Elitism by other cruise lines about Carnival?

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, rolloman said:

I have been cruising for over 30 years and the reality is back in the day Carnival was the biggest instigator of making fun of other lines. At sail away it was quite the thing on Carnival to float past Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean ships with the Carnival cruise director leading chants from everyone on the pool deck to tell the other lines how lame they were. Nobody really said anything because back in the day it was all fun...fast forward to today...suddenly to do such thing triggers select individuals. Oddly, it seems the most triggered individuals come from the Carnival crowd. 

Sounds like friendly rivalry. Like rooting for a sports team. I have some friends who are Yankees fans and we kid each other about how the other team is doing (I am a Red Sox fan) and it's all in good fun. I know other people who are very avid Yankees fans and if I were to say anything, even in jest, they would take it very personally. I generally will not engage them in any conversation regarding baseball because they are so avid it takes the fun out of things and I have better use of my time. Now if we were to take that analogy once step further and there is a fan (and there might be) who actually believes in their heart of hearts that they are a better person than someone else just because they root for a particular team then we are starting to get to what this thread is about (to me). And then further, if that person let you know by word and demeanor that they looked down on you because of who you root for then we are really drilling down to the heart of the problem. A person like that is not someone that I would find pleasant and would do my best to avoid. Not because they are insulting but because their behavior is boorish and I have better things to do with my time.

 

And for grins here are some definitions- Elitism: the advocacy or existence of an elite as a dominating element in a system or society.

Snob: a person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.

 

So this thread is really not about elitism at all.

[BTromboneFrack]

Ahhhh... But the ocean is the ocean...... the warm sun still sets in the west over the sea's horizon.  Nobody can snob that away.

 

[BlerkOne]

49 minutes ago, BTromboneFrack said:

Ahhhh... But the ocean is the ocean...... the warm sun still sets in the west over the sea's horizon.  Nobody can snob that away.

 

Somebody gets it. The seas and ports are all the same, no matter the price point of the cruise.

[cruisinqt]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:44 PM, GwenyP said:

Ok so I’ve been on nine Carnival with our tenth booked for December.   We are also going on Celebrity next June.  I’ve joined a couple of Celebrity message groups to learn more about the ships, etc. but the elitism by Celebrity cruisers is unreal.   It’s like they can’t wait to find a reason to be able to say Carnival sucks or they would never set foot on a Carnival ship based on a few TikTok videos they’ve seen.  Has anyone else noticed this about Celebrity or other cruise lines?   IMO Celebrity is barely a step above any mass market line.   They have better service and frou frou restaurants, sure, but IMO that doesn’t mean Carnival is trash.  Makes me wonder if the people I meet on board will be just as snobbish or if these are just keyboard warriors.  

I get this all the time and it’s not just from Celebrity cruisers. Last month on Royal several times cruisers bashed Carnival in front of me (it was obvious from the way they talked that they’d never even sailed with Carnival). Any time I go on another cruise line (which I do often) they bash Carnival both on board and in online forums. I think it’s because Carnival is known to be the fun cruise line whereas many higher end cruise lines get called floating senior citizens centers. I have to admit that Hal and Princess were very docile with things pretty much shutting down by 10 pm. It was elegant and bougie but a bit boring compared to Carnival. I still enjoyed them, it was just a bit different. 

 

The false narrative about Carnival used to irritate me but now I really don’t care. Why should I enlighten them about how nice Carnival is? They don’t need to know about Carnivals collaborations with famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, and Rudi Sodamin that has resulted in amazing specialty restaurant choices for us. Or that Carnival now has ropes courses, Sky rides, trampoline rooms and roller coasters. Or top notch spas with saunas, therapy pools, steam rooms, etc. Why should I share my good fortune with those snobs? 

[Honolulu Blue]

47 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

The seas and ports are all the same, no matter the price point of the cruise.

Not exactly.  Some ports are closed or closing to larger ships, which the mainstream lines like Carnival tend to have.  And the smaller ships are mostly with the luxury lines, which usually cost more.

[txcruiser1234]

One silver lining born from the narrative that Carnival is a lesser cruise experience is that overall demand/pricing is lower than it would otherwise be, meaning overall value is higher than it would otherwise be. Works for me.

[FastShip24]

1 hour ago, cruisinqt said:

I get this all the time and it’s not just from Celebrity cruisers. Last month on Royal several times cruisers bashed Carnival in front of me (it was obvious from the way they talked that they’d never even sailed with Carnival). Any time I go on another cruise line (which I do often) they bash Carnival both on board and in online forums. I think it’s because Carnival is known to be the fun cruise line whereas many higher end cruise lines get called floating senior citizens centers. I have to admit that Hal and Princess were very docile with things pretty much shutting down by 10 pm. It was elegant and bougie but a bit boring compared to Carnival. I still enjoyed them, it was just a bit different. 

 

The false narrative about Carnival used to irritate me but now I really don’t care. Why should I enlighten them about how nice Carnival is? They don’t need to know about Carnivals collaborations with famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, and Rudi Sodamin that has resulted in amazing specialty restaurant choices for us. Or that Carnival now has ropes courses, Sky rides, trampoline rooms and roller coasters. Or top notch spas with saunas, therapy pools, steam rooms, etc. Why should I share my good fortune with those snobs? 

I have never ever heard anyone bash another cruise line on board

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Not exactly.  Some ports are closed or closing to larger ships, which the mainstream lines like Carnival tend to have.  And the smaller ships are mostly with the luxury lines, which usually cost more.

Carnival is more likely to have smaller ships than Behemoth of the Seas cruise lines. Celebrity Beyond is 146,500 tons and so is no lightweight.

 

 

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, txcruiser1234 said:

One silver lining born from the narrative that Carnival is a lesser cruise experience is that overall demand/pricing is lower than it would otherwise be, meaning overall value is higher than it would otherwise be. Works for me.

Exactly. So many people think that since they pay more then it must be better. That’s not always the case. My bosses Jaguar costs way more than my vehicle but it’s always in the shop, can’t fit many friends and constantly gives him problems. My Hyundai Palisade is completely loaded and an absolute joy to drive and has never been in the shop. You couldn’t pay me enough to switch vehicles with him. I find cruise lines very similar. I try out the others but keep coming back to Carnival. The less they cruise Carnival the more cabin choices I have 

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, FastShip24 said:

I have never ever heard anyone bash another cruise line on board

So that means it doesn't ever happen? Sorry, life doesn't work that way.

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

So that means it doesn't ever happen? Sorry, life doesn't work that way.

Oh it happens a lot, all he would need to do is Google it. There’s tons of threads here on CC about people bashing other cruise lines, especially Carnival. Even if he looked up “Walmart of the seas” online there would be tons of “bashing” to be found. I agree with you that just because you personally don’t experience it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. 

[icft]

10 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Oh it happens a lot, all he would need to do is Google it. There’s tons of threads here on CC about people bashing other cruise lines, especially Carnival. Even if he looked up “Walmart of the seas” online there would be tons of “bashing” to be found. I agree with you that just because you personally don’t experience it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. 

So, there is lots of bashing on the internet and Carnival gets more than most? The poll results don't look good...🤣

[FastShip24]

3 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

Exactly. So many people think that since they pay more then it must be better. That’s not always the case. My bosses Jaguar costs way more than my vehicle but it’s always in the shop, can’t fit many friends and constantly gives him problems. My Hyundai Palisade is completely loaded and an absolute joy to drive and has never been in the shop. You couldn’t pay me enough to switch vehicles with him. I find cruise lines very similar. I try out the others but keep coming back to Carnival. The less they cruise Carnival the more cabin choices I have 

Let's see, fly first class or coach... Come on..

[Swampbabe]

On 7/21/2023 at 9:01 PM, StephPS79 said:

 

Argh, the worst!  When someone is treating, you say thank you and everything was wonderful!  It doesn't matter if it is true or not.  I don't mean just cruising, I mean manners in general. 

 

I like treating people to dinner, but if they complain about everything, nothing annoys me more. You can voice your criticisms behind my back, like a polite person.  I'm fine with that lol.  

 

 

Doesn’t sound like it was a “treat”. She was working but bad manners nonetheless.

[Eli_6]

2 minutes ago, Swampbabe said:

Doesn’t sound like it was a “treat”. She was working but bad manners nonetheless.

Actually, she wasn't working.  Nor was she paying. I took my entire extended family on the cruise and my nanny because she had become like a member of the family.  It was not one of our better cruises and I won't do it again. 

 

Now when we took my husband's office staff on a cruise--that was actually fun.  They were grateful and a fun group.  It may have also had something to do with personalities as well as his office staff are a "fun" group who like to have a good time.  The 20-somethings really had a good time!

[Swampbabe]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

Actually, she wasn't working.  Nor was she paying. I took my entire extended family on the cruise and my nanny because she had become like a member of the family.  It was not one of our better cruises and I won't do it again. 

 

Now when we took my husband's office staff on a cruise--that was actually fun.  They were grateful and a fun group.  It may have also had something to do with personalities as well as his office staff are a "fun" group who like to have a good time.  The 20-somethings really had a good time!

If she had any responsibilities with regards to your children or shared a cabin with them she was working. Regardless, she exhibited poor manners.

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, FastShip24 said:

Let's see, fly first class or coach... Come on..

 

When talking carnival vs celebrity, if one is considered economy, I don't think the other could be considered first class in comparison.  Maybe economy plus. 🙂

 

[kirtihk]

On 7/19/2023 at 11:49 PM, Drew B 58 said:

Celebrity is the only other line I’ve ever sailed besides Carnival.  The ONLY time I’ve experienced bad passenger behavior that negatively affected my experience was on Celebrity.  
 

There was a mechanical issue with the propulsion system that caused us to miss two ports (out of seven).  The lost ports didn’t ruin my cruise, but the other passengers’ behavior threatened to!  They lost their d@mned minds!  They were holding “demonstrations” all around the ship to complain about the compensation offered.  This went on for DAYS!  I wasn’t able to enjoy any meals in the dining rooms thereafter without having to listen to at least one of my tablemates b*tch about the issue.  It was a bit of a nightmare…

 

They ended up giving everyone a 50% off future cruise voucher, so I booked with Celebrity again the following year to take advantage of the deal.  That was in 2007, and I haven’t sailed with them again since.
 

There were definitely a lot of good things about Celebrity and I would say it is better than Carnival in some areas.  However, passenger behavior was NOT one of them!!! 

So funny (putting 2 parts of your statement together)!!!

[Eli_6]

On 7/21/2023 at 8:05 PM, GwenyP said:

We’re going on the Vista in December but in June we are going on the Beyond.   It looks like a beautiful ship although I’m a bit worried there won’t be much for my kids to do (we’re going for my dad’s 80th birthday).   I’m looking forward to trying a new line and evaluating the differences between the two lines.   

Celebrity does have a kids' club, an arcade and sports area so they aren't totally devoid of activities for kids.

 

Still, most online bloggers/youtubers seem to think Carnival, Royal, and Disney have the most for kids.

 

I personally feel like Royal is a bit better for pre-teens/teens and Carnival a bit better for younger kids.  I haven't been on Disney to critique it The period of time when my kids would have been really into a "Disney" was pretty much during the 2 years when they couldn't cruise. (Because they could not cruise even longer than lines were shut down because they couldn't be vaccinated until the vax was out for children...which was 6 months even after cruising resumed.) Before that, they were a little young to cruise at all (or at least a little young for me wanting to take them on a cruise) and had only been on one cruise. After that, they were past the point of Mickey Mouse being cool.       

[jimbo5544]

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

When talking carnival vs celebrity, if one is considered economy, I don't think the other could be considered first class in comparison.  Maybe economy plus. 🙂

 

or....apples and grapefruits.

[Drew B 58]

3 hours ago, kirtihk said:

So funny (putting 2 parts of your statement together)!!!

I was pretty sure that on a separate sailing, a year later, there wouldn’t be people at my table STILL b*tching about the mechanical issue and the canceled ports…

[kirtihk]

23 minutes ago, Drew B 58 said:

I was pretty sure that on a separate sailing, a year later, there wouldn’t be people at my table STILL b*tching about the mechanical issue and the canceled ports…

That’s for sure!

[firefly333]

On 7/23/2023 at 3:56 PM, cruisinqt said:

I get this all the time and it’s not just from Celebrity cruisers. Last month on Royal several times cruisers bashed Carnival in front of me (it was obvious from the way they talked that they’d never even sailed with Carnival). Any time I go on another cruise line (which I do often) they bash Carnival both on board and in online forums. I think it’s because Carnival is known to be the fun cruise line whereas many higher end cruise lines get called floating senior citizens centers. I have to admit that Hal and Princess were very docile with things pretty much shutting down by 10 pm. It was elegant and bougie but a bit boring compared to Carnival. I still enjoyed them, it was just a bit different. 

 

The false narrative about Carnival used to irritate me but now I really don’t care. Why should I enlighten them about how nice Carnival is? They don’t need to know about Carnivals collaborations with famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, and Rudi Sodamin that has resulted in amazing specialty restaurant choices for us. Or that Carnival now has ropes courses, Sky rides, trampoline rooms and roller coasters. Or top notch spas with saunas, therapy pools, steam rooms, etc. Why should I share my good fortune with those snobs? 

Even comedians on carnival bash other lines. Carnival bashs and it's ok, but cant take it? 

 

Agree with above who said it's like football teams. Whichever one you are on bashes the others. Carnival cruisers need to get their sense of humor going. 

[Eli_6]

19 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

When talking carnival vs celebrity, if one is considered economy, I don't think the other could be considered first class in comparison.  Maybe economy plus. 🙂

 

So which cruise line is first class?  Asking for a friend.  

 

I have a feeling the response is going to be Viking, Silversea, Seabourn or one of the other lines that doesn't allow kids.  (Which may be part of what gives it the first class feel.)

[Eli_6]

28 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Please reduce rates on mardi gras and jubilee. I book whatever is cheapest, with the exception of a couple of group bookings. Seems to me like only casino players get good rates on carnival. I'm watching but see no deals on carnival. 

I second that!  Jubilee (at least for a suite) is pricey. The aft corner balcony is 10k or more per sailing when I have priced it.