Carnival instead of RCCL?

[nbsjcruiser]

[quote name='tinkr2']OK, My hubby swears he hates carnival bc of a cruise like 20 years ago but Ive booked a short one on Ectasy bc its so cheap. In the last 2 years we have done Oasis of the Seas, Freedom and Azamara Journey.
I have done Carnival a bunch with my kids...no hubby. Anything that anyone can tell me that will make my snobby hubby like a carnival ship?:p[/QUOTE]

No but I will say this. If he dislikes Carnival and you take him on the Ecstasy after cruising on the ships you listed above, he's going to think he's on a tugboat. I'd look at a short one on the Majesty if I was you. You'd avoid the "I told you so" that is sure to happen on the Ecstasy.

[FLACRUISER99]

Wow I'm flabbergasted, folks won't cruise Carnival for free! Even though RCI is my #1 cruise line at the present time mainly because of the D+ benefits I would certainly take a free cruise on Carnival!

[CptSticky]

[quote name='FLACRUISER99']Wow I'm flabbergasted, folks won't cruise Carnival for free! Even though RCI is my #1 cruise line at the present time mainly because of the D+ benefits I would certainly take a free cruise on Carnival![/quote]
I like Carnival, but as you said, I don't get my benefits there so I'll stay put (usually). However I would not take a free cruise on Carnival if I thought that their engines were going to conk out!. On our last Carnival, they had to run on one engine and we had to alter our port stops. I own Carnival stock, but not Royal. I cruise mainly Royal and not Carnival. As an old friend of mine used to say "that's just the way it is".

[The Sunset Glow]

[quote name='DonnaK']although you didn't quote me, I made the same comment on the first page. I absolutely would not take another Carnival cruise, even if it were free. No kidding!

For us, it's not just the dark, dank, claustrophobic décor, and it's not the food. It's many other factors starting with the unfavorable space to passenger ratio, inferior level of service (because the crew, especially in MDR are spread significantly thinner), awkward layout of the ships, smoky passageways, overall cheap and crowded feeling, etc. Our wait team on Miracle was responsible for 48 diners, and our cabin steward had 27 cabins. On RCI ships, they average 12-18, so service is naturally more attentive and more personalized towards our needs.

I also do NOT feel that the worst day on a cruise is better than the best day at work (or on land). Everytime someone says this I laugh. They must have quite a pitiful job and homelife.[/quote]

I agree with you 100%. I would NOT go on another Carnival cruise even if it was free. My time is more valuable to me than money. I value the limited vacation time I get from work and want to maximize it to ensure I enjoy it fully. I'd rather pay for a cruise I will enjoy than take one I won't like that's free.

Carnival is a great product for some people but not for me and my husband. Like they say - Different strokes for different folks.;)

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

There is "no free lunch" on a CCL. Even if someone gave it to me, I wouldn't either. The only reason I went with my friends and hubby this year was because they picked the Dream out of PC and Disney was on the menu before and after! If I hadn't had that, my trip (minus the amazing ports) would have just about been a bust. And that trip DEFINITELY wasn't "free" by any means...

Ok so the reason I say there is no free lunch is because even if all your tips were paid, all your excursions were paid for, travel, etc taxes port fees, all of it: you would STILL be pestered the entire cruise to buy endless bingo cards, none stop requests to take your picture while you are trying to get to your dinner before you are late, and absolutely non stop pestering of drink sales. They try to get every single stinkin' last dime outta you. It's so unenjoyable for me, and clearly uncomfortable high pressures for the CMs.

I would not cruise CCL at this point (although they could go back to how it was in 2011 and I could change my mind? that was my last absolutely spectacular CCL on the Triumph) and the only reason I did this time was because I was going to pitch a fit of royal proportions if I had to miss WDW (fortunately my honey agreed, and we did 3 days, 2 before and 1 hopping day after! :) )

My friends love to cruise CCL. I'm just not sure I have the $$ to go on the CCLs with them again and then go on the cruise I really like...

[Tapi]

[quote name='FLACRUISER99']Wow I'm flabbergasted, folks won't cruise Carnival for free!

I would certainly take a free cruise on Carnival![/QUOTE]

I get what others are saying when they say they wouldn't take a free Carnival cruise.

Say that you only get 2 weeks of vacation a year and you've allocated one week to visit family over Christmas and the other week to sail on the Allure of the Seas.

Then one day you get a notification that you've won a free 5 night cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy! But in order to take that free cruise you need to pay for airfare, tips, port charges, pre-post cruise hotel, and whatever other expenses you may have.

And it gets trickier. Would you cancel your Christmas vacation with family to sail on the Ecstasy? Or would you replace your week on the Allure with a free cruise on the Ecstasy? Would you use part of the money that you budgeted for your Allure cruise to pay for expenses associated with an Ecstasy cruise that you would've never even considered before?

With unlimited vacation time and no additional expenses, I would take the free cruise, but I would not sacrifice current plans of vacations that I really want to take in order to accommodate a cruise on the Ecstasy.

[WetToes]

[quote name='FLACRUISER99']Wow I'm flabbergasted, folks won't cruise Carnival for free![/quote]


So they say.

[CptSticky]

[quote name='WetToes']So they say.[/quote]
If I was given a free Carnival cruise with no restrictions (use any time) I would take it eventually. If I could give it away, I would probably give it to some friends who really like Carnival. If it had to be used now while school is out, then I probably would not use it. I guess I'm getting old and grumpy and don't want to cruise with a ship full of kids.

[Cruising89143]

[quote name='Tapi']I get what others are saying when they say they wouldn't take a free Carnival cruise.

Say that you only get 2 weeks of vacation a year and you've allocated one week to visit family over Christmas and the other week to sail on the Allure of the Seas.

Then one day you get a notification that you've won a free 5 night cruise on the Carnival Ecstasy! But in order to take that free cruise you need to pay for airfare, tips, port charges, pre-post cruise hotel, and whatever other expenses you may have.

And it gets trickier. Would you cancel your Christmas vacation with family to sail on the Ecstasy? Or would you replace your week on the Allure with a free cruise on the Ecstasy? Would you use part of the money that you budgeted for your Allure cruise to pay for expenses associated with an Ecstasy cruise that you would've never even considered before?

With unlimited vacation time and no additional expenses, I would take the free cruise, but I would not sacrifice current plans of vacations that I really want to take in order to accommodate a cruise on the Ecstasy.[/QUOTE]

I get five weeks a year and still would forego a "free" cruise on Carnival. Just not worth my time. For the ones that would, knock yourself out.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Aside from cruising Carnival during spring break, I don't mind cruising with them at all. One thing I've noticed, the Carnival 'Lido deck' buffets are way better than the RCI Windjammer with respect to variety & prep of food.

[The Sunset Glow]

[quote name='WetToes']So they say.[/quote]

Yes that's what I say. It's a fact. I don't know why you can't believe it but I hope you actually get over yourself some day and realize that not everyone likes what you do.:rolleyes:

[HB Cruiser]

[quote name='Oak Hill Cruisers']...................One thing I've noticed, the Carnival 'Lido deck' buffets are way better than the RCI Windjammer with respect to variety & prep of food.[/QUOTE]

I will not argue the fact which is better food wise, that is all opinion. What is fact about the comparison between the Lido buffett and the Windjammer is you will not get hungry standing in line for the Windjammer as it moves rather quickly. You will be starving by the time you get to the food in the Lido buffett. Carnival could take a lesson here from RCCL about buffett settup and traffic flow.

Tim

[ronandannette]

[quote name='The Sunset Glow']I agree with you 100%. I would NOT go on another Carnival cruise even if it was free. My time is more valuable to me than money. I value the limited vacation time I get from work and want to maximize it to ensure I enjoy it fully. [COLOR=red][B]I'd rather pay for a cruise I will enjoy than take one I won't like that's free[/B][/COLOR].

Carnival is a great product for some people but not for me and my husband. Like they say - Different strokes for different folks.;)[/quote]

This. I'll freely admit that our two Carnival cruises were chosen based on the price. And while I suppose one should never say never, after the Victory last fall we have decided that if, in future, Carnival is all we can afford at any given time, we will stay home instead. Sure, the price is low (and if I hear the term "more bang for the buck" one more time I'll hurl...), but the product is simply not worth ANYTHING (either time or money) to us.

[quote name='Oak Hill Cruisers']Aside from cruising Carnival during spring break, I don't mind cruising with them at all. One thing I've noticed, the [COLOR=red][B]Carnival 'Lido deck' buffets are way better than the RCI Windjammer[/B][/COLOR] with respect to variety & prep of food.[/quote]

I'm distress to hear that RCCL has fallen so far :eek:. Have you had breakfast at the buffet on Carnival lately? It was truly intolerable (bacon police notwithstanding...who'd want more anyway?). I have never, ever, eaten boxed cereal on a vacation, let alone on a cruise ship but that's what Carnival reduced me to. And don't suggest the MDR...breakfast has been cancelled in favour of Comedy Brunch.

[Jimnbigd]

I'm OK with Carnival but my wife is not. I like the deli (in the back part of the buffet) and the Mongolian Grill (outdoor pool area). And freshly grilled hamburgers also by the pool -- you can even get grilled chicken sandwiches there. But there are some downers too. Low ceilings in the MDR. Sewage smell in some public areas. Very smoky in the piano bar. A lot less live music. Still, I have fun on Carnival and would sail them again, but as I said my wife won't (mostly because of the occasional sewage smell).

I've said this before on CC: To me, Carnival = neon lights, and RCI = chandeliers.

We had Steve Cassel as our CD a few times on the Ecstasy. He's hockey but a lot of fun. A great fiddler and juggler.

[Tapi]

[quote name='Jimnbigd']
I've said this before on CC: To me, Carnival = neon lights, and RCI = chandeliers.[/QUOTE]

Hey! Carnival has chandeliers too!

[IMG]http://www.goodbaduglyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20130114-210555.jpg[/IMG]

[Big_G]

[quote name='ronandannette']



I'm distress to hear that RCCL has fallen so far :eek:. [/quote]

LOL! Don't believe everything you read here escpecially when it comes to food. :D

[Coralc]

[quote name='Tapi']Hey! Carnival has chandeliers too!

[IMG]http://www.goodbaduglyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20130114-210555.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

That's a great photo! It looks like their "early bordello" design style. :D:):D I recall a lot of "red" on our Carnival cruise.

[bighairtexan]

I believe I may have been the first person on this thread to say that I wouldn't cruise on the Ecstasy for free. I'll go further than that, and to cruise on the Ecstasy they'd have to pay me... LOTS. I'd cruise on other Carnival ships for free. I'd even pay to go on a Carnival ship if the price, ship and itinerary were right. Someday I may cruise the Magic out of Galveston and I enjoyed the Conquest when she was in Galveston. But the Ecstasy, even post dry, dock was DISGUSTING. It started w/ the worst customer service from the PVP. He couldn't seem to read the new deck plan. I went over his head and got satisfaction and the suite I wanted.
We were in a Grand Suite and upon arrival the 1st night, our beds hadn't been changed from the previous occupants. Long black hairs (I'm a redhead, and the other lady is a blonde and our steward and assistant were men w/ short hair). And the sheets reeked of body odor and had stains on them. Hair in the shower before any of us used it. And the steward INSISTED it had been cleaned. With what? Sweat and a hair ball?

Our waiter dyed his hair mid cruise (went from gray to soot black) and I don't know if the dye didn't agree with him but we all actually saw him SWEATING profusely and it dripped on our plates of food!! And he served it to us. I mean SERIOUSLY? GAG! And those were the good things about that cruise. So no. Not for free. Not if you paid me unless we're talking 5 figures!

I am Platinum w/ Carnival so obviously I've had good cruises. After the Ecstasy cruise I was contacted by various shoreside staff and they kept kicking it up the chain. They finally said ... and this is a quote "What can we do to encourage you to cruise with us again?" This was after they kept increasing the discount they were offering on any upcoming cruise of my choice. I told them I thought they needed to be aware of the problems (as I said there were 14-18 of us cruising together and we were all unhappy). I told them that I wasn't even interested in a free cruise so I'm pretty sure there was nothing that could make me cruise with them. And they were offering me a VERY hefty discount off a cruise. As in just short of what I paid for the Ecstasy.

I'll sail Spirit class, Conquest class and Magic/Breeze class. Not ever never NEVER ever will I set foot on a Fantasy class. But with so many other ships and lines, I seriously doubt that I'd ever sail Carnival again. Never say never. But NEVER on the Ecstasy.

[Truluv]

I'm a Carnival fan, but wouldn't cruise on a Fantasy class or 3-4 day cruise with Carnival even if was free. My party-boat days never started. On the other hand, I'd be very happy with a free 7-day cruise on any of the newer Carnival ships.

If I have to pay, I'm going to weigh cabin categories by cost, itinerary, ship amenities, loyalty program, and the convenience of the departure port. Booked Allure this summer.

OP probably posted the question on the wrong board...you'd get different feedback on the Carnival forum. I think the only thing that you can do is keep your hubby drunk, so he doesn't realize where he is LOL. And tell him the ship isn't representative of Carnival's newer ships or a 7-day cruise. It's going to be a "unique" experience, and being with your family for a few days will make it wonderful.

[whyrlygig]

[quote name='Tapi']Hey! Carnival has chandeliers too!

[IMG]http://www.goodbaduglyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20130114-210555.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

:eek::eek: My eyes are burning! :eek::eek:

[suep]

[quote name='DonnaK']Sorry, I can't help you. I feel the same as your husband, and I wouldn't cruise Carnival again if it were free. Once, on Miracle, was enough.[/quote]

We had the same experience on Miracle. We had been on the Triumph and it was an "okay" experience, so we gave Carnival another try, on the Miracle. There were 6 of us on this cruise and none of us will be cruising Carnival again. Food, service, entertainment.....just does not hold a candle (in our opinion) to RCCL.

[Big_G]

[quote name='Truluv']I'm a Carnival fan, but wouldn't cruise on a Fantasy class or 3-4 day cruise with Carnival even if was free. My party-boat days never started. On the other hand, I'd be very happy with a free 7-day cruise on any of the newer Carnival ships.

If I have to pay, I'm going to weigh cabin categories by cost, itinerary, ship amenities, loyalty program, and the convenience of the departure port. Booked Allure this summer.

OP probably posted the question on the wrong board...you'd get different feedback on the Carnival forum. I think the only thing that you can do is keep your hubby drunk, so he doesn't realize where he is LOL. And tell him the ship isn't representative of Carnival's newer ships or a 7-day cruise. It's going to be a "unique" experience, and being with your family for a few days will make it wonderful.[/QUOTE]

Surprisingly, the OP got almost the same results on the Carnival board.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2

[Tapi]

[quote name='Truluv']
OP probably posted the question on the wrong board...you'd get different feedback on the Carnival forum...[/QUOTE]

The responses were about the same as here. Even the most hardcore Carnival loyalists aren't defending the Ecstasy. :o

[Jimnbigd]

[quote name='Tapi']Hey! Carnival has chandeliers too![/quote]
Not quite the same as RCI. ;)

[img]http://cruisingmates.co.uk/wiki/images/3/3b/MDR-Adventure_of_the_Seas.JPG[/img]

[ryano]

I went on the Holiday and I will guarantee it was worse than any Fantasy class ship as far as size, traffic flow, amenities etc. With that said, it was a great cruise I guess because I had nothing to compare it to. The ship was over 20 years old and very outdated I suppose but there was something to be said about a smaller 1500 passenger ship. I made several friends on that cruise and would run into them almost daily. My cabin was an interior cabin but it was an accessible cabin and my biggest cabin to date! I loved the layout. Suprisingly, elevators werent an issue at all like they are on bigger RCI ships.

I realize its all subjective but I guess Carnival food has really taken a big dive even worse as some say RCI food has because I remember the food in the MDR being very good. I had some of my best meals ever so far on a cruise. This was 5 years ago though.

I would sail Carnival again on a bigger ship, especially for free. Sign me up!