Is Carnival really that bad?

[texast518]

I just finished my 18th cruise on Carnival. I booked #20 while on board Splendor last week for next Feb. I had #19 booked a few weeks ago on a pack and play special for June. I have been "wandering" to NCL for a few cruises. It gives me a nice break from the "same old same old" I might be experiencing after 127 sea days on Carnival. We are easy to please, and food is not that important to us. Some ports we don't even get off the ship!! (Nassau, for example.) We are lucky to be able to afford several cruises a year, and could cruise any line we want. After doing a ton of research about other lines/ships, I still come back to Carnival for the value and type of vacation we want. (though NCL is coming up fast!!) Go with an open mind, knowing everything may not be perfect, or exactly the way, or when you want it! BTW - we didn't really think Royal was so outstandingly great for the price we paid. (through the nose for a Christmas cruise) As you can see from my signature, we haven't cruised Royal again!

 

Amen

[Beachdude]

I I really do wonder why people have the misperception (is that even a word, lol!) about Carnival without having firsthand experience!

 

Carnival originally marketed themselves as the party cruise and the experience lived up to the marketing. The line progressed on to family friendly cruising a long time ago, but has never been able to shake that party boat reputation. Add the incidents a couple years ago and Carnival ends up with an unsafe party boat reputation. We have a close Travel Agent friend and she said that her new cruiser Carnival bookings almost dropped to zero after those incidents. They are starting to pick up a little, but not to the level they were at four years ago.

 

Burt

Edited February 26, 2015 by Beachdude

[beshears]

Casco Bay Kid, your funny, but that's true.:)

[Jay Sam]

I thought I would post to give my ideas on Carnival. I've never been on a cruise, but we are excited that I think we are doing the Carnival to Mexico this next October.

 

My dh and I sort of had a bad idea of Carnival.... and what is so crazy and goofy is that I can't even really tell you why. I wonder if it was portrayed as the "Party Ship". Not sure. Then when Carnival had the big problem with the ship stuck out to sea with no power for so long..... well, that did it for my husband. Whenever I mentioned a Carnival cruise, he said, no way.

 

And we are far from "fancy" people. We are cheap, only usually getting inside cabins.

 

On our last cruise to Alaska, we visited with a gal on deck who told us that the best food she's had on her cruises was on Carnival. Not sure what all lines she's been on.

 

I really do wonder why people have the misperception (is that even a word, lol!) about Carnival without having firsthand experience!

 

Welcome to the Carnival cruise experience. In 5 years, 10 cruises for me: 5 Carnival - 2 NCL - 1 Holland - 1 Celebrity - 1 Royal Caribbean. So, you see I keep coming back.

 

Which ship are you planning on taking this Fall? I have tried 5 of them, 4 different classes and hope to try all classes. I am hoping your 1st experience is on one of the larger classes to get a true picture. If you are considering Fantasy class, I hope you will also try out one of their larger ships too. Some consider Fantasy class (their smallest ships) as a basic ship. I liked it myself. Doesn't have as much to offer as the larger ones, but for a short cruise I liked it just fine. A bit nostalgic too, which I like. They are approx' 20 years old.

 

In my experience, Carnival's evening dinner offerings are 2nd place, only slightly behind Celebrity's food quality. For breakfast, try the omelette bar. And their pizzas are good too. Both became a regular for me. The buffet food is good, not as good as some of the others, but no complaints here.

 

Carnival's staff is amazing. Very friendly, smiling and so service oriented. I always tip above and beyond the gratuities that are included. They are a hard working group of people. Awesome.

 

The cabins, along with Holland America are the largest. Love those towel animals in my cabin each night. The last 2 cruises on Carnival, I have asked the cabin steward to let me keep them in my room each day. So at the end of my cruise I had a collection of them which I took photos of.

 

I am not a fancy person either. I like great customer service and with a smile which I always get on Carnival. Consistent, along with the entire experience.

 

Loved your comment about misperception. I have laughed a few times over that one. Google lists misperceive and is vague about misperception. Sounds good to me, and like something I may say. Oh yeah. Thanks for the jolly.

 

Hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise on Carnival. I am 5 for 5, all super.

 

Let me know of any questions you have or to let me know which ship you are planning on taking if you like. I love talking about cruising. I am jsamuel2@tampabay.rr.com

[shealea]

Jay Sam - We are thinking of going on the Carnival Miracle in October.

 

We are really easy to please people. We are in our mid 50s -- not partiers, but I do like to act goofy and rock n roll on cruises! I guess my wild side come out! ha!

 

We've been cruising ncl the last few years. We like that line, but I'm anxious to try Carnival. I would not be comfortable on any of the upscale lines. Just not me!

 

One reason why I'm excited to go with Carnival is that after reading regularly here on cc, there are so many, many post of folks that are loyal carnival cruisers!!!

 

maybe I made up a new word!!!! And, ha, I do think knew what I meant lol!

[antique sailor]

If you don't mind me asking, why the disappointment on the 52 day HAL cruise??

 

AHOY SHIPMATES and AIRFORCE,

 

52 days is no a long cruise on HAL but it still draws a large crowd of 4 and 5 star mariners who expect to get all the perks etc that they are accustomed to and a meal worth eating on Thanksgiving Day. The price of the cruise was rather high and we expected it to be as nice as we were used too.

 

The senior staff were indifferent to the passengers and there was no Capt. table. The cocktail parties were a farce, no staff personnel to chat with (usually an enjoyable event)) etc. There is a lot more to be said about some of the very top personnel but not in a public venue .

I am far from being a SNOB, but this collection of staff seemed to be OVERWHELMED the entire cruise.

2 Months later we did the 68 day cruise to Antarctica and the Amazon on the Prinsendam and it was probably the best cruise we have done on HAL.

Maybe it was just me but there were several others who had the same opinion. I know you have cruised a lot so hope you understand what i'm trying to say.

[put me on a ship]

We've been branching out to other lines, mainly because Carnival has become somewhat stale for us. We've discovered we prefer other lines, and Carnival is no longer our "go-to" cruise line. I'm not saying we won't cruise with them, just not our first choice.

[GRANNYOFSIX]

Been cruising since 1993. Started with Carnival and we are now very seasoned Carnival cruisers! The Glory is our absolute favorite Carnival ship!!! Love it!

 

Have a great cruise:)

[jetta8300]

We are taking our FIRST Carnival cruise in oct on the Glory. We were super excited to try a new line as we have only been on NCL. But seems all i read on the FB page and other review sites is negative feedback!! Is carnival really become that bad? It cost us alot in airfare to make these trips from Colorado and im kinda worried now...[emoji27]

 

Most people on the internet are there to complain. Actually I could say the same thing about NCL, the majority of what I've read is extremely negative. (Food is TERRIBLE, service is terrible, beds are uncomfortable, you have to pay extra for everything, lack of activities etc.) After hearing terrible review about anything and everything, I have learned take reviews people post on the internet with a grain of salt.

 

We have only taken 2 cruises, one with Carnival and one with RCI and we enjoyed our Carnival cruise very much. It depends what matters most to you when you cruise, but some of the main things we liked better about Carnival is: the serenity areas are very nice, the alcoholic drinks are VERY good, the MDR food we liked better than RCI, the rooms are a little bigger, and the nightly movies under the stars. The one thing lacking with Carnival is their nightly entertainment though. I'm sure there are pluses and minuses with any line, but if you want a nice relaxing vacation you will have a great time. That's why we chose Carnival again for our 3rd cruise.

Edited February 27, 2015 by jetta8300

[jetta8300]

Having just cruised for the first time w/Carnival on the Sunshine 2/7/15, I can tell you I won't be back. I have cruised w/RCCL and NCL; prefer RCCL over them all. However, a lot of people did enjoy the cruise but I did not enjoy the atmosphere at all. The wait staff, cabin steward, and ports of call were all great. On this ship, there was nowhere to get away from the noise except the spa (which we enjoyed very much). The "Serenity Decks" were anything but serene.

 

Every person is different and no cruise line meets everyone's tastes. You will enjoy it if you want (I did even though I won't cruise w/Carnival again) because I was on vacation and on a cruise!!!

 

Enjoy yourself and decide for yourself.

 

Posts like this are the problem. These complaints can happen on any line, and there are many factors as to why this might happen that has nothing to do with Carnival. (what time of year is it? holiday season? spring break? summer break? etc. What kind of room did you have? We always have our own balcony for a quiet area.)

 

Our experience with was the opposite. You could hear a pin drop in Carnival's serenity area during our cruise, and the entire ship was QUIET. Everyone was in bed by 9pm it seemed. RCI's serenity area was HORRIBLE on the Allure. It was completely enclosed, steaming hot (too hot to breathe in fact), and sounded like our local indoor pool with people canon balling in 24/7 and screaming. it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the cruise line, it's all the luck of the draw with your fellow passengers when it comes to noise. Our RCI cruise was ANYTHING but relaxing, and our Carnival cruise was almost a little too "serene". There were lots of older passengers on the Carnival ship but it was also October.

 

My point is that you cannot make a judgement about an entire cruise line when you see comments like this. We would never avoid RCI because we had a very rowdy ship in the middle of june during our last cruise. We may try another ship that has a serenity area that's outdoors (if they have that) but you can't go on 1 cruise and then say the whole line is awful.

Edited February 27, 2015 by jetta8300

[srlafleur]

There seem to be plenty of people who complain about Carnival who have never actually cruised with Carnival, or who are comparing may be a 3-day Carnival (oh, yes, definitely a party-barge atmosphere), vs. maybe a European some-other-line. Definitely not apples to apples.

Carnival 3 or 4-day vs. any longer Carnival itinerary isn't apples to apples either, for that matter.

We've been on many cruises, Carnival, RCI, NCL, X, HAL & Princess, and enjoyed every one. (Even the "party barge" 3-day. :D)

Edited February 27, 2015 by srlafleur

[RobinKY]

Just did a cost analysis (yes I am a CPA) of my two cruises last year. 4 guests - me, wife 2 kids (12 & 10)

 

RC Brilliance - Balcony - $118 per guest per day, includes taxes and prepaid tips

 

Carni Sensation - Interior - $78 per guest per day, includes taxes and prepaid tips

 

Had a great time on both

 

sorry, the above does not include prepaid tips, just cruise and fees,taxes

[cruznjan]

We're booked on the Carnival Miracle November 28 Hawaii cruise. Hubby always swore up, down and sideways that he would never sail on Carnival. I think it was because of the line's frat party reputation (I know they're more family-oriented these days). But this cruise fit into his insane schedule and the price is right. We're hoping that the propulsion problem will be fixed when she goes into drydock next month.

[Out to sea!]

AHOY SHIPMATES and AIRFORCE,

 

52 days is no a long cruise on HAL but it still draws a large crowd of 4 and 5 star mariners who expect to get all the perks etc that they are accustomed to and a meal worth eating on Thanksgiving Day. The price of the cruise was rather high and we expected it to be as nice as we were used too.

 

The senior staff were indifferent to the passengers and there was no Capt. table. The cocktail parties were a farce, no staff personnel to chat with (usually an enjoyable event)) etc. There is a lot more to be said about some of the very top personnel but not in a public venue .

I am far from being a SNOB, but this collection of staff seemed to be OVERWHELMED the entire cruise.

2 Months later we did the 68 day cruise to Antarctica and the Amazon on the Prinsendam and it was probably the best cruise we have done on HAL.

Maybe it was just me but there were several others who had the same opinion. I know you have cruised a lot so hope you understand what i'm trying to say.

 

Yes, and thank you for your input. :)

[Jay Sam]

Jay Sam - We are thinking of going on the Carnival Miracle in October.

 

We are really easy to please people. We are in our mid 50s -- not partiers, but I do like to act goofy and rock n roll on cruises! I guess my wild side come out! ha!

 

We've been cruising ncl the last few years. We like that line, but I'm anxious to try Carnival. I would not be comfortable on any of the upscale lines. Just not me!

 

One reason why I'm excited to go with Carnival is that after reading regularly here on cc, there are so many, many post of folks that are loyal carnival cruisers!!!

 

maybe I made up a new word!!!! And, ha, I do think knew what I meant lol!

 

Miracle is a great ship. Have also traveled on Legend which is in the same, Spirit class. They are a touch smaller than NCL's Star, and a bit larger than NCL's Sun, holding a little over 2,000 and 88,500 GTs. Very long ships for their size too. In Carnival's fleet, only Dream class ships are longer.

 

Check shipparade.com for more information and photos. Great site.

 

I like the extended balcony, a bit deeper than the regular balcony. I enjoyed the aft bar which is a covered bar, open air area.

 

A unique thing about Spirit class is the pool area. There are 2 pools next to each other, with a bar in between. The one more lively with music and the other a bit quieter with just the background music from the other.

 

Yes, many loyal Carnival cruisers on CC, I agree. Seems like most lines have their fans. Never forget how many there were on my recent reposition from San Juan to Miami on Splendor. I had just reached gold level. I was in amazed how many platinum folks were on that cruise. They were everywhere, and I thought it was something for being gold. Those folks knew a lot about Carnival and their ships.

 

Enjoy Miracle. I sure did.

[Kristi Williamson]

Having sailed many times on three different lines, I can tell you that you shouldn't take anyone's word about a line unless they've actually sailed on it and many people who've never stepped foot on a Carnival ship have an opinion about Carnival, which is so weird.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word if they've only sailed on a line ONCE.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word if they've only sailed on older ships with a line.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word who constantly compares one line to another every time they speak about cruising.

 

...see a pattern here?...

 

Only you can determine what you'll like. Everyone has different tastes.

 

We actually enjoy EACH line for different reasons. First, we love to cruise. The ocean feels like home to me and I can relax on a cruise in a way that I can't relax anywhere else BUT my own home.

 

Second, every line has things we enjoy and things we don't enjoy. All of them!

 

Finally, a cruise really, really is what you make it. If you want to find things to gripe about, you'll find them. If you want to find relaxation and enjoyment and fun, you'll find that, too. (unless you were on the Triumph when she conked out at sea...then you get a pass on griping!) :D;):p

[Jay Sam]

Having sailed many times on three different lines, I can tell you that you shouldn't take anyone's word about a line unless they've actually sailed on it and many people who've never stepped foot on a Carnival ship have an opinion about Carnival, which is so weird.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word if they've only sailed on a line ONCE.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word if they've only sailed on older ships with a line.

 

You shouldn't take anyone's word who constantly compares one line to another every time they speak about cruising.

 

...see a pattern here?...

 

Only you can determine what you'll like. Everyone has different tastes.

 

We actually enjoy EACH line for different reasons. First, we love to cruise. The ocean feels like home to me and I can relax on a cruise in a way that I can't relax anywhere else BUT my own home.

 

Second, every line has things we enjoy and things we don't enjoy. All of them!

 

Finally, a cruise really, really is what you make it. If you want to find things to gripe about, you'll find them. If you want to find relaxation and enjoyment and fun, you'll find that, too. (unless you were on the Triumph when she conked out at sea...then you get a pass on griping!) :D;):p

 

Well said. I have my fave's and my not so fave's. But have enjoyed all lines in many ways. Wish I would have re-discovered cruising before I did. Great way to spend a vacation. Been on 10 of them, (5 lines) since April of 2010. That is amazing in itself. I am a blessed man. Happy cruising.

[golfb4cruzing]

My family and I have taken 5 Carnival Cruises over the last 7 years, and absolutely loved every one. In my opinion, Carnival is a good value for the price you pay. We have always found the service on the ship fantastic, and the food is great. Some people love to complain, but there are many positives also. So no, Carnival is not that bad, we find it to be good.

 

"good value for the price you pay."

 

ALWAYS make me cringe. People should think before speaking. Well, I bought that flat tire for only 50 cents. Good value for the price I paid. It's an entry level product and isn't always the cheapest out there.

[Shorty65]

We are taking our FIRST Carnival cruise in oct on the Glory. We were super excited to try a new line as we have only been on NCL. But seems all i read on the FB page and other review sites is negative feedback!! Is carnival really become that bad? It cost us alot in airfare to make these trips from Colorado and im kinda worried now...[emoji27]

We will be going on our 12th Carnival Cruise in April 2015..we have enjoyed every cruise we had taken and never had any issues. Enjoy your Cruise!

[Jay Sam]

My family and I have taken 5 Carnival Cruises over the last 7 years, and absolutely loved every one. In my opinion, Carnival is a good value for the price you pay. We have always found the service on the ship fantastic, and the food is great. Some people love to complain, but there are many positives also. So no, Carnival is not that bad, we find it to be good.

 

I so agree with you. I have paid more on another line, on an awesome ship, but did not get as much value or enjoyment for my money as on Carnival. Why pay more and receive less? Some of the best deals I have gotten have been on Carnival, and seems like the best deals were also among my most enjoyable cruises on their own. Best deals were on my last 2. Amazing.

 

Legend 4/2010

Miracle 12/2011

Freedom 4/2013

Splendor 11/2014

Paradise 12/2014 - even Fantasy class was awesome.

[VASOXFANN]

We've really enjoyed our Carnival cruises. They are a great value, and I've enjoyed them as much as those taken on other lines. Can't wait for the next one in 7 months!

[Out to sea!]

"good value for the price you pay."

 

ALWAYS make me cringe. People should think before speaking. Well, I bought that flat tire for only 50 cents. Good value for the price I paid. It's an entry level product and isn't always the cheapest out there.

 

Only if you needed or wanted a flat tire was it a good value for the money. Otherwise it was flushing money down the toilet. See the difference? The phrase "A good value for the money" is completely accurate and fits Carnival very well, IMO. I obviously know that Regent or Crystal would have better serve and quality but at 10x the price for a cruise, the value is not there (is the steak 10x better than on Carnival, was the cabin 10x bigger than Carnival, so on and so forth) and that is why I sail Carnival primarily. Because (and this is probably another saying that will make you cringe), I get the best bang for my buck at Carnival (usually, not always as can be seen by my tag line).

[deliver42]

I usually sail RCI, but I've been on 3 Carnival cruises, and am booked on the Vista for my 4th. There is nothing wrong with carnival. Very good value. I've been to all the ports in the Caribbean, so I go by the ship. The Dream was fantastic, and I expect the Vista to be the same. Enjoy your cruise, and stop listening to the naysayers.

[sprint180]

Cruise both Carnival and NCL and also princess. Between NCL and Carnival I'm taking me out of the mix because I like Carnival better, for reasons that don't really matter I just do. But my kids say Carnival and NCL are the same. So If you like NCL you will like Carnival is what they say.

Edited March 1, 2015 by sprint180

[rocking-m-cruiser]

I have never had any problems with Carnival and have enjoyed all my cruises. Have a fun cruise.