions too, but at one point it said to exit in the left lane and the left lane was closed:o . I think it took an extra 45 minutes to figure out how to get to the ship (we could see it the whole time too:loudcry:) . My husband was amazing with his driving skills though and got us there safely. Going home I think we made a wrong turn and then kept going in circles to get out - Google would use one name for a road but the signs called it something else and it was hard to tell until too late that they were the same thing. Next time we will definitely stay at a hotel the night before and have someone drive us to/from the port.

Daughter wants to go to Disney/Universal for Harry Potter/Hogwarts for her graduation gift in 2019, so I don't think we will cruise that year either:D

Happy Anniversary!

PS to

pacruise804

 

Hope your daughter has a safe trip. It wonderful she did mission service!! Blessings to you and your family.

Thank you:halo: Everyone made it home safely last night with minimal delays and it sounds like she had a really good trip.

No snow here yet, but school has a 2hr delay (so far). I have family near State College (Milesburg, Bellefonte, & PA Furnace), so we're almost neighbors:D . We were in State College for some pre-cruise shopping in February and tried Otto's Brew Pub - I highly recommend it if you are looking for a nice lunch out (I could see it getting busy at dinners). Great local food and drink, very relaxing.

 

I think our Brooklyn issue was mostly due to construction. We were using Google Maps for directions and once you got in the city it didn't work as well. We had printed directions too, but at one point it said to exit in the left lane and the left lane was closed:o . I think it took an extra 45 minutes to figure out how to get to the ship (we could see it the whole time too:loudcry:) . My husband was amazing with his driving skills though and got us there safely. Going home I think we made a wrong turn and then kept going in circles to get out - Google would use one name for a road but the signs called it something else and it was hard to tell until too late that they were the same thing. Next time we will definitely stay at a hotel the night before and have someone drive us to/from the port.

 

Daughter wants to go to Disney/Universal for Harry Potter/Hogwarts for her graduation gift in 2019, so I don't think we will cruise that year either:D

 

Happy Anniversary!

 

 

Thank you:halo: Everyone made it home safely last night with minimal delays and it sounds like she had a really good trip.

You are indeed almost neighbors. Glad everyone made it home safe and sound. The issues we had going to Cape Liberty are about the same as yours in Brooklyn. I am not a Disney Nut like some but My wife really enjoys it so this is her trip. We are taking our Son and Daughter in Law (her first trip there) so that will be special. We were at Universal the week Harry Potter Opened. Could not get close to the rides but the attraction is awesome.

Enjoy