Is Carnival for us?

[dawnie216]

My bf and I just came off an amazing 7 day NCL cruise..it was his first time cruising and he's hooked. Although he has yet to pop the question we have discussed having a cruise wedding and since im a girl I have of course already looked into all of the possibilities and from the looks of it as much as I loved Norwegian, Carnivals packages just appeal to me a lot more. I have sailed on Carnival b4 but it was a long time ago.

The question is that we are planning on another cruise this spring/summer and I was thinking maybe I should introduce him to Carnival but I have heard that its more of a party cruise and we are well not exactly the partying type lol..A little background im 30 hes 25, we dont drink but enjoy all the shows on the ship, comedy, bingo, ur basic pool day ect. We also really enjoyed the dining options..we def would be doing anytime dining if we sailed carnival and are looking into the carnival miracle out of ny in May.

 

Any help/advice or info on the ship would be great now that i just made us sound like the most boring couple ever haahaa :p

[Justsyd]

I suggest that you try it for yourself. DH and I tried RCCL, and while we enjoyed it, it didn't seem to be a good fit for us. We've sailed Carnival and had a great time, and we're also booked on NCL. We do not drink or go to the clubs, but we still have a great vacation.

[Froufie]

Also not a big drinker, partyer and was leery of the Carnival 'reputation' before I tried it out - you have nothing to worry about. It is very family oriented and while there are certain events/venues that lend themselves more to the dirnking/partying crowd nothing says you have to be there or join in.

 

The food is great, the entertainmnet enjoyable, and the price is right - I suggest you try it out for yourselves - and the Miracle is a great ship!

[sugaangel601]

Carnival sure gets a bad rap for being a "party boat," and in fact, I sailed RCI my first time due to it. I decided to try Carnival because of the prices and have found that its more of a "lively" than "party" atmospere. Carnival offers everything that RCI & NCL offer, just catering more to a "first timer" crowd and using more "Vegas style" decor. Theres plenty to do if you arent into "partying," and even still, you dont have to "party" to join in or have a good time! (Its not like they force you to go to the parties hang out with annoying perma-intoxicated individuals... but you will encounter them no matter which line you sail. :p)

 

I would still sail either line (or any!) Vacation ultimately is what YOU make of it :)

[sunshine002]

The Miracle is a great ship, you can't go wrong with that choice. Each ship and line has its pros and cons. I have not sailed with NCL, but always have a great time on Carnival (sailed with them 13X).

 

I have sailed with Celebrity and RCL once each and enjoyed each cruise.

 

I feel for the money and experience Carnival can't be beat.

 

As far as it being a party cruise line, that has not been my experience, but it also depends on the length of the cruise and if it is during one of the school breaks.

I actually had the opposite of a party cruise one cruise they even kept the dining open for lunch while at port, since so many did not get off the ship.

[FlipFlopCruiser]

We did NCL once......once.

It wasn't a bad cruise, we had a great time but we just prefer Carnival.

My whole family thought the shows were much better on Carnival, even the game shows and the timing for shows was better.

We're not food snobs so as long as it's good, hot, fresh...we're happy and we did have that on both lines.

We're not party people either, we don't do the clubs and bars but there's so much other stuff to do that it doesn't matter. As far as the "party ship" thing goes, we really didn't notice much difference between the 2 lines.

We were on the Miracle twice already and have it booked for a 3rd time for next June...we love love love that ship!

Go for it...you won't be sorry!

[evandbob]

I've seen some weddings on Carnival and it appeared that the couple were happy......that said, have you looked into other NY sailings? The NCL Jewel berths next to the Miracle, RCL leaves from Bayonne, and Celebrity/Princess from Red Hook.

Maybe a side by side comparision of amenities, cabins, itineraries, and price might help you decide?

[SteelCruisin]

We've cruised Rccl,NCL and Carnival...all are pretty similiar I think I enjoyed the entertainment best on CCL, it seemed where ever you went there was a musician playing and the shows were really good to boot,I liked that NCL had more enrichment lecture type entertainment,hand writing analysis class and memory class,but CCL still provides the most bang for my buck.

[GayleR]

It's sad that Carnival still has that reputation when it isn't true. We have sailed on their ships 5 times, mostly in summer and during spring break.

 

We are not big drinkers and I have yet to set foot in the dance clubs and we have a great time.

[Kalista]

This was my husband's concern too. But I pointed out the same thing people here are saying and I read so many reviews written by nice normal people, that I don't think it will be like that at all. My criteria was PRICE first. . . and kids activities and itineraries. When I saw some of the deals here even compared to Princess (which I assume is the top competitor even if their parent company is the same), there was no way I could justify paying more elsewhere. But, that's me. . . really we had no choice-- it was here or nowhere except MSC (?) which didn't have the same type of kids' activities. But, I don't feel as if I'm "slumming" or getting second best. I'm thrilled and excited and feel as if I'm going to be getting a huge bang for my buck. I can't wait (but I have to-- over a year away)!

[davex100]

We are definitely not the "party" type but we love to cruise Carnival despite both of us trying other cruise lines (including NCL) we found that for pure value you can't beat Carnival. The "party boat" reputation is very much undeserved these days and only spoke of by those who haven't cruised on carnival.

[geckog]

I always say, Carnival has a little something for everyone. The party reputation is highly exaggerated.

[DocF]

DW and I have been on 6 Carnival cruises. We have never seen any "party 'till you puke" behavior. Actually, most of the ship is quite quiet after about 10 PM. I have never even seen but one obviously drunken person and he was a "fun drunk". He just got more and more silly.

 

Doc

[Socref124]

The question is that we are planning on another cruise this spring/summer and I was thinking maybe I should introduce him to Carnival but I have heard that its more of a party cruise and we are well not exactly the partying type lol..A little background im 30 hes 25, we dont drink but enjoy all the shows on the ship, comedy, bingo, ur basic pool day ect. We also really enjoyed the dining options..we def would be doing anytime dining if we sailed carnival and are looking into the carnival miracle out of ny in May.

 

Any help/advice or info on the ship would be great now that i just made us sound like the most boring couple ever haahaa :p

 

Carnival is not the party hearty cruise line it is the FUN cruise line. The Miracle is a great ship, you and your bf will love her. The crew is fantastic and the CD, Malcolm Burn, is one of the best in the Carnival fleet, imho. They have excellent shows, Ticket to Ride and the Cruise Directors Silent Film Skit are two of our all time favorites. Carnival does have Nick and Nora's steakhouse, but they don't have as many options as NCL. You could try the Chefs table, cost $75 per person, which is an 8 course meal for the first 16 people that sign up and you have to send a note to John Heald to get signed up. If you want, I can send you the link to do this.

May is a good time to cruise, no spring breakers and the crowd is usually tame. We try to crise in Oct and/or May when possible. My first cruise was on NCL but once we did a Carnival cruise, I never felt the urge to go back. There are some things that are better on NCL and there are some things that aren't as good as on Carnival. Carnival just seems to fit our budget a little better.

I hope this helps a little and have a great cruise on whichever line you choose.:)

[MrFunInTheSun]

I always say, Carnival has a little something for everyone. The party reputation is highly exaggerated.

 

Agreed! I've been on both Carnival and Royal and my experience has been the same groups of people on both lines. Granted I've been on more Carnival cruises. Carnival certainly isn't the party ship as many people seem to think.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Socref124]

Here is the link for the Chef's Table.

 

The best way is to request reservations via John Heald's blog. You can use the form at this link:

 

www.johnhealdsblog.com/ask-john

[evandbob]

Carnival is not the party hearty cruise line it is the FUN cruise line. The Miracle is a great ship, you and your bf will love her. The crew is fantastic and the CD, Malcolm Burn, is one of the best in the Carnival fleet, imho. They have excellent shows, Ticket to Ride and the Cruise Directors Silent Film Skit are two of our all time favorites. Carnival does have Nick and Nora's steakhouse, but they don't have as many options as NCL. You could try the Chefs table, cost $75 per person, which is an 8 course meal for the first 16 people that sign up and you have to send a note to John Heald to get signed up. If you want, I can send you the link to do this.

May is a good time to cruise, no spring breakers and the crowd is usually tame. We try to crise in Oct and/or May when possible. My first cruise was on NCL but once we did a Carnival cruise, I never felt the urge to go back. There are some things that are better on NCL and there are some things that aren't as good as on Carnival. Carnival just seems to fit our budget a little better.

I hope this helps a little and have a great cruise on whichever line you choose.:)

 

 

The one time I cruised the Miracle from MIA, I believe it was a winter cruise to Panama. I was one of the youngest persons aboard, and I was in my late 50's then. By 10pm, the casino, shows and other venues were dead, however, the chair hogs were scrambling at 5AM to claim territory. The loudest discussions I heard were about getting into the MDR for early dinner and whose walker had the right of way.

 

This definitely belies the CCL rep as a party ship!

[Iluvmypuggle]

I like this question - Carnival vs. NCL - because I struggle with this myself sometimes when I'm looking to book a cruise.

 

I really like both cruiselines, but for different reasons. Here's my thoughts on the things that matter to me:

 

CARNIVAL

*Main dining room food tastes better than NCL, but there's only a main dining room & a steakhouse on most ships.

*Carnival does have the any-time dining option (instead of a set dinner seating), but it's only available on some ships & not all.

*I think the bars and clubs have a little more going on at night so you can stay out late and there's people to hang out with.

*I'm not a big fan of Carnival decor, whereas NCL's newer ships are modern.

*Carnival has a lot of entertainment going on, but I'm not a big fan of the regular evening shows - I do love the R rated comedians though.

*There's always something fun going on by the pool- I didn't feel that way about NCL.

*If you were to book a suite, the perks are nothing like NCL's.

 

NCL

*Love all the different restaurants, even though you have to pay for them - I think it just makes things a little more fun.

*I LOVE being able to eat when I want and always get a table for 2 only.

*I dislike a lot of the MDR food but there are other options (as long as you pay)

*I LOVE the Blue Lagoon - I think we ate there every night at 1am and sometimes for lunch - buffalo wings on a cruise are awesome!!

*NCL ships are beautiful! And I like how they have pubs to hang out in at night.

*NCL shows are a little more impressive - they have people who suspend like it's a cirque de solei show. And I love Second City comedy.

*If you were to book a suite on NCL, the penthouse & up has a butler/concierge.

 

Overall, I switch back and forth because I think both companies have a great vacation to offer, but there's definitely things I like about one line vs. the other.

 

Another thing is that I cruise out of NY mostly and Carnival's newer ships aren't always coming out of NY, so maybe that sways my thoughts a bit.

 

I will say that my last cruise & next cruise is Carnival (leaving Sept. 6), but I do have NCL booked for 2012.

 

Hope that helps!

[drenee73]

We did a cruise wedding in Mar 2009. We were on the Freedom but chose to get married off ship - since they don't marry you on deck anymore - in Ocho Rios.

 

I'm a control freak. I was nervous letting them take care of everything. I didn't even really pick the colors of my flowers - I think it was "available tropical blend" or something...

 

They took care of EVERYTHING.

 

They sent a photographer with us to do pictures of the ceremony and after - then we went around the ship for pictures and finally we did a "studio" sitting on the boat. I was not prepared for the pictures.... by that I mean, I had NO IDEA they would be entirely amazing. The gal they sent out with us was very talented. Maybe we got lucky, but...

 

We were not prepared for the picture package cost either. I honestly wouldn't have ever thought in a million years that I'd spend that kind of money on PICTURES! But I did. We do love our memory book. I would budget that in if I were doing it again. We paid as much for pictures as we did for the ceremony.....

 

I am with the others - try Carnival. It's kinda fun. ;)

[canadiancruiser13]

Agreed! I've been on both Carnival and Royal and my experience has been the same groups of people on both lines. Granted I've been on more Carnival cruises. Carnival certainly isn't the party ship as many people seem to think.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I alos agree that Carnival isn't the "Party Ships", Guess it depends on the time of year like Spring Break....

[BIGA961]

My wife and I do not drink, or gamble, and we love Carnival! I had heard the stories about Carnival and was planning on booking one of the other lines, but when I compared prices, I decided that I needed to see what Carnival offered before spending more money for the same ports. We've loved our dinner companions, and can't wait for our next Carnival trip!

[lulabelle522]

Also not a big drinker, partyer and was leery of the Carnival 'reputation' before I tried it out - you have nothing to worry about. It is very family oriented and while there are certain events/venues that lend themselves more to the dirnking/partying crowd nothing says you have to be there or join in.

 

The food is great, the entertainmnet enjoyable, and the price is right - I suggest you try it out for yourselves - and the Miracle is a great ship!

 

 

I couldn't agree with you more! We don't drink or party but CCL is more than the big party everyone says it is :D

[Room Service!]

There is no cruise line or ship that is not for me! :)

[kroozers]

If people want to really party, they don't cruise, where you pay $5 for a beer. They go to a cheap AI resort in Cancun where all alcohol is included. They drink from 9 AM til 3 AM everyday. It would cost $1000 a day to do that on a ship.

 

I think you'll both love a Carnival cruise!

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Back in my early cruising days I avoided Carnival because of the party reputation and sailed most of the rest including NCL several times. They offer a good experience but the standard cabins are tiny compared to other cruise lines so now we mostly avoid them. Eventually we tried Carnival and since then we are Platinum. I don't drink but like you I enjoy most of the rest of what is offered. Believe me Carnival caters to everyone from singles, couples, families, and seniors. Lots of Platinum cruises on Carnival and that means lots of people coming back again and again.