The Stress of choosing a cruise... HELP!!

[GWAE]

First time on Carnival. There will be 4 of us, 2 kids ages 10 and 12 and our in laws. We will have 2 balcony cabins. We have narrowed it down to a few ships based on our dates. We are not so much concerned about the ports that we will be going to but more about the ship choice. It is stressful to say the least. This will be our in laws first cruise and our 5th but first on Carnival. We will be flying in so I know Port Canaveral will be a little bit more of a pain than Miami. Please give me some opinions based on Here are our options.

 

Out of Port Canaveral:

Vista 

Mardi Gras

 

Out of Miami:

Horizon

Magic

 

The Magic is the oldest ship of the choices so that has me concerned a little. The balconies are also priced the lowest of all the ships so again it worries me that there is a reason for that. 

 

My first thought is to go on the Mardi Gras since it is a newer ship and also larger but that also means a lot more people. Thank you for giving me some opinions. 

[Tobleronebar]

Not sure if this will be any help or not. Our next 2 cruises are on Horizon and Vista. Horizon was booked for the ports. Just from my research your kids would love the activities offers on the Horizon. 

[havanadaydreaming]

Ive enjoyed every ship ive sailed so have my now adult kids.  We are sailing the Magic next month.  

 

If i had to select my favorite ccl ship id pick horizon. Cant quantify why exactly. 

 

Im surprised youre not more interested in ports for your first timer 10 and 12 year olds... some muuuuuuuuch more fun than others. 

[Honolulu Blue]

23 minutes ago, GWAE said:

First time on Carnival. There will be 4 of us, 2 kids ages 10 and 12 and our in laws. We will have 2 balcony cabins. We have narrowed it down to a few ships based on our dates. We are not so much concerned about the ports that we will be going to but more about the ship choice. It is stressful to say the least. This will be our in laws first cruise and our 5th but first on Carnival. We will be flying in so I know Port Canaveral will be a little bit more of a pain than Miami. Please give me some opinions based on Here are our options.

 

Out of Port Canaveral:

Vista 

Mardi Gras

 

Out of Miami:

Horizon

Magic

 

The Magic is the oldest ship of the choices so that has me concerned a little. The balconies are also priced the lowest of all the ships so again it worries me that there is a reason for that. 

 

My first thought is to go on the Mardi Gras since it is a newer ship and also larger but that also means a lot more people. Thank you for giving me some opinions. 

I was on the Magic two weeks ago.  I liked it.  The ship to be in good shape from what I could see.

 

 

I was on the Horizon in early 2019, when it was nice and new.  It's currently my favorite Carnival ship.

 

 

I don't care for PC and I'm wary of the Mardi Gras' size (while acknowledging that it has more places to dine and things to do).  I would pick one of the Miami pair, but I'll defer to others about what they think is best for your group.  Whatever you decide, have a good cruise!

[GWAE]

26 minutes ago, havanadaydreaming said:

Ive enjoyed every ship ive sailed so have my now adult kids.  We are sailing the Magic next month.  

 

If i had to select my favorite ccl ship id pick horizon. Cant quantify why exactly. 

 

Im surprised youre not more interested in ports for your first timer 10 and 12 year olds... some muuuuuuuuch more fun than others. 

I only wrote that about the ports because we are happy with any of the ports. Only 3 of the places are places that I have been too and the kids have only been to Bermuda so these are all new to them.  We were on NCL prima this year and it wasn't really for kids but they still had a blast so I am probably over thinking this since all of these ships have more for kids than the Prima did.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

Mardi Gras.  Yes it’s bigger but it didn’t feel any more crowded to us.  There is so much to do and so many options for food that everyone you are traveling with will have a great time.  You won’t even be able to do everything in one week and everyone will want to go again. 

[GWAE]

37 minutes ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Mardi Gras.  Yes it’s bigger but it didn’t feel any more crowded to us.  There is so much to do and so many options for food that everyone you are traveling with will have a great time.  You won’t even be able to do everything in one week and everyone will want to go again. 

I see that you have been on horizon, Vista, and Mardi Gras.  Also Mardi Gras multiple times so I assume that's your favorite. Is there something on that ship over the other 2 that draws you to it?

[mrpayroll]

If you decide on Miami, either one is very good. If Port Canaveral, definitely Mardi Gras.

[Pyrate13]

We've been on the MG and Magic. We prefer PC over Miami but prefer the Magic over MG. 

[ChuckF]

Vista and Horizon are the same ship. MG will have more activities, more food options, but a lot more people. Never been on an Excel class ship, so can't really speak to the feel. Just not that excited about that many more people. As a casino player, they haven't increased the seats at the table games proportionally. IMHO, unless you're staying in the Havana area on Vista/Horizon, the Magic is almost the same ship with fewer people. Personal preference, but we like the Magic. 

[Essiesmom]

How old are the in-laws?  If they have any mobility or endurance issues the largest ship may be stressful.  I’m old and prefer smaller ships, last cruise was on Elation.  However, the cruise before that was MSC Seaside and next is Seashore in Dec.  cabins way forward seem to be my destiny…. EM

[trvlgirlmq]

Horizon or Vista - lots for everyone in the family to do

 

We sailed Celebration recently and will not sail this class again. Everything was too spread out. The weird lobby theatre place was awful and unless you get there 2 hours early you can’t see anything. It was not enjoyable.

[runner15km]

I was on the Magic last year and the ship was well kept. The Magic is a lower price because she needs to compete with the newer ships. Some people think newer is better. LOL

[lazydayz]

Since the in-laws haven’t cruised before, I would pick a smaller ship. Given the prices, I would pick the Magic.  While I love the MG, it is a lot of walking and requires more planning.  

[jsglow]

They are all fine ships. You won't go wrong. Personally I strongly prefer Miami. What I think you need to decide for yourself is whether a mega ship is really what you want. If everyone gushes over RCCL commercials, you have your answer. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

I have sailed on the Mardi Gras twice and the Celebration once. If this was to be my first cruise, I would find the Mardi Gras overwhelming. I think you would be better off on the Horizon, Vista, or Magic for the in-laws’ first cruise and also for the kids. At 10 and 12, you might want to allow them some freedom to go to specific places alone (with your permission), and the Mardi Gras might feel too large for either parents or kids to be comfortable with that. 
 

That being said, the Mardi Gras would be a great ship for the following cruise. Something to look forward to once you are familiar with Carnival. 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

4 hours ago, GWAE said:

I see that you have been on horizon, Vista, and Mardi Gras.  Also Mardi Gras multiple times so I assume that's your favorite. Is there something on that ship over the other 2 that draws you to it?

After years on Carnival, Mardi Gras was a huge change for us - Way more food options for dinner including one free time at Cucina and Chibang and also Guys Pig and Anchor besides just going to MDR every night.  Horizon does have teppanyaki (as does MG) which is a great upcharge dinner.  MG also has additional lido deck lunch items that Vista class doesn’t have including Shaq’s Big Chicken, street eats, sea dogs and more.  Beyond food, MG has more bars and other entertainment areas with more comedy, trivia, live music and more. Horizon/Vista has ropes course vs roller coaster on MG so that could make a difference for your kids. Overall, I think you’d have great time on Horizon or MG. 

[Drazil65]

Been on all the ships you mentioned and would vote for Mardi Gras hands down .  The other ships are good but as mentioned in another post, Mardi Gras is a game changer (we are back on her in 3 weeks).  DS is in college now but we have cruised since he was a toddler and IMHO Carnival has always done a pretty good job with the kids and the activities so any of the ships you mention should suffice as far as your kids go.  That being said, the activities and options for all of you cant be beat on MG, between food choices and things to do, its the winner. 

 

Being it is a much larger ship than most you may want to be a little more strategic when choosing your cabin location (like if you want to be closer to certain areas for the kids or eating venues for easy access etc).  You could also look into the Family Harbor cabins as the kids will have a lounge to hang out in and some other perks I think for their age group.   All in all,  MG has something for everyone in every age group.  Have fun!

Edited November 26, 2023 by Drazil65

[80sGal]

We have cruised with our children wen they were at various ages.  Any ship will be  magical to them! Carnival had great kids clubs and activities all the way up to the teenage years.  Send them!  Our kids loved making new friends.   

 

Go with Miami for less stress.   Its so close to the airport and hotels.   Horizon has the sky ride and Imax and ropes course.  MG does not have a theatre indoors.  We've sailed both classes and have two booked back on Horizon.  I didn't care that much for Excel layout.  That said, the Sunrise is smaller, although you didn't include it, still has a lot of things for kids and is probably easier to get around.  We've sailed it 3x.    The older In laws might like it better for getting around but Horizon is IMO the best one overall. 

[nascartim]

I have a different angle of advice. Since this is your 1st cruise with carnival, don't worry about trying to pick the biggest or nicest ship. It's ok to start lower on the totem pole. Your expectations won't be as high, then in the future you can upgrade to a nicer ship and have something to look forward too. If you start off on the biggest ship, your going to be disappointed when you go on a smaller one. 

[LynnTH]

I too vote for MG.  Been on there twice. Celebration once (with another cruise booked for September) and going on Jubilee in February.  My family loves the Excel Ships.  As others have mentioned, so many more included food choices.  Lots to do and so many different places to just hang out. 

 

Most things take place on Decks 16 and 17 (Lido) and then Decks 6,7 and 8.  Nice to get a deck in the middle of those. Easy to get to everything.  Sure there are more people, but they have everything spread out nicely.  Did not notice increase in crowds.  

[smileyone]

• I’ve cruised Magic, Mardi Gras, and Vista (plus Fascination, Fantasy, Glory, Triumph, Liberty, Pride, Dream, and Sunshine). Vista is my favorite. We cruise Horizon in March and I’m so excited since I know they are almost identical. On the Vista, I liked that there was no charge for the Sky Ride and it was fun. It also had a Clubhouse area in the sports square that we liked. One thing we really like is the IMAX and thrill theater. We rarely ever go to the movies and consider it a nice treat on a sea day. And the thrill theater is just fun.  We also sometimes watch the documentary style films they show as well. If we are hanging out on deck, some of us like to grab a bowl of pasta from the Italian place at lunch and chill in our lounge chair watching the ocean. You can’t do that on Mardi Gras.  Same thing with the pizza place. It is on deck 5 on Mardi Gras.
   
• Now I’m not against the Mardi Gras, it is definitely #2.  Carnival changed the location and set up of Guys Burger for this ship and it flows so much better. Still on the upper decks for easy access while at the pool.  The pizza place is set up better too to handle the long lines but a bit more hassle if you want it for lunch while you are lounging in the sun. The Bolt coaster was cool to ride once but I wouldn’t pay to ride it again. Another big plus for Mardi Gras is Big Chicken. Family Feud was also fun.  
   
• I tried to add the comparison chart in case you hadn’t seen it.  You can see what each has and whether it is important for your family.  
   
•  

[smileyone]

[vwrestler171]

Personally, I would do the Horizon.  Its my favorite ship with plenty to do.  The XL class(Mardi Gras) is so spread out and the "showroom" is horrible.  We thought they made a mistake with the Vista-class ships and their theater, but the XL made it even worse.

[dacsmom]

You can't make a bad choice out of those. I love the Mardi Gras for kids. So much to do and eat. We are booked in July. For a solo cruise, the Vista is my favorite followed by the Horizon. Magic is my least favorite. I am a mega ship fan.