Carnival vs other cruise lines

[Postman806]

My DW and I have cruised with Carnival 5 times and have not cruised any other lines.

 

I don't particularly like change--I like to stay with things I'm familiar with. So I'm wondering how other cruise lines compare, especially thinking of (1) dress codes (for dinner as well as just roaming about the ship), (2) entertainment (including which lines don't do karaoke) (3) anything else that might be starkly different on other cruise lines.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[2PinaColadas]

We have only cruised with Royal Caribbean and Carnival, so I cannot tell you too much, lol. We prefer Carnival. The food is better, the atmosphere is more relaxed and fun, dress code is more relaxed (which we like because we have to dress up for work), fellow cruisers seem happier, cabins are bigger, drinks are less expensive & tastier, and crew seems more attentive. Others would probably disagree with everything I said, but, to each his/her own. ;p

[beachbum6264]

I've been on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian. I think Carnival and Royal are pretty close - I think the food is better on Carnival but the entertainment was better on Royal. Holland is dressier and has an older customer base, food was great and so was entertainment - we were on a 21 day and only repeated menu twice and no repeat of shows. Norwegian was a quick 3 day over NYE with a bunch of friends and we were not impressed - might have been because it was their smallest/oldest ship, but food was just not good. We had a blast, due to open bar on ship and the other 16 people we were with, but doubt we'll return to NCL.

[HLNFan]

We have done 5 Carnival and tried Royal last year. I liked it. I thought the service might be slightly better on Royal. But we really missed the comedy club, and we didn't like Royal's promenade as much as Carnival. It made the whole boat seemed more closed in. But generally not much difference.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BettyPC]

We have done Carnival & Royal C. We like them both. We have cruises planned on both lines for next year!

[sunshine221]

We are platinum on Carnival and have never had a major problem. Carnival is generally more families, more event oriented (like bachelor parties), more spirit. I believe it's the only line with passenger coin laundry and of course their famous towel animals (sometimes they raid the main pool area overnight). I believe you will find more first time cruises and slightly lower average income than other brands.

As we've retired we find the people more similar to us on celebrity but we miss the laundry, minigolf and piano bar

Princess tends to cater to a higher education level with more technical lectures about the ports, etc There was minigolf on the princess ship we did

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[riclop]

My DW and I have cruised with Carnival 5 times and have not cruised any other lines.

 

I don't particularly like change--I like to stay with things I'm familiar with. So I'm wondering how other cruise lines compare, especially thinking of (1) dress codes (for dinner as well as just roaming about the ship), (2) entertainment (including which lines don't do karaoke) (3) anything else that might be starkly different on other cruise lines.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You have to expand your horizons, Carnival is the worst.

[Jemery]

We have done Royal and Carnival. Comparable product and the same passengers, though the ones on Royal tend to look down on Carnival. Carnival has group fun and Royal has individual fun. DW gives a slight nod to Carnival; I give a slight nod to Royal, but there's little to choose between them. We both prefer HAL.

[Gloworm2]

I have only done Royal. Trying Carnival in a few weeks. Plan to try Norwegian soon too. I say give Royal a try. You seem adventurous so go for it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[OCruisers]

If you don't want a mass market cruise line that's too different from Carnival, you probably would not like to HAL, Princess, or Celebrity. ;)

[CBuick]

I have done a few cruises mostly Carnival. I decided to give RCL a try when the Liberty of the seas was docked in Port Liberty. Fresh off of the Splendor a year before I really wanted to like RCL. The pictures of the ships looked great, and alot of coworkers raved that it was a "higher class" ;) line than Carnival.

 

In short there were some highs. The ship was def built to impress. My Father was very pleased by the ice show and the Kadota Figs. Those hot tubs that jut out from the sides were certainly cool. I felt as though the staff was a little unfriendly, especially one English Assistant Crew Director. With a rare exception of the before mentioned figs, and Congee available daily in Jade the food was a letdown. Didn't hit me how much I didn't like the food until I walked back to the ship in Bermuda and a sadness came while over watching all the restaurants close for the day. Despite the ships design the room and general ship cleanliness was an issue. It also seemed like everything was a little more expensive. I wrote filled out a long thoughtful survey, and didn't hear a word back. From that experience figured RCL wasn't for me.

 

Rewind to this year. Those Kadota Figs lured my parents on the Anthem. Though they had an okay cruise. They felt there were less entertainment options, but they really felt the pressures to pay for additional food and services - While it seems as though Carnival touts the value of their specialty value dining choices ($15 pp at Ji Ji) :D, Royal seems to match or exceed land based options - $6 for shrimp wonton soup at Itzumi :o.

 

So yes, RCL does have some impressive ships, but seeing myself on one soon. If not for my poor experiences with RCL, I would give NCL a go. For now sticking with Carnival. Looking forward to the Pride in October. It is a great ship.

 

BTW, if anyone can tell me where to get some good Kadota Figs I would be super appreciative. Might be one of the gifts I can give my Dad for Father's Day. :D:D

[TNcruising02]

It's definitely subjective, but these are my opinions of the different cruise lines that I have tried:

 

Disney -

Pros - Loved it. I think it's the best ship for families with young children. Even my then 17 yr old had fun. The food was very good. The jogging track went all of the way around the ship and it was on a lower deck, so there was shade. The entertainment was very good. They had self-service laundry. No reservations necessary for entertainment.

Cons - There was no buffet at dinner time, so if you did not want to eat at a sit-down restaurant, you had limited choices. Kids are everywhere, which is fine for families with kids. It's expensive.

 

NCL -

Pros- The main show was the best one I have ever seen on a cruise ship. The other entertainment was very good. It was the best overall entertainment I have experienced. on a cruise ship. I also think it was the best food. I loved the dance parties on the top deck. They were so much fun. I also really liked the elevated obstacle coarse and the adult grotto area.

Cons - We found out after we got on the ship that many things required reservations. I really don't like planning ahead for entertainment, but I had no choice. The comedy was not offered every night and it was in a very small room.

 

RCL - I've been on RCL once, but can't recall much of it. I will be on Liberty of the Seas in a week, so it will be nice to experience RCL again. I remember there was no coin laundry. The food was better than Carnival, but not as good as NCL. The comedy was on par with NCL, but not early as good as Carnival.

 

Carnival -

Pros - I like the Faster to the Fun option and coin laundry. (We like to pack light and do a load of clothes mid-cruise). That's not an option on RCL or NCL. The comedy shows are the absolute best of all of the cruise lines I have tried. Their comedians do a lot of different shows, so I was able to watch several shows almost every night. One night, my husband and I watched four different shows. We love having a drink and watching comedy shows, so this was a huge pro for us.

Cons - The other entertainment is the worst of the cruise lines I have been on. The food is the worst too, but I have never eaten at their specialty restaurants. They might have very good food there.

[Doggielover68]

We have gone on 7 Carnival cruises and one Royal. Overall, I prefer Carnival because I enjoy the food more (I'm a picky eater), the ships don't seem as crowded, bigger cabins, more friendly staff. The entertainment on a Royal was great but I think we had one of their more popular cruise directors which made a big difference. Carnival has a lot of great entertainment and some not so great. I don't really care for/about the singing and dancing shows. Overall, I think the experience is pretty similar except for the cost unless you happen to find a deal elsewhere.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Postman806]

You have to expand your horizons, Carnival is the worst.

 

 

 

Appreciate it, but we do have a vacation budget. We've never had a problem on Carnival and never felt we were better than our fellow cruises. Maybe we're just simple folk.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Postman806]

We have done Royal and Carnival. Comparable product and the same passengers, though the ones on Royal tend to look down on Carnival. Carnival has group fun and Royal has individual fun. DW gives a slight nod to Carnival; I give a slight nod to Royal, but there's little to choose between them. We both prefer HAL.

 

 

 

Tell me about HAL. One thing I don't want is to have to dress up much and I've heard they do have stricter 'dress codes'(?).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[galfromkazoo]

I have been on Carnival, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL and Holland America. I have never had a bad cruise. It is difficult to compare as cruise lines/ships change over time so, in my opinion, you really can't compare a cruise taken five years to one today for example. And you might love one ship in a fleet and hate another one

 

we usually cruise for ports first, price second and ship third. Royal Caribbean was our cruise line of choice for many years but I loved my girls cruise on Carnival Conquest last November and will be taking the same cruise with my husband next winter. He will love the food choices, the comedy club, traditional dining and the ports.

 

It seems that people dress how they want to on all lines but people on Carnival seem to be a little more casual.

 

I recall karaoke on Princess but it has been awhile since we cruised with them so I would ask the question on the other boards.

 

I have never felt there was a huge difference between the cruises I have gone on except for a med cruise on MSC. I found that very different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Gloworm2]

So I keep hearing great things about Carnival's comedy show. I did see an awesome comedian on RC. What's special about the show on Carnival?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[GradUT]

We just completed our 3rd HAL cruise. (We've cruised Carnival, HAL, Princess and RCCL.). I don't think the dress code is much, if any, different from that in Carnival. Most nights are "Smart Casual" where you may wear anything but shorts. (Jeans are OK). On Gala Nights, men wear slacks and a collared shirt (no jacket and tie required) and ladies may wear dresses or skirt and blouse or slacks and blouse. This is certainly not an onerous dress code!

 

There is no karaoke on HAL. There are 4 main entertainment venues in the evening--Main Lounge with production, comedy or magic show; Adagio, which is a classical music duet of piano and violin; BB King Blues Club, which is a fantastic band with 2 vocalists performing blues, Motown, etc., and the Piano Bar which on some ships is one performer and in some ships is Dueling Pianos. The performer in the Piano Bar on our recent HAL cruise was the best performer of any kind that I have seen on any ship!

 

For me, everything on HAL is just a few steps better than what you'll find on Carnival. So, if you can afford a HAL cruise sometime, do it. You won't be disappointed.

[Bosrox]

We haven't even been on our first cruise yet, on the Magic, going on NYE and looking very forward to it. Plus, after reading a hilarious review by a CC member, we decided to join them on one of their upcoming cruises on the NCL getaway. We are equally excited about both and we aren't big complainers, nor will we waste time comparing cruise Lines. We are just happy to be on holidays and enjoying time with old friends (on the Magic) and meeting new friends (on the Getaway)

 

And for anyone bored and looking for an awesome, hilarious review, here you go. We are looking so forward to cruising with Jim and Dee in 2018.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2492574&highlight=splendor

[tallnthensome]

My DW and I have cruised with Carnival 5 times and have not cruised any other lines.

 

I don't particularly like change--I like to stay with things I'm familiar with. So I'm wondering how other cruise lines compare, especially thinking of (1) dress codes (for dinner as well as just roaming about the ship), (2) entertainment (including which lines don't do karaoke) (3) anything else that might be starkly different on other cruise lines.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I've sailed Carnival, Royal, NCL, Holland, Princess, and MSC next year. Carnival is the worst with the worst food so don't settle on the worst. Try NCL ..... good prices with the youngest ships. You'll get perks when booking unlike Carnival. NCL's freestyle cruising means you eat when you feel like it and no having to dress up ever if you don't want to. Try the NCL Escape .......We loved it.

[jabcruiser]

Tell me about HAL. One thing I don't want is to have to dress up much and I've heard they do have stricter 'dress codes'(?).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have done HAL primarily past 3 years but have done several Carnival cruises before that. A NCL cruise years ago was disappointing and will never do them again. HAL dress code similar to Carnival, but no shorts at dinner in MDR. So if you are a really casual dresser that may not work for you. Many people continue to "dress" for gala nights, but with the relaxed dress code, many do not. Really not much different than Carnival. Food way better on HAL (except Carnival Steakhouse way better than HAL's, and pizza also). Carnival entertainment better, except we LOVE BB King Blues Club on HAL. Level of service similar in our past experience with HAL being somewhat better. Still have "hot" room service for breakfast on HAL - but that seems to be changing so who knows how long that will last. HAL is definitely a step up from Carnival, but we are returning to Carnival for our next cruise to Western Caribbean because do not like HAL itineraries for that region. So, we enjoy both lines. HAL definitely an older crowd and way fewer children. We will do either but generally prefer HAL if rates are comparable.

Jane

[AmberTeka]

We have 37 cruises since 2005. Seventeen on Carnival. If I had it to do over again, I would sail everyone of them on Carnival. I would have passed by 25th, and would be closing in on my 50th. There is a lot to be said about loyalty. And you keep getting more perks.

And let me say......On Every Ship we have been on, The Staff has been great. We always get the best cabin attendant, the best Wait Staff. On all of them. CRUISE DIRECTORS............some are not good.

 

We are Platinum on Princess. USED to be my favorite. New president. Trivia and other games became Closed Circuit. You watched others play for the most part. The Food became culture immersed. which in the Caribbean was pork. Boiled. Fried. Steamed. Peppers. Corn. Rice. Beans.

 

HAL. Five cruises there. Best Food at Sea. Nothing to do during the day. Casino is not as tight as Carnival. Passengers fine. Older. But we are old. Trivia one a day which we could attend. Always had one during early dining. we ate early. Stupid questions. sort of mocking guests for wanting to play.. Smart a*s Cruise director and activities people.............. TV Fabulous. Satellite. As I was in cabin with my six year old grandchild a lot.......Lots of Top Movies on demand for fREE. Big TV mounted to wall. LOVED that TV,

 

Celebrity One long time ago. It was the Zenith. Old bucket. Elevators did not work. Air Conditioner did not work. had large bused in groups from the Villages. had more fun than I though possible. thought they might have to get a cherry picker to get me off. Suspect it was those wonderful guests. Did not like the food. EXCEPT for the cookies they had for free in Coffee Bar. all sorts. baked fresh. Just wonderful.

NCL. On the Jewel. Had a mini suite. We were newbies. Had a good time. Went three times in late seventies before before our daughter was born. On the Sunward and the Seaward.

 

RCI. Freedom of the Seas. Confusing arrangement. did not find Studio B until next to last day of cruise. Food was bad. Activities were so bad, Trivia players got mad at guy doing it.

we played with some Aussies who were little buggers. They don't take gruff. Staff. Wonderful. Just did not like the ship. Shows were good. They always are. Excursions were good.

 

I always come back to Carnival. I like the activities. I like the CLEAN Ships. I like the Casino even though I never win on carnival. I like the food. I like, I like, I like Carnival. people having a good time. And we don't drink and are in bed by ten. I like the exuberance.

My opinion

 

We get "lured" away from Carnival due to casino offers. And We NEVER get casino offers from Carnival. Go figure. Do not get VIPF offers either. Maybe it is unrequited love.

Edited June 11, 2017 by AmberTeka

[jimbo5544]

I've sailed Carnival, Royal, NCL, Holland, Princess, and MSC next year. Carnival is the worst with the worst food so don't settle on the worst. Try NCL ..... good prices with the youngest ships. You'll get perks when booking unlike Carnival. NCL's freestyle cruising means you eat when you feel like it and no having to dress up ever if you don't want to. Try the NCL Escape .......We loved it.

 

 

 

You are pretty funny....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[lazydayz]

I agree with previous poster. Variety is the spice of life. We have done 25 Carnival cruises, 21 RC, three HAL and one Celebrity. Love Carnival and Royal. Royal is a bit more physically active and entertainment is better. Carnival is more fun and has comedy most nights. HAL food was much better but crowd is more sedate. Celebrity ship was beautiful and cabin was spacious but nothing to do after 10:30 other than the casino. So for me, there is more good than bad on all four of these cruise lines. We will someday return to HAL but we have four cruises booked: one Carnival and three RC. After those we might try the new MSC ship. So my advice is to go for it.

[TNcruising02]

So I keep hearing great things about Carnival's comedy show. I did see an awesome comedian on RC. What's special about the show on Carnival?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

They have a selection of comedians who often do different shows each night. On the last cruise we were on, we saw four different shows in one night. Some of their comedians are better than others, but as long as two of them are really good, that means being able to see a lot of different and entertaining shows. They usually rotate and have two comedians at the beginning of the cruise and two other ones at the later part of the cruise. They have adult shows and family shows and often the same comedian will have two (or more) different adult shows and different family shows. If you like comedy shows, then in my opinion, Carnival is the best. This is one of the reasons we will always keep Carnival in our rotation of cruises.