Is the Carnival Paradise indicative of quality across Carnival Cruise Line?

[slugg]

We went on a cruise on the Carnival Paradise. It was just plain bad, for many reasons, but mainly because the service was so poor and the quality of amenities was pretty terrible compared to our experience on Royal Caribbean. Also, the cruise director would make announcements, VERY LOUDLY, very often, about sales on Invicta watches and other stuff we didn't care for; it was very distracting. However, we also realize that The Paradise is the absolute cheapest cruise you can get, so it makes sense that it's not as good as the Royal Caribbean and Disney cruises we've been on.

 

So if we were to go on a more expensive, newer trip, would it be reasonable to expect a better experience? I don't mind paying more to get more, but I just want to find a good ROI sweet spot, so to speak. I'm open minded enough to try Carnival again if their experience does get better with the newer, more expensive ships. However, with Royal, we've found that the experience is fairly consistently good, even on the cheapo, older, smaller ships.

[Mikew0805]

I thought the service on the Paradise was as good, if not better then quite a few of my Royal cruises. The included food options for lunch were far better than Royal. 

 

That said, the Horizon was fantastic and probably better than any cruise I have had in the last few years.

[CruiseAdict218]

Carnival Paradise is the youngest of the Fantasy Class but that class is the oldest of the fleet and smallest. I know they just put the Paradise through dry dock so she has a few amenities the big ships have.

 

What ships have you sailed on that you are comparing to the Paradise?

 

i would look to sail on the Dream/Vista Class for a better experience.

[slugg]

I forgot to mention that I went on it BEFORE the recent dry-dock. That’s probably a huge difference. 

 

Previous cruise ships were Disney Dream, RCI Navigator of the Seas, RCI Oasis of the Seas, RCI Rhapsody of the Seas. 

 

I watched a video tour of Vista and it seemed decent. I’ll definitely check

out Dream and Horizon. Thanks!

[ShakyBeef]

12 minutes ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

 

What ships have you sailed on that you are comparing to the Paradise?

 

OP's signature:

2019 - Norwegian - Breakaway - 7 nights

2017 - Royal Caribbean - Oasis of the Seas - 7 nights

2016 - Carnival - Paradise - 4 nights

2006 - Royal Caribbean - Navigator of the Seas - 7 nights

[slugg]

3 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

OP's signature:

2019 - Norwegian - Breakaway - 7 nights

2017 - Royal Caribbean - Oasis of the Seas - 7 nights

2016 - Carnival - Paradise - 4 nights

2006 - Royal Caribbean - Navigator of the Seas - 7 nights

Yea but in fairness, my signature isn’t actually completely accurate. It’s missing some cruises. Also, you can’t see signatures by default on the mobile site. 

[Cruiser_1977]

2019 - Norwegian - Breakaway - 7 nights - April 30, 2013 Capacity: 3,963

2017 - Royal Caribbean - Oasis of the Seas - 7 nights -  November 2008, Capacity 5400

2016 - Carnival - Paradise - 4 nights -  January 29, 1998 Capacity: : 2,040 passengers

2006 - Royal Caribbean - Navigator of the Seas - 7 nights - January 25, 2002 Capacity 3807

 

Based on your signature it looks like you're comparing apples to oranges. Paradise is the oldest by 4 years and smallest by 1800 passengers. Don't give up 🙂 I love the older/smaller ships. However, I also have never had what I thought was subpar service.

Edited April 9, 2019 by JennyB1977

[Cruiser_1977]

duplicate

Edited April 9, 2019 by JennyB1977

[ShakyBeef]

Just now, slugg said:

Yea but in fairness, my signature isn’t actually completely accurate. It’s missing some cruises. Also, you can’t see signatures by default on the mobile site. 

 

Good point, about app.  And as it turns out, I was posting the same time as you, so my response to CruiseAdict218 is completely pointless.🤭

[cruizergal70]

If you like RCL, stick with them. Comparisons from strangers can't meet your expectations. 

[beachbum53]

Within every cruise line, there will be ships that some people really like, and ships that some don't care for. It's wrong to judge an entire cruise line, whether it's Carnival, RCI, Norwegian, or whichever, based on the experience of  cruising on one ship. I suggest keeping an open mind and try a different ship (or two). 

[gtouch]

Even if you sailed prior to the refit the service should not be effected by that. We have sailed both RCL and Carnival and have the same impressions of the service of each. But bad service is bad service and that was probably that cruise and not indicative of Carnival in general.

[coevan]

26 minutes ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

Carnival Paradise is the youngest of the Fantasy Class but that class is the oldest of the fleet and smallest. I know they just put the Paradise through dry dock so she has a few amenities the big ships have.

 

What ships have you sailed on that you are comparing to the Paradise?

 

i would look to sail on the Dream/Vista Class for a better experience.

 

 

what does the size or age of the ship have to do with service?

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

what does the size or age of the ship have to do with service?

While not meaningful to the op, my answer to your question is lots, and the perception of the service provided as well.

Edited April 9, 2019 by jimbo5544

[slugg]

3 minutes ago, gtouch said:

Even if you sailed prior to the refit the service should not be effected by that. We have sailed both RCL and Carnival and have the same impressions of the service of each. But bad service is bad service and that was probably that cruise and not indicative of Carnival in general.

 

3 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

what does the size or age of the ship have to do with service?

That's the one thing that I'm not sure about. Maybe they put their lesser service people on the lesser ships? Or maybe they don't? I really have no idea how they operate, just throwing some hypotheticals out there.

 

If I'm tipping 2 to 3 dollars per drink, on top of the already automatically added tip (no drink package, was going out of pocket), and there is literally nobody else at the bar but me, I don't understand why the bartender wanted to ignore me for 10 minutes before taking my order, then took another 10 minutes to give me the drink.

 

I also don't understand why the cooks at the stir fry/noodle walk-up restaurant felt the need to roll their eyes at passengers when they took orders.

 

I'm chalking the whole thing up to bad crew/staff/officer morale. It can happen in any environment, not just cruise ships. All I'm saying is that for an entertainment and/or vacation venue, I've only ever experienced this on Carnival Paradise, but I acknowledge that it may be a fluke.

 

In general, I've heard good things about Carnival from people who cruise with Carnival.

[Cruiser_1977]

@coevan  I responded about age/size due this statement in the original post: "...quality of amenities was pretty terrible compared to our experience on Royal Caribbean."

[Saturngrl]

I've sailed Carnival, RC and Celebrity.  In my experience, the service is par with the level of cruise line. As such, I am not setting any high standards for service on my upcoming Paradise cruise, but will happily tip extra to those crew members who perform well.  

[coevan]

35 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

my answer to your question is lots

 

 

Jimbo, i don't understand this. So they pick the worst people for the smallest ship?

[slugg]

6 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

Jimbo, i don't understand this. So they pick the worst people for the smallest ship?

I mean... why not? Maybe not the smallest ship, but maybe the cheapest ship, which may likely be the same thing?

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, coevan said:

 

 

Jimbo, i don't understand this. So they pick the worst people for the smallest ship?

LOL, well....I might phrase it differently than that.  I would say they pick their best for the newest and hottest ships.  A significant piece is what the cruisers (the op in this instance) has on their mindset as to the level of expected service.  If you ask me should the bar be set at the same level by Carnival management for all ships....absolutely.  Of course there are other factors as well (I am basing that on the Ops fallup statement about bar service).  

 

I would add this to ponder as well... whether it is a room steward, MDR staff or a bar staff (these are the main interfaces a cruisers comes into contact with, these people have ups and downs and are early in their contract or late on a ship they like or do not etc and all these factors play out into the level of service they provide to cruisers, or in what cruisers perceive these to be. 

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, slugg said:

I mean... why not? Maybe not the smallest ship, but maybe the cheapest ship, which may likely be the same thing?

See my previous post

[purplephenom]

Also, the vibe on a 4 night cruise is pretty different than the vibe on a 7+ night cruise. Should you try Carnival again? I have no idea but just something to consider. 

[thunderingherd11]

I have not been on the paradise.  But I have been on four cruises, all either fantasy or Triumph class.  The service was awesome.  But I could have found things to complain about if I was one of those people.  The announcements happen all of the time on all carnival cruises.  If this bothers you, you probably don't want to be on carnival cruises.  They do try to sell stuff, which is how they keep the cruise price so reasonable.  

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

While not meaningful to the op, my answer to your question is lots, and the perception of the service provided as well.

 

My favorite bar on Carnival is the Alchemy Bar. The best bartenders I have experienced there have been on Miracle and Victory, which are both on the smaller side. Obviously the crew in all areas is constantly changing, but the last time we were on Paradise about 2 years ago the service was outstanding across the board. 

[Nic6318]

3 hours ago, slugg said:

If I'm tipping 2 to 3 dollars per drink, on top of the already automatically added tip (no drink package, was going out of pocket), and there is literally nobody else at the bar but me, I don't understand why the bartender wanted to ignore me for 10 minutes before taking my order, then took another 10 minutes to give me the drink.

 

 

Hi

 

Just wondering...why would you continue tipping extra when they are giving you poor service? I would normally ask...why are you giving 2-3 dollars per drink on top of the already added tip? Are you trying to impress someone?

 

Yes. I think you did just encounter the crew on their bad days, for whatever reason.

 

One of the main reasons people look at Carnival is for a low base price. If you see good value, then by all means try one of the newer ships. There will definitely more to do on them. You may enjoy them more. You will still get "loud" announcements as different CD's will be more or less exuberant in their announcements. If that's a problem, then maybe stick with a product you know and like.