Is Carnival Paradise That bad!

[SRQbeachgirl]

We sailed on Paradise 2 weeks ago and had a great time. This was our 5th cruise, having previously sailed RCL twice and Carnival twice. The food was good, service was fantastic, ship was clean, and we never ran out of things to do. Considering we live 45 minutes from the Tampa port and have no complaints about the ship, we wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again.

[mz-s]

The Paradise is a great ship! It is smaller, but honestly, my husband and I have never noticed "age" on any of the Carnival ships we've sailed.

 

They are all clean, shiny, well appointed and comfortable. Lots of glitz and glam. Great service, good food, lots to do.

 

Enjoy every minute of your cruise!!

 

This I agree with - the ships I've been on are the oldest in the current fleet, but they were both well maintained and had lots to do. Although the Fantasy was better than the Ecstasy, the Ecstasy never looked like she was 25 years old.

[h_blond2]

I've never cruised on the Paradise, but I think that you have to take these reviews with a grain of salt. Most people are quick to get on here and complain about every little thing. I've read horrible reviews on every ship, but I find it hard to believe that every Carnival ship is horrible...they wouldn't be in business if that was the case. I say go on the Paradise and make up your own mind. You'll probably have a great time!

[louanne93]

I read some really horrible reviews on the Miracle. We went in August and had the time of our lives!

 

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[Florings]

Think of how many passengers sail on these ships - thousands of people 365 days a year....and how many bad reviews do you read? Even if it's 5 poor reviews a week, that's literally hundreds of others every week that had a great time!

 

Interesting reading, but it is best taken with a grain of salt.

[rolaur]

Going on the Paradise tomorrow for the 6th time! Can't be all that bad....LOL!!! Go and enjoy yourself.

[taram999]

We have been on the Paradise three times in the past two years and have had a great time (aside from breaking my arm in two places on the lido deck). Everyone has been amazing and we were very impressed with the food upgrade when we sailed in March. Go for it!

Edited September 22, 2016 by taram999

[eddeb]

Had a great time.

 

Love smaller ships, less puking in high seas. :)

 

Read our review under Paradise Halloween Cruise, BOO!

 

We love to bond with the crew as they do as well.....

 

Come Monday it'll be alright.... Jimmy Buffet.

 

Good luck to Donald with a congress that did not vote for him.... lol

 

3 years 11 hours and 27 minutes Mister MAGA. :) Good Luck.

 

We're the Moore's

Tampa Bay

[Oompaland]

We are booked in March for the Paradise. It will be our 3rd time on her out of 12 Carnival cruises. We were on her maiden voyage and loved the smokefree option. You signed a contract when boarding that you will not smoke. Sucks to be the family of 5 that got kicked off at a port for their teenage son smoking. [emoji16][emoji16]

 

To us the ship didn't matter. We were choosing between her or the Valor. Valor has Guys and Iguana which Paradise does not. The ports on Valor were Nassau and Freeport. Yuck. Paradise is going to Roatan and Cozumel. To us, picking a vacation based on ports trumps ship.

 

 

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[gnatz007]

We will be on the Paradise Dec 10. It will be a cruise of convenience for us, as I am at a conference the week before. This will be our first Carnival cruise (5 Princess cruises before that.) Doesn't matter to us, just get us on the water and to the Caribbean! As long as it floats, and has decent food.

[sc4125]

We just got off of her on Monday after a 4-day getaway with family & friends. It was my first time on the Paradise & we all had a great time. I've been on almost 20 CCL cruises & only one other was a 4 day - I typically sail for at least 7 days. BUT - I've got to say, I really liked going back to the smaller ship. I thought the staff was much friendlier than those on my most recent cruises - Magic & Breeze. Even the officers were friendly.

 

I had read all the negative reviews - particularly those dealing with food. Though it's true that the Paradise doesn't have all the food options, everything I ate was very good - hamburger & chicken from the grill, Mongolian grill and the MDR.

 

I live 30-40 minutes from the Tampa port & after the Legend left there were no other 7 day cruises out of Tampa - I am very happy to know that I can jump on a 4 or 5 day Paradise cruise for quick getaways & have a great time.

[JohnSpo]

I was recently on a 5 day sailing on Paradise out of Tampa. This was my 12th cruise on Carnival and I had a great time. For a smaller/older ship, it was a great cruise.

 

The Paradise was very clean and had most of the amenities of the larger Carnival ships. The crew was great and the food was better than I experienced on other Carnival ships. I don't normally eat in the buffet but I did on this cruise a number of times and I thought the buffet was just great. The dining room food was also very good. The only negative of the food is they way overcooked the filet mignon I ordered from the MDR steakhouse menu. I ate it anyway because I did not want to waste it and I was not charged for it. The Paradise does not have all the new Carnival eateries but what they had was very good. I enjoyed the grill where you could get burgers, hot dogs and fried chicken tenders and all the salads. The pizza was good too. The deli was my favorite and the line was never too long.

 

The showroom shows were really good. The 80's music show and the Brit show were very good. The comedians were very good too.

 

Embarking and debarking from the Port of Tampa was a breeze. It was very organized.

 

Overall a great cruise on Paradise. I am sure you will enjoy it. I will certainly book Paradise again. The smaller/older ships still offer a great cruise experience.:cool:

[Sailor_Sally]

We went on the Paradise last month and had a great time . The food was hit or miss . The entertainment was non stop and karaoke was so much fun. The crew were all friendly . The ship was clean . It is an older ship but easy to navigate.

[christie629]

I was afraid too. I'm used to the bigger ships and frankly the Paradise seemed dinky. Especially when in Grand Cayman docked neck to the big ships. You literally couldn't see it behind the bigger ships. Hahaha

 

Turned out to be a GREAT trip. Easy to get around. Food was good. Price was right! I'd do it again!

 

Enjoy!

[Working 2 cruise again]

We get on the Paradise on Saturday! Is there anyone thinking of sailing that want to see certain pictures or have questions.

 

I am a laid back cruiser, as long as the weather is fair, and the rum is frequent I will be okay.

[crusinpsychRN]

If you see pictures of Inspiration Lido it's nicer with the palapas over the stair case.

 

At lest there are a few umbrellas on Serenity.

[Oompaland]

We get on the Paradise on Saturday! Is there anyone thinking of sailing that want to see certain pictures or have questions.

 

 

 

I am a laid back cruiser, as long as the weather is fair, and the rum is frequent I will be okay.

 

 

I would like to see the menus and know what day is formal night. Thanks and have fun!

 

 

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[Drazil65]

We are considering this particular cruise because our daughter lives in Tampa, and we could spend the weekends with her and our grandchildren. We are usually loyal to Carnival, but reviews talking about two-hour dinners, bedbugs, rude or apathetic staff, and long buffet lines (while other food stations are closed) have us very concerned.

 

Maybe we should consider another line.

 

Drive over to PC, many more ship choices and not that far a drive, well worth it. Even driving up to Jacksonville would be better than the only ship in Tampa! :eek:

[Captain Carnival]

We get on the Paradise on Saturday! Is there anyone thinking of sailing that want to see certain pictures or have questions.

 

I am a laid back cruiser, as long as the weather is fair, and the rum is frequent I will be okay.

 

YOUR Carnival Paradise is an awesome Funship and you will have an incredible time!

 

I'll see you here at Terminal-3 on Saturday, be sure to arrive early!

[Momma1980]

I agree with Captain Carnival's enthusiasm about the Tampa port. It is so very nice to depart from/return to Tampa. Friendly and efficient staff. Valet parking available. Plenty of garage parking. Well organized. Easy. Low stress. Food and entertainment within walking distance.

 

I'm happy that Carnival is showing Tampa some love by 'home porting' a Spirit class ship here year-round.

[Momma1980]

My wife and I are thinking of booking a five-day cruise out of Tampa on the Carnival Paradise in February, but we are shocked at the number of awful reviews. We realize it is an older ship, it only has one pool, has no 2.0 upgrades,; but the reviews say it is filthy, has poor service, lousy entertainment, and awful food.

 

Our expectations are reasonable; we are have sailed on Fantasy ships before, but we are, indeed, concerned. Can anyone tell me whether I should ignore the reviews, or avoid this cruise at all costs.

 

Hello ...

After sailing on the Paradise several times I feel like I know her. She is a decent Fantasy class ship but not my favorite. Just wondering if you have considered sailing on the Pride out of Tampa instead? The Spirit class offers a larger ship with more amenities and a good passenger/space ratio.

[CRocks]

Never been on the Paradise, but did a 5 day outta Tampa on the Sensation + loved it. Myself, I think the Fantasy class ships are great with all the open air deckspace. I sailed the Fantasy + it is much older + in great shape. Can't believe any ship in Carnivals fleet would be bad. That said, I wasn't impressed with Tampa's terminal but that may have since changed. When I sailed outta Tampa, the terminal was dirty, disorganized, long waits. OTOH, sailing down the channel + under the Sunshine Skyway bridge was breathtaking!

[Hooked!]

We get on the Paradise on Saturday! Is there anyone thinking of sailing that want to see certain pictures or have questions.

 

I am a laid back cruiser, as long as the weather is fair, and the rum is frequent I will be okay.

 

I'll be on the Paradise for a 5-day in January. Looking forward to experiencing a "classic/untouched" Fantasy Class ship. :D Would love to know if they do an MDR Sea Day Brunch, and if there's truly no more lobster on Elegant Night.

 

-Megan

[Sailor_Sally]

I'll be on the Paradise for a 5-day in January. Looking forward to experiencing a "classic/untouched" Fantasy Class ship. :D Would love to know if they do an MDR Sea Day Brunch, and if there's truly no more lobster on Elegant Night.

 

-Megan

 

There is Sea Day Brunch but no lobster.The food at the Sea Day Brunch was just okay .The buffet had better food for breakfast.

[Hooked!]

There is Sea Day Brunch but no lobster.The food at the Sea Day Brunch was just okay .The buffet had better food for breakfast.

 

Thanks, SS! I'll be in line early for the omelet station, for sure! :cool: