Celebrity vs. Carnival

[Seany527]

I’ve sailed with Carnival a few times and the main reason I left the line was because of the lack of quality entertainment.  Production shows were short and lacking. In the public venues there was a lot more DJs than actual bands and performers. They slowly started to change that, but by that time I had switched to NCL where the entertainment was much better. 
 

With that being said, I would put Celebrity’s theater shows on basically the same level as Carnival. Outside of the theater, Celebrity provides better entertainment. 
 

You said you liked to be busy. Carnival is loaded with activities in their Fun Times. I would almost say double the amount of things to do when compared to X. With Carnival I would miss certain activities because there would be too many things going on at the same time. I didn’t have that problem with X at all. 
 

But if prices were the same, I would choose X. I think X gives a better value for my vacation. On a vacation I also like to be busy, but I also like to find time to relax. Carnival has a lot of energy and it’s go go go all the time. Even if you’re relaxing in your spot, there is so much going on around you. 
On the pool deck with X you might see 10-20 people participating in the activities. With Carnival, sometimes it’s over 50, even 100 people having the time of their lives.

 

It’s hard to justify paying a Carnival price to go to the ABC islands but if that’s where you really want to go, then cruise for the ports and not the on board experience.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Seany527

[judatt]

We’ve been on an NCL, A Princess, about 5 Carnivals and probably a dozen each celebrity and RCCL. NCL was our first and we enjoyed it, Princess was about 5 years ago and we did not enjoy it as much - by far our worst experience but hey, we were on the water so how bad could it be. 
we go on Carnival with kids and grandkids and always enjoy it because of them. We would never choose a carnival ship on our own for one specific reason. The announcements drive me nuts. 40 or 50 a day is not an exaggeration. On one cruise we literally had “bingo in 30 minutes…”. “Bingo in 15 minutes…” “ bingo in 5 minutes…” bingo is starting NOW…” “bingo has begun but it’s not too late to join in….”

the food is pretty good and the cabins are fine but the announcements 😩

[KKB]

16 minutes ago, judatt said:

We’ve been on an NCL, A Princess, about 5 Carnivals and probably a dozen each celebrity and RCCL. NCL was our first and we enjoyed it, Princess was about 5 years ago and we did not enjoy it as much - by far our worst experience but hey, we were on the water so how bad could it be. 
we go on Carnival with kids and grandkids and always enjoy it because of them. We would never choose a carnival ship on our own for one specific reason. The announcements drive me nuts. 40 or 50 a day is not an exaggeration. On one cruise we literally had “bingo in 30 minutes…”. “Bingo in 15 minutes…” “ bingo in 5 minutes…” bingo is starting NOW…” “bingo has begun but it’s not too late to join in….”

the food is pretty good and the cabins are fine but the announcements 😩

I have heard that about the announcements!! I'm afraid that would drive me nuts too!

I like the idea of trying Carnival on & the Horizon looks impressive. Love the itinerary. We would be going either in September or the end of October so fewer kids. And we are pretty much go with the flow.

We have this Carnival FCC to use by Feb....and some TAP airlines credit too...may just book  Europe next summer!

 

[TomCruise48]

Have sailed Carnival, X, and RCCL and enjoyed them all.  Are you comparing price based on the same number of days?  The Horizon ABC cruise is 8 days. Southern route is more expensive than Eastern or Western.

 

IMO Celebrity caters to an older crowd than Carnival.  Celebrity food is better, but Carnival, especially on the Horizon, has many interesting venue choices for lunch.  We have found that Carnival has the most friendly staff and crew.  As others have suggested, if you do book the Horizon, try to get a Havana cabin where you have exclusive access to a private area.  You will appreciate this on the 4 sea days.  Downside of this class of Carnival ships is that the theater is a disaster with poor sight lines.  Don't pick the Horizon if the production shows are important for your cruise experience.

[ItsADryHumor]

19 hours ago, KKB said:

OK, since we have SWA Companion pass, looking to book ONE more cruise before the year is over. 

Narrowed to 3, all very similarly priced (factoring in adding drinks & tips to Carnival)

1--Carnival Horizon (quite new)--Fave itinerary: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao. We have never sailed Carnival

2--Reflection--same itinerary we are sailing in March. Mostly on the list as it is a ship we have never sailed (no refurb yet) & the cheapest by a couple hundred)

3--Edge--same itinerary as Apex in March also. Normally this would be an easy win but will be on the Edge 2 weeks next month.

 

It is just mind boggling to me that I would pay a similar price for a Carnival cruise as one on the Edge & I am having a tad trouble justifying it!

I like the idea of trying a new line, a new ship & of course we having been to ABC in 9 years. 

We are pretty easy going people--we sail Interiors to Balconies, just depends! We like a good meal but really aren't super picky. 

We do like to be busy on a ship. We have sailed DCL, NCL, RCCL, Princess & Celebrity & would sail any of them again (well, not DCL, but the kids r grown)

 

Thoughts from those who have sailed both?

 

 

Most of our sailings have been on Carnival. I’ve done one on RCCL, one on Disney, and we are awaiting our first X sailing in July. 
 

Carnival is what you make it. We’ve always had good food (Guy’s burgers are so good, as is the pizza, and MDR has always been good or they bring something else). But I will echo the folks who say it is go go go. Our last CCL sailing was on the Dream out of New Orleans. It was packed, in July, but our kids had a blast. Lee Mason was the CD and brought our son onstage and made the kid’s life. 🤣 They loved movies by the pool at night, and they loved the kids’ program. That said, our kids are super easygoing, and so are we. 
 

There was also a TON of hot mess behavior on that cruise. Fights, drunks, etc. Some parent had booked a balcony for themselves on one end of the ship, and their teens were booked across from our balcony in an interior. We had to have a few 3 AM heart to hearts where I used teacher voice and crazy eye. If you know, you know. 
 

Horizon was our only real option when we were booking for July, and due to the various government entities playing chicken about sailing rules, we opted for X. The price for a Havana interior wasn’t much different than our IV room. 
 

IMO, Disney was worth it for one time with our kids (it was Star Wars at Sea), and the kids’ programs were great. The food was not. 
 

My RCCL cruise was free, so everything was fab in my book. We are considering taking the kids on RCCL next summer; they’ll be 12 and 14, and we think they would have fun. 

[tallnthensome]

13 hours ago, Dwight1 said:

There is no rate cheap enough to ever get on a Carnival cruise again. One and only a number of years ago. A line for the penny pinchers who haven’t traveled a lot, have low expectations and could careless about fine food.

Maybe for some but ……. I’ve sailed Princess, Holland, MSC, Royal, NCL, and Carnival. When Carnival sent me an unbelievable offer last week I took it. No way was I going to turn down 7 days for two on the new Carnival Panorama out of Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera for late August. Price for two for an inside was $669 total.  Try getting anything like that anywhere else at sea or on land. The ship would have to sink for $669 not to be worth it. We sail the Apex next August. 

[poffles]

19 hours ago, kleibo said:

I also look at my itinerary, if I have a lot of sea days, I want a nice room, a nice balcony and a nice ship.  If it's port intensive with extended excursions for sightseeing as is a cruise I am taking next year, the room and ship doesn't mean as much to me. 

 

I mostly ditto this but add that while the ship might not mean 'as much' for more port intensive cruise it still matters a lot.

 

I twice sailed from San Juan on a 7 day port intensive southern cruise (1 sea day). 

 

- First was Carnival Victory  I had read so many good reviews and it was only my second cruise ever so I really had nothing to compare it to and was giddy with anticipation.  The cruise was wonderful for the most part but I was not happy with ship experience.  Line ups everywhere for everything.  Breakfast time was a nightmare with extremely long cafeteria style lines where you didn't know where it started or ended.  There were mornings where we just couldn't tolerate it and just grabbed muffins and I fully explained it away due to the itinerary and everyone wanting off the ship at the same time.  I also never felt any calm on that ship, I always felt a bit of anxiety which I didn't even realize until looking back and seems strange to admit but this thought remains.

 

- Second was Celebrity Summit.  I cannot even express the difference and it drove home even more my feelings about Carnival and the Victory.  The Summit being comparable ship size from same port with similar itinerary proved to be a completely different experience.  There was of course still the extreme funneling of people due to the itinerary but never anything like the Carnival cruise and my only way of explaining it is the Celebrity Summit just felt so much calmer.  This cruise was when I discovered what I liked and didn't like about cruising and what makes me happy.  The entire cruise I couldn't stop marveling over everything, even the fact that during breakfast in the buffet staff came around with carts, happily singing to themselves serving coffee. I am perfectly fine getting my own coffee but it just shouted the differences.  And the many officers that would say hi as they walked past me ... huh ??? you talking to me ???

 

Before these cruises, I had sailed NCL and 'thought' I loved it but it was more that I loved not having to dress up and have since learned that it is not worth the experience of crowding and line ups and time spent trying to find cutlery (the buffet game) ... again this is my experience.

 

Since sailing the Summit I have only sailed Celebrity and to be fair I keep thinking I want to try NCL again or that maybe a newer Carnival ship would be different but I cannot bring myself to do it, my travel partner said never again on Carnival.  Like others have said, Carnival is a certain type of product and Celebrity is another.  Though they are similar in that they are both Ocean cruises, they each sell and even promote a different experience; take out some level of fluff in their promotion and there is a level of truth in the pitch.  Party vs Luxury  ;)

[happy cruzer]

Since you are easy going - Carnival, NCL, or RCCL are all ok when children are in school; fewer young families and college age partiers.  Just less crowded and quieter (it will still be the FUN ship) in the dining and public areas.  Would do any of them then.  Just do your research on the ship and line to set your expectations to enjoy what they offer and to avoid the things that you don't.  But I am not sure I would pay the higher rate that Carnival sometimes gets for they unusual itineraries.

[TeeRick]

I have not sailed Carnival.  So I have absolutely no first hand knowledge other than from these boards.  I am only commenting here on COVID risk.  Carnival has a 95/5% vaccinated/non-vaccinated policy for their ships in July and August.  No clarification after that.  So I would be concerned that Carnival would in the future have a less restrictive vaccine policy coupled with a lot more college age and young adults and certainly more children than Celebrity.  We have all learned that a Spring Break atmosphere and COVID do not mix very well.

[kleibo]

15 hours ago, Dwight1 said:

There is no rate cheap enough to ever get on a Carnival cruise again. One and only a number of years ago. A line for the penny pinchers who haven’t traveled a lot, have low expectations and could careless about fine food.

 

I'm glad there is a line where one may have to scrimp and save to go on their one and only cruise of their lifetime.  They'd also be saving to take their families and stay at the All-Stars resort and not the Floridian at Disney.  Carnival is an excellent choice for some.  I've done Disney, Royal, NCL and Carnival with my first Celebrity coming up next year.   Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.

[KKB]

2 hours ago, stinkyenglishteacher said:

 

There was also a TON of hot mess behavior on that cruise. Fights, drunks, etc. Some parent had booked a balcony for themselves on one end of the ship, and their teens were booked across from our balcony in an interior. We had to have a few 3 AM heart to hearts where I used teacher voice and crazy eye. If you know, you know. 
 

Horizon was our only real option when we were booking for July, and due to the various government entities playing chicken about sailing rules, we opted for X. The price for a Havana interior wasn’t much different than our IV room. 
 

IMO, Disney was worth it for one time with our kids (it was Star Wars at Sea), and the kids’ programs were great. The food was not. 
 

My RCCL cruise was free, so everything was fab in my book. We are considering taking the kids on RCCL next summer; they’ll be 12 and 14, and we think they would have fun. 

Our teens have ALWAYS had their own room...usually not TOO far from us. With 2 teachers as parents they KNEW the rules. LOL one night on our last cruise with them, we actually had rooms a few rows apart. (they were 23, 21 & 18) The only rule was dinner together. On formal night our 18YO decided he wasn't going. We took the TV remote & the key card so he couldn't turn on the lights. The older 2 said he would hog the internet (we were sharing an unlimited plan--1 on at a time). So we went to the internet place & had the password changed so he couldn't get on.😉 He sheepishly showed up an hour later & we told him what we had done. He asked when he would get the password & we said tomorrow. He said, "That's fair." & joined us for dinner!

 

We are trying to do this one low cost & now Celebrity & Havanna are $1K more for interiors.

 

DCL was fun but I agree MDR food is the worst we have had. Too expensive now.

 

We have done RCCL 2x with the kids. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the Anthem (as did we). It was a great family cruise.

 

3 weeks teach!!!

[cbaker1974]

OP, if you are "go with the flow" types of people, try the Carnival cruise.  Newer ship, great ports...variety is the spice of life, you might really like the Carnival vibe.  I like all cruises and it's healthy to change it up between lines to get different types of sailing experiences.  

[KKB]

22 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

I'm glad there is a line where one may have to scrimp and save to go on their one and only cruise of their lifetime.  They'd also be saving to take their families and stay at the All-Stars resort and not the Floridian at Disney.  Carnival is an excellent choice for some.  I've done Disney, Royal, NCL and Carnival with my first Celebrity coming up next year.   Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.

The funny thing is that it ISN'T cheaper! I can get a Princess for nearly identical price when factor in the perks. 

Of course, for those who don't realize to add in tips, drinks, etc. the base price looks a lot cheaper.

 

BTW we have only stayed in the budget resorts at DisneyWorld (well we did a condo off site once)--worked GREAT when the kids were little, but 4 adult sized people (or even 3!) can't sleep in double beds for 7-10 nights!). But a 3BR condo 10 min away for $65/nt the 1st week of June was a STEAL compared to Disney resort prices. Even having to pay for parking & van rental. (One tip--if you stay off site, book a Disney campsite the 1st night. This allows you to get Magicbands & book Fastpasses early plus get 2 days parking. We checked in online & didn't even need to go to the site--for about $75!)

[kleibo]

17 minutes ago, KKB said:

The funny thing is that it ISN'T cheaper! I can get a Princess for nearly identical price when factor in the perks. 

Of course, for those who don't realize to add in tips, drinks, etc. the base price looks a lot cheaper.

 

BTW we have only stayed in the budget resorts at DisneyWorld (well we did a condo off site once)--worked GREAT when the kids were little, but 4 adult sized people (or even 3!) can't sleep in double beds for 7-10 nights!). But a 3BR condo 10 min away for $65/nt the 1st week of June was a STEAL compared to Disney resort prices. Even having to pay for parking & van rental. (One tip--if you stay off site, book a Disney campsite the 1st night. This allows you to get Magicbands & book Fastpasses early plus get 2 days parking. We checked in online & didn't even need to go to the site--for about $75!)

 

Yes - for this cruise, it may not be cheaper, but overall - Carnival tends to be cheaper and especially on Western Caribbean routs.   Just need to research it out. 

[poffles]

1 hour ago, kleibo said:

 

.... with my first Celebrity coming up next year.   Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.

 

I hope it does too .. for me the hype is simply that the chaos is reduced so just go with the mind of having a great cruise 🙂

 

Edited June 30, 2021 by poffles

[KKB]

13 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

Yes - for this cruise, it may not be cheaper, but overall - Carnival tends to be cheaper and especially on Western Caribbean routs.   Just need to research it out. 

True. 

9 years ago my folks took my brother's family & ours on a NYE cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

We initially were going to do Carnival as it looked WAY cheaper--yeah, in upper/lower interiors.

We ended up on Princess for a similar price for normal interiors. 

 

[ItsADryHumor]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

Our teens have ALWAYS had their own room...usually not TOO far from us. With 2 teachers as parents they KNEW the rules. LOL one night on our last cruise with them, we actually had rooms a few rows apart. (they were 23, 21 & 18) The only rule was dinner together. On formal night our 18YO decided he wasn't going. We took the TV remote & the key card so he couldn't turn on the lights. The older 2 said he would hog the internet (we were sharing an unlimited plan--1 on at a time). So we went to the internet place & had the password changed so he couldn't get on.😉 He sheepishly showed up an hour later & we told him what we had done. He asked when he would get the password & we said tomorrow. He said, "That's fair." & joined us for dinner!

 

We are trying to do this one low cost & now Celebrity & Havanna are $1K more for interiors.

 

DCL was fun but I agree MDR food is the worst we have had. Too expensive now.

 

We have done RCCL 2x with the kids. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the Anthem (as did we). It was a great family cruise.

 

3 weeks teach!!!

We’ve had teens across from us before, but they knew what to do. These kids were basically hosting a party every night. One night, there were TEN kids in there. Door open. Yelling. 😳

 

We can’t wait! My husband will be in CA for work, so he’s taking the red-eye into FLL. I’m driving. 🤣

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

Our teens have ALWAYS had their own room...usually not TOO far from us. With 2 teachers as parents they KNEW the rules. LOL one night on our last cruise with them, we actually had rooms a few rows apart. (they were 23, 21 & 18) The only rule was dinner together. On formal night our 18YO decided he wasn't going. We took the TV remote & the key card so he couldn't turn on the lights. The older 2 said he would hog the internet (we were sharing an unlimited plan--1 on at a time). So we went to the internet place & had the password changed so he couldn't get on.😉 He sheepishly showed up an hour later & we told him what we had done. He asked when he would get the password & we said tomorrow. He said, "That's fair." & joined us for dinner!

 

We are trying to do this one low cost & now Celebrity & Havanna are $1K more for interiors.

 

DCL was fun but I agree MDR food is the worst we have had. Too expensive now.

 

We have done RCCL 2x with the kids. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the Anthem (as did we). It was a great family cruise.

 

3 weeks teach!!!

 

I love Anthem ... but I sailed on her 4 times. First time I did not. many times were chaotic in 2016 on her. They improved flows in all areas. Also I know how to cook it 🙂

We go on her during school holidays when many families with kids are on her. They mostly use open and indoor pools, bur much less Solarium which we adore. First time (in 2016) we sailed in May and there was many more couples than families... Solarium was CROWDED!

[poffles]

34 minutes ago, Tatka said:

 

I love Anthem ... but I sailed on her 4 times. First time I did not. many times were chaotic in 2016 on her. They improved flows in all areas. Also I know how to cook it 🙂

We go on her during school holidays when many families with kids are on her. They mostly use open and indoor pools, bur much less Solarium which we adore. First time (in 2016) we sailed in May and there was many more couples than families... Solarium was CROWDED!

 

This can pretty much sum up why it is difficult (and on some level unfair) to compare line by line, ship to ship, itinerary to itinerary as there are so many variables that come into play in addition to personal preference/experience, even how the stars align for a particular sailing matters.  One sailing I did on Reflection (April) and what I guessed aligned with a school break in the US (teenage) and one area that would normally be a very very quiet spot was a hang out for them so to me it became an area to avoid but other sailings this area was a relaxing calm area to chill out.  If that had been my only sailing on that ship or Celebrity I would have considered that the norm.

[Tapi]

On 6/29/2021 at 3:51 PM, schittenden said:

The crowd on Carnival can be fairly described as less refined than on the others.

I mean, how many Celebrity cruisers can say that they’ve seen drunk passengers hooting and hollering, tailgating shirtless under an overpass next to the cruise terminal, with coolers and lawn chairs waiting for their check-in time to get on the ship? (True story from our last Carnival cruise out of Mobile, AL 🤣). While that scene may scare the living daylights out of more sophisticated cruisers, it’s the kind of energy that many fun-seeking Carnival cruisers look forward to. 

 

I have 10+ Carnival cruises under my belt (Platinum status), and yes I’ve had a lot of fun sailing on them over the years. BUT going with realistic expectations and in the appropriate state of mind has been key in order to enjoy what Carnival has to offer.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Tapi

[graphicguy]

14 minutes ago, Tapi said:

I have 10+ Carnival cruises under my belt (Platinum status), and yes I’ve had a lot of fun sailing on them over the years. BUT the key to enjoying a Carnival cruise for me has been to go with realistic expectations and to be in the appropriate state of mind to enjoy what they have to offer. 

 

I mean, how many Celebrity cruisers can say that they’ve seen drunk passengers hooting and hollering, tailgating shirtless under an overpass next to the cruise terminal, with coolers and lawn chairs waiting for their check-in time to get on the ship? (True story from our last Carnival cruise out of Mobile, AL 🤣). While that scene may scare the living daylights out of more sophisticated cruisers, it’s the kind of energy that many fun-seeking Carnival cruisers look forward to. 

What a great analogy.  Carnival is a tailgate party before a football game.  Celebrity is drinks, dinner and the Theater.

[cangelmd]

6 hours ago, KKB said:

Our teens have ALWAYS had their own room...usually not TOO far from us. With 2 teachers as parents they KNEW the rules. LOL one night on our last cruise with them, we actually had rooms a few rows apart. (they were 23, 21 & 18) The only rule was dinner together. On formal night our 18YO decided he wasn't going. We took the TV remote & the key card so he couldn't turn on the lights. The older 2 said he would hog the internet (we were sharing an unlimited plan--1 on at a time). So we went to the internet place & had the password changed so he couldn't get on.😉 He sheepishly showed up an hour later & we told him what we had done. He asked when he would get the password & we said tomorrow. He said, "That's fair." & joined us for dinner!

 

We are trying to do this one low cost & now Celebrity & Havanna are $1K more for interiors.

 

DCL was fun but I agree MDR food is the worst we have had. Too expensive now.

 

We have done RCCL 2x with the kids. They LOVED LOVED LOVED the Anthem (as did we). It was a great family cruise.

 

3 weeks teach!!!

OMG, sounds like us. DH was a teacher, maybe that’s the thing.

Were you guys “the worst parents ever” when they were about 14? You couldn’t have been because we were! When our younger was early 20s and sis was late 20s, they both admitted they used, “I can’t do that, mom and dad won’t let me” as an excuse to get out of things more than once.

We said that was great, just keep it to use on your own kids.

[KKB]

1 minute ago, cangelmd said:

OMG, sounds like us. DH was a teacher, maybe that’s the thing.

Were you guys “the worst parents ever” when they were about 14? You couldn’t have been because we were! When our younger was early 20s and sis was late 20s, they both admitted they used, “I can’t do that, mom and dad won’t let me” as an excuse to get out of things more than once.

We said that was great, just keep it to use on your own kids.

Remarkably I don't think they thought we were horrid tho they say we were "strict"--DH & I shake our heads at that. They are great kids & we really enjoy each others' company so we must have done something right. We love Vegas, Disney & cruises as do they.

[cangelmd]

23 minutes ago, Tapi said:

I mean, how many Celebrity cruisers can say that they’ve seen drunk passengers hooting and hollering, tailgating shirtless under an overpass next to the cruise terminal, with coolers and lawn chairs waiting for their check-in time to get on the ship? (True story from our last Carnival cruise out of Mobile, AL 🤣). While that scene may scare the living daylights out of more sophisticated cruisers, it’s the kind of energy that many fun-seeking Carnival cruisers look forward to. 

 

I have 10+ Carnival cruises under my belt (Platinum status), and yes I’ve had a lot of fun sailing on them over the years. BUT going with realistic expectations and in the appropriate state of mind has been key in order to enjoy what Carnival has to offer.

I snorted my drink. I’m from Mobile, those weren’t the passengers- those were either some lost Mardi Gras folk or the dock workers - I think they’re there all the time!

[KikisDad]

I did not read other’s comments first, so sorry for the duplication. 
 

we sail on both of these lines a lot. For the same price, I would sail celebrity hands down. In the future, if you can get a favorable rate, the carnival vista class ships are very nice. When you do sail carnival, just go with the attitude of having fun and you will love it. 
since you are already on Edge, I’d go on reflection