why does Carnival have such a bad "partying" reputation

[EZ4]

The heavy drinking dropped exponentially when they quit using KLG for their adds. You can still catch her drinking every weekday morning on NBC, though. :p

[dclark]

 

They also lowered prices and evolved into what is now considered the lowest price cruise line. I think it's very smart marketing.

 

 

CCL didn't lower prices because they wanted to, they were lowered because of lack of demand. All prices are market driven, CCL is cheapest because of lack of demand.

Why CCL's bad rep? Next time you see one of those blower fan things in a hallway, keep in mine that someone puked there and they cleaned it and are using a fan to dry it the area.

The large number of these gives you an indication of the level of in toxication that occurs on CCL ships.

If that doesn't convince you, try doing a search and counting all the posts about the Cheers program or booze smuggling.

[tigercat]

Boy have I been missing things. Neither my husband or I drink alcohol at all. I keep hearing about all the drunks and parties going on and yet in our cruises the only drunk people we have seen was on the Disney ship we took. The only problem we had with the staff and the food was on the DISNEY ship we took. The big problem with the kids was on the....you guessed it the Disney ship.

They have fans going in the hall ways all the time??? I guess we have always managed to miss them as well. We must not sail on the right Carnival ships because I have them take better care of me with my food allergies on the Carnival ships. The Disney was was a disaster with food.

Maybe my trip is September will give me the experience some of you have had and then I can understand where you are coming from. I know that each line has problems and each line has people who like it the best. I guess that is what is great about it all. I just wouldn't slam an entire line because of a bad experience. Even Disney. Now I won't go on another Disney cruise (I really love Disney World though) not because of the experience but because of the price. I am not sure I would go on RCCL again because those big ships just don't interest me at all. They are just too big. I did enjoy RCCL when I went on it but that was on their small ships. I just don't want or need all the fancy things that cost extra. Other people want that so go to it. Princess I will probably sail with again but will know that I may not get my food taken care of as well and will deal with it. Maybe next time will be better than the last one's you never know. They just have a harder time changing things around than Carnival.

tigercat

[Cruizinman]

The party ship reputation is one that Carnival tried to lose , however they reinvented it with the new cheers program. Talk about running around in circles like a chicken with your head chopped off.

[Phlybice]

The party ship reputation is one that Carnival tried to lose , however they reinvented it with the new cheers program. Talk about running around in circles like a chicken with your head chopped off.

 

Yup. All that work and all those years wasted.

[tkportersat]

Funny, I have seen just as much if not more partying on my RC and NCL cruises.

I have never seen one fan blowing on any of my cruises and I have only heard/seen one person throwing up in my 13 cruises and that was in the woman's bathroom on RC. I have also seen a drunk naked guy jump into the pool once and that too was on RC.

 

Honestly I could care less about Carnival's so called reputation, as long as I continue to have a nice vacation on their ships.

 

CCL didn't lower prices because they wanted to, they were lowered because of lack of demand. All prices are market driven, CCL is cheapest because of lack of demand.

Why CCL's bad rep? Next time you see one of those blower fan things in a hallway, keep in mine that someone puked there and they cleaned it and are using a fan to dry it the area.

The large number of these gives you an indication of the level of in toxication that occurs on CCL ships.

If that doesn't convince you, try doing a search and counting all the posts about the Cheers program or booze smuggling.

[Kevin Hort]

Really everything discussed here is a matter of perspective. Obviously some people have problems with overt expressions of fun. My family focuses on ourselves and having fun.

 

Personally speaking I could easily turn into a "drunk cruiser" if you put me on a DCL. That many children on a boat would make me break out in drink. ;)

 

Ha! I love it!

[kittysnme]

I've been on 5 cruised from a short 4 days to Mexico to 15 days to Hawaii. Granted I've only been on Carnival and Princess. The only time I've ever seen the fans was on the Princess cruise and that only because we were in 30 foot seas for three days as we crossed the Pacific. All the other cruises including the 4 day party cruise we did not see stumbling drunks. Yes we did see some people who were very lubricated but they were the exception. Every cruise has a few guests who over indulge.

 

Carnival started Cheers program because other cruise lines were coming up with similar programs and its another revenue stream with high margins. They have to keep up with what everyone else is doing.

[Kevin Hort]

As earlier mentioned, the infamous Beer Drinking Contest...

 

 

...and the Men's Nightgown Contest...

 

 

Love it! Those are some of the funniest pics I have ever seen! Were these taken ca. 1985?

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Yup. All that work and all those years wasted.

Not necessarily. They don't sell the Cheers package on short cruises (<= 5 days), and that's where most of the partying happens. People on here say that longer cruises are more sedate. I'm pretty sure limiting Cheers to longer cruises is intentional. Me and my cruise friends from Sensation did the bulk of our partying in ports anyway. Kudos to Carnival for letting the ship stay in Nassau until 1:00 AM instead of leaving at 5:00 PM like originally scheduled.

[sjcruiser]

As stated, reputations are hard to shake. Never felt like it was a "party ship" as everyone onboard was enjoying themselves, just like I've seen on other ships/cruise lines.

[Florings]

I haven't noticed anything worse than any other vacation I've been on. When some people drink too much, they get very loud and use lots of bad language. That's the worst I've ever seen on a cruise....

[Gator4Life]

That's the bottom line right there. They have never cruised on Carnival before and are going by what their hair dresser's cousin's pool boys aunt's sister's ex-boyfirend's third cousin told them that happened on the Mardi Gras back in the 80's.

 

For the most part on anything longer than 5 days, they are Fun Ships, not Party Ships.

 

Out of five Carnival cruises, we've only seen one guy that had too much to drink and he wasn't real drunk, just kind of obnoxious.

 

 

LOL.... Not "their hair dresser's cousin's pool boys aunt's sister's ex-boyfirend's third cousin told them that happened on the Mardi Gras back in the 80's".....

 

TOO FUNNY!:D

[swedish weave]

The party ship reputation is one that Carnival tried to lose , however they reinvented it with the new cheers program. Talk about running around in circles like a chicken with your head chopped off.

 

Are any of the other mainstream cruise lines offering a version of the cheers program ???

[Florings]

I believe RCCI is doing something similar? A friend who is sailing later this summer mentioned it, wondering if it was a worth the cost.

[Sargent_Schultz]

when I tell others who cruise that have never cruised on carnival that I sail with Carnival most immediately say they would never cruise with Carnival, due to the excessive partying that goes on.

I dont drink and have never noticed this...and I would notice it if it was around me...I just dont get it.

 

Pure propaganda spread by those envious of the Fun Ships!

[Keel Haul]

Pure propaganda spread by those envious of the Fun Ships!

In another thread KYbluecruiser stated on his last CCL cruise there was a Security Guard on permanent duty on the Lido deck in the daytime why?

[wmowan8485]

Carnival has such a bad reputation for partying because I haven't been on the other cruise lines yet! ;)

[N7786W Flyer]

Love it! Those are some of the funniest pics I have ever seen! Were these taken ca. 1985?

 

Very close! They were taken in August 1984!

 

Garnett

[WOWGirl]

I like Carnival's prices. I like to party. I like to drink. I love that my husband and I can drink together and not worry about one being sober all night cause we need a designated driver. I love Camp Carnival babysitting our daughter so we can party.

 

We always make friends on the cruise and keep in touch with them after the cruise and cruise again with them.

 

To tell everyone the truth, I never get "Isnt Carnival just a party cruise?"

 

I always now get, "Isnt that the cruiseline that keeps stranding people out at sea?" I just respond with, "Yes."

 

I dont care what they think....I know I love cruising. I woudnt mind attempting to try another cruiseline, but I am scared that they wont be fun and a party crowd. :)

[SmudgeCat]

I always now get, "Isnt that the cruiseline that keeps stranding people out at sea?" I just respond with, "Yes."

 

LOL! That's what I get too when I tell folks I'm doing a B2B in December on the Fantasy. :D :D :D

 

I've only been on 4 cruises and always with Carnival, so I have no experience at all to compare with other lines, but my DH and I can't recall seeing any fall-down drunks. I think it's the time of year we go, around early December. On our cruises we were actually on the young side of the ship population, in our mid-to-late 30's. The most intoxicated person I remember seeing was actually in 2007; it was a man in his 70's or very early 80's wearing a blue speedo and coming on to all the women around him at the aft bar/ deck (Miracle). It was hysterical!!!! :D:p

Edited July 12, 2013 by SmudgeCat

[klepton]

Are any of the other mainstream cruise lines offering a version of the cheers program ???

 

Yes, RCI started theirs about the same time Carnival did. Azamara just started theirs this year. X has been doing it for a few years I think. Costa is doing it. MSC has it on some ships. NCL is currently testing a program, at least I think it's still in testing. They've had a package available for years for group sailings. And then of course you have all the all-inclusive luxury lines like Regent Seven Seas who have always included it.

 

From what I can tell, Carnival's is actually the most restrictive of all of them. I don't know if any of the others have a 15 drink limit. And in most of the others if you order a drink more expensive than the cap you only pay the dfference. In the Cheers! program you just get a 25% discount. So a $12 drink on RCI will cost you $2. On Carnival it will cost you $9.

 

It's a move the entire industry is making, I wouldn't say Carnival has taken a step backwards-in the mainstream view-with regard to their non-party-boat reputation because of it. But some people are going to think what they want, no matter what.

[WetToes]

In another thread KYbluecruiser stated on his last CCL cruise there was a Security Guard on permanent duty on the Lido deck in the daytime why?

 

" ... why"?

I read that, didn't see where anyone said it was due to 'partying'. If that in what you are inferring.

Not everyone needs alcohol to be a jerk.

I've seen people worked up over c-hogging.

[rprice11]

On my three Carnival cruises I've never noticed anyone to intoxicated although I tend to suffer from alcohol induced double vision while on board. Perhaps I'm not the best qualified to give an opinion.

[Terre]

I think that assumption comes from years ago when there were more younger people who did party. Carnival has become more family oriented so you don't have as much "partying". Now if you cruise any cruise line during spring break or summer, you are going to have the younger crowd that just wants to drink all they can and party as much as they can. Avoid those times of the year and you won't have as much as of that.