Carnival bashing??? Why???

[Jolimont]

I only cruised twice: first on Carnival, second on Princess. I had a fantastic time on Carnival, no surprises, smooth as a baby's bottom, fun the whole time. On Princess all kinds of things went wrong: brand new ship (Diamond) ran into a pier, couldn't pick-up the next set of passengers (us) for 8hrs, so they packed us into a conference center with very little information. Younger passengers had to sit on the floor (not enough chairs), the bathroom facilities were inadequate (8 stalls for all the ladies), very little in the way of drinks or food. We had to skip TWO ports of call, and 1/3 of passengers came down with rotovirus (wasn't that a surprise after spending 8hrs packed like sardines!) and the ship's doctor wanted us to stay locked up in our cabin for 3 full days and the steward made sure we complied. It was not a good experience. We got no compensation from Princess other than $25 per passenger shipboard credit that everybody got.

 

So when Princess fans badmouth Carnival it makes me laugh. Any line can have a bad cruise, but at least compensate passengers.

 

I booked another cruise, with Carnival. I look forward to trying RCCL and others, but I don't think I can ever talk my husband into booking with Princess, at least not until we're old and senile and he's forgotten all about our previous bad experience. Note that I am doing myself violence to not make the obvious joke about Princess' demographics here!

[MrPete]

I never understand why the need is there to bash anything. :confused:

 

I would simply wish them (you) bon voyage, and be completely jealous of whatever ship they were sailing (unless they are my sailmates!).

[big_duck]

It's your Honeymoon so the answer is simple:

 

Carnival has the best beds afloat. ;)

[spongerob]

I think the mentality of those who insist on playing the "my line is better than your line" game is not any different than the people around here who get into fights over the brand of pickup truck they drive. It relates to insecurity, they see anyone making a different choice as somehow an insult to themselves, or an opportunity to look down on someone to help minimize their own feelings of inadequacy. We have different tastes, different lines try to cater to those tastes while offering an overall similar product.

[hdawson]

spongerob. Well said. It's amazing that some "experts" base their opinion as fact, even when they haven't sailed the particular line they are bashing. And strangely, base their "qualified opinions" on either very limited number of cruises or in many cases they have never cruised another line for a fair comparison. To have a valid opinion as to the quality of one line over any other, you need to have experienced both.

[Astronomer]

I get a lot of that too, and I am in the same boat as you ( figuratively, and literally )

I have never cruised, I am booked on the Pride, ok it is not my honeymoon but it is our anniversary, and my cruise is approaching soon.

I get a lot of people that have negative things to say about Carnival, particularly those that have never cruised on Carnival, their response is "I never would"

I ask why...

It is a party boat lots of younger people.... well... even though I am 50 most of my friends are in their 20's, friends of my kids, we have fun together, sounds like my kind of crowd.

Lower class people sail on Carnival... well... Im not rich... in fact I find that some rich people with their nose in the air that would not want to sail with us common folk are not the kind of people I want to hang around with anyway, Carnival sounds like my kind of crowd.

The ships are Vegas like... well.... I like Vegas….. I have a lot of fun when I go there... sounds like my kind of Cruise Line.

And my personal favorite about the Pride... There are classless nude paintings and sculpture all over it... well.... I have seen the pictures... it is classical art... A statue of David that was not nude might be offensive to me but a replica of David would not be.... sounds like my kind of ship.

I sometimes think they bash on Carnival because they want to feel good about the other Cruselines they sail on. Which I am sure are wonderful Cruise lines and beautiful ships, but I wont be bashing cruise lines I have never sailed on to make me feel good about this trip.

For me, Carnival Cruiseline, and the Pride in particular is the very last thing I am worried about.

I am packing a smile, a relaxed attitude, and ready for a great adventure with the lady I love.

I don’t see how this Cruise can miss.

[tkportersat]

I had been on three Carnival cruises, and after hearing my mom and dad raving about Royal Caribbean decided to give it a try. Honestly if given a choice I would choose Carnival. I have had better service on Carnival, I like the food better not to mention 24hr pizza/sandwiches/ice cream machine, sushi bar, more laid back atmosphere, lower prices, LARGER staterooms, goody basket, more activities, water slide (my kids love it), reimbursement when ports are missed (RC does not do this, when we missed Key West I got ZILCH), etc. I am not saying I wouldn't try other lines to try different stops or to go along w/ a group, but if up to me I am going to choose Carnival.

 

Have fun and don't worry about what others say! Good luck :)

 

Kerry

[TanIslandGirl]

:confused: Why do I always get such negative comments from people when I tell them we booked our HM on the Carnival Pride????

 

Carnival????? Why would you book with Carnival???? Why didn't you book with one of the *nicer* cruise lines?!

 

I've never been on Carnival (or any other cruise for that matter) so I dont have any answers to these not-so-friendly questions :mad:

 

Because some people just are not happy or pleased with anything and those seem to be the people who gripe or bash Carnival.

[BettyBurrito]

with an emphasis towards the less refined (hairy chest contest, adult comedy)

 

refined = boring

[auburn77]

In 1973 I bought a Toyota. Some friends laughed at me and said that it was a cheap, lousy excuse for a car and that they would be out of business in a couple of years. They had never even driven one.

 

Carnival had somewhat the same reputation in the early years. But both have changed considerably over the years and I'm proud to say that I am still driving Toyotas and still cruising Carnival. Who cares what anyone else thinks!

[WeBeCruisin']

I had a 1970 Toyota once. It wasn't much larger than a box of Animal Crackers, but it surely did get great mileage. AT the same time, I also had a new 1973 Pontiac Safari station wagon, which was so huge you could lay a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood flat on the floor. But I also had 3 sons, and SUVs hadn't become widely available and Land Rovers were too expensive.

Talk about contrasts!

[WeBeCruisin']

.

 

.

 

So those are a few of the reasons why I don't consider Carnival as "nice" as other lines..

 

I've never sailed on Carnival, but have been curious about it. I am proud to say I am now booked on the S &S II October 15 trip on the Conquest. I have met a wonderful group of people who have convinced me that I will love the ship. I KNOW I will love being with these intelligent, classy, and witty people. That's a no-brainer!:)

 

I had heard all the "bad" things about Carnival, yet there seemed to be paradoxes. One of my close friends is 59 and is a retired school principal. He and his wife (also a school principal) are very conservative. Neither one of them drinks, or smokes, or uses bad language, yet out of their ten or so cruises, they like Carnival best.

 

I think that for a while, back 10-15 years ago, Carnival was probably the primary cruiseline offering three-day trips to the Caribbean. I think that it was a given that this kind of itinerary would attract a demographic of spring breakers and college students who see it as an inexpensive way to "party 'til you puke". Generally, the longer the cruise, the more "refined" the passengers are.:rolleyes:

 

I have sailed on NCL once, SeaDream once, Celebrity three times, and RCCL five times. Virtually all of Naismith's complaints I have also witnessed on those ships, with the exception of SeaDream, but the ship was so small that motion was a constant problem, and most evenings I was the only person still not in my cabin at 10 p.m. I'm no spring chicken, but it was the most boring cruise I've ever been on. And virtually NO activities during the day, even on sea days. Food, service and all-inclusive liquor were great, though. But with unlimited free alcohol, I did see quite a few drunks.

 

The majority (seven) of my cruises have been in the 10-14 day length category, and I found all of Naismith's complaints on those trips, even with their more "refined" demographic.:D

 

My wife bought the "anti-Carnival" propaganda and refused to even consider a Carnival cruise, even when the itineraries were great. Now that she's no longer in the picture :rolleyes: , I'm looking forward to my Conquest trip with great people and, finally, the opportunity to make up my OWN mind about Carnival.

 

I can't wait!

 

Allen

[palmtre2]

One rather eloquent poster mentioned these points as his least favorite things about Carnival:

-The frequent, loud announcements, much like the KMart blue light specials. I think some of these may have been in the hall, not all directly into the room, but we had a speaker right outside our door, so we heard it all.

 

-The color game ("team spirit"), which even inpinges into the dining room experience.

 

I just cruised the Liberty on 4/15 and I have to say that these things DID bother me a little on our previous cruises, but on this years cruise there was no color game at all, and the waitstaff "entertainment" was kept to 1 song/dance. Much better dining experience than in previous years. It seemed too, that the announcements were kept to a minimum, on an eight day cruise only 3 announcements were made in the cabin. Those were rather important briefings on the time changes and the reason we would not be leaving Panama on time. Fewer announcements were made to the passageways than in the recent past. Improvements to the Carnival experience are being made all the time and those that stick their nose in the air and do not try CCL are missing out.

[michigan tim]

I have in-laws who've been on 2 cruises in 2 years, both Voyager class RCCL. DW and I have been on 2 cruises in 2 years, Costa in '05 and Carnival in '06. When he found out we had booked Carnival he was appalled. Said we should go with them on a "nice" cruise. He has zero experience w/ Carnival so where did he get his preconceived negative impression? From the CD and comedians on the cruise he took last year. Apparently the RCCL staff dole out the trailer trash Carnival jabs whenever there is an opportunity. For me, I have no brand loyalty... I'm just looking for a good deal on a vacation and cruises are great values and great experiences... can't wait to go next year... could be RCCL... could be Carnival... could be Costa... could be ????

[JessicaRN]

To the OP: I've learned long ago that everyone has their favorite cruise lines and there's no way to persuade them that your's is the best. At work, there are two other women who are cruise-a-holics: one is in her mid-50s and loves NCL; the other is in her late-30s and loves RCCL. I'm 22 and I LOVE Carnival!

 

I think it really does depend on the person and what they're looking to get out of the cruise. Also, it depends on their lifestyle going into their vacation. The woman in her 50s has cruised Carnival before and says the entertainment (shows) were the best but the food was lacking. Now, when she goes out it's probably expensive places but when I go out it's to Chili's or a local Italian place, so Carnival's food is the highest class stuff I've ever eaten! lol

 

The woman in her 30s loves RCCL because of all the amenities, like rock climbing or ice skating for her kids, but I say, since I'll more than likely never use those, it's not worth the price difference.

 

For me, I love Carnival because it's cheap (yes, that is pretty much the most important thing to me when I'm booking a cruise), it's got a very fun, "party" atmosphere (not fall-down drunk party, but havin'-a-good-time party), and the food and entertainment is good. :)

 

The point of all this is that you need to look at what YOU want in your vacation (HM!). Certain people that bash Carnival do so because it doesn't offer what THEY want in a cruise. You'll never change their minds about which company they prefer but it doesn't mean you wont have a great time on your HM.

 

Congratulations! Enjoy your wedding, and your cruise!

 

- Jess

[gr81]

To the OP, go have fun and dont worry about what others say. The either never been on Carnival, or a cruise at all, or had ONE bad experience that ruined the rest of their lives, and have to tell all about it. Just remember, a cruise is what YOU make of it.

 

There is cruisline loyalty and I'm a good example.

After 5 Carnival cruises, my wife had to persuade me to try Royal Caribbean in September (was a better price). Im going into it open minded, but at the same time I am of the "if it aint broke dont try to fix it" mentality. Carnival caters to a WIDE range, but people like to focus on certain aspects. I love it when someone tells me "insert cruiseline" is better than Carnival and never realized that its really the same company.

 

On the activities.

My wife and I went to the hairy chest contest once, it was funny, not something I will make a habit of wanting to see again, but its not like that was the only activity that was going on at that time. I have been reading the RCI forum of late with the upcomming cruise and they have the same problems. There are a number of threads about "Quest" right now. It sounds no different than the scavenger hunt (amaizing race on the Pride in March) game on Carnival, but it seems to be the one event everyone on RCI's forum has an opinion on one way or the other. We try things just like we try food, if its not our cup of tea, theres something else to do elsewhere. We had someone on one cruise complain about all the activities they went to, when asked if they left, they said no, they stayed for the entire event and missed other activities that might have been more suited for them.

[westernmom]

I have had the same problem as the op! Being our first cruise everyone always asks where we are going and which line.

 

At first I hated having to say Carnival.... I was almost ashamed... Hi, my name is westernmom and I'm cruising on Carnival.

 

Anyway, after reading everything on these boards, I have come to the conclusion that I made the best choice possible for us. So, now my answer is, "After a bunch of research, I decided that a Carnival cruise will really suit us and besides, we have a balcony!" That usually just gets an "Oh, that's great!"

 

Dh on the other hand justs says something like, "How in the h.... do I know? I just can't wait to get out of here!":D

[madelinerose]

Music to my ears. The only thing we did not like about our Miracle cruise was the diningroom hoopla. When we dined at Nick & Nora's, we actually savored the ambience and lingered, rather than our rushing out of the diningroom after dessert all of the other nights to avoid the dancing, singing, shouting and the ever-present microphoned "helllloooooooo" from the (I think) restaurant manager.

 

Many think Carnival ships are tacky in decor. Although it did take a few nights to get used to the "grapes" in the diningroom, we just went with the flow....after all, it was our first cruise and Carnival is the "fun ship". Carnival, Princess, RCI, NCL, HAL, etc......they are what they are. Your vacation is what you make of it, whether on land or sea.

 

 

To the OP - Happy Honeymoon! ;)

 

I just cruised the Liberty on 4/15 and I have to say that these things DID bother me a little on our previous cruises, but on this years cruise there was no color game at all, and the waitstaff "entertainment" was kept to 1 song/dance. Much better dining experience than in previous years.

[sunlover5]

We have always cruised RCCL and went on Carnival Liberty this past winter. True, Liberty is a new ship, but Carnival won us over!! Booked our 2nd one for this coming Feb. We liked the food better, ship, everything was great, and to top it off, we can afford their balcony!!!!!!!!!! Have a great and wonderful honeymoon. Just remember, you are making memories for you and your hubby, no one else, so don't worry about it!!!!!

[noyb]

If Carnival is being compared to WalMart, then the cruise line and its customers are in good company.

 

WalMart is one of the worlds great companies. If you checked the holdings of your mutual funds, you may be surprised to find that you probably indirectly own shares in WalMart. If you don't, you should. It's doubful any other company you hold shares in is as well managed.

 

One of the reasons we can afford to cruise is because we save at WalMart.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[LHP]

I've never sailed on Carnival' date=' but have been curious about it. I am proud to say I am now booked on the S &S II October 15 trip on the Conquest. I have met a wonderful group of people who have convinced me that I will love the ship. I KNOW I will love being with these intelligent, classy, and witty people. That's a no-brainer!:)

 

I had heard all the "bad" things about Carnival, yet there seemed to be paradoxes. One of my close friends is 59 and is a retired school principal. He and his wife (also a school principal) are very conservative. Neither one of them drinks, or smokes, or uses bad language, yet out of their ten or so cruises, they like Carnival best.

 

I think that for a while, back 10-15 years ago, Carnival was probably the primary cruiseline offering three-day trips to the Caribbean. I think that it was a given that this kind of itinerary would attract a demographic of spring breakers and college students who see it as an inexpensive way to "party 'til you puke". Generally, the longer the cruise, the more "refined" the passengers are.:rolleyes:

 

I have sailed on NCL once, SeaDream once, Celebrity three times, and RCCL five times. Virtually all of Naismith's complaints I have also witnessed on those ships, with the exception of SeaDream, but the ship was so small that motion was a constant problem, and most evenings I was the only person still not in my cabin at 10 p.m. I'm no spring chicken, but it was the most boring cruise I've ever been on. And virtually NO activities during the day, even on sea days. Food, service and all-inclusive liquor were great, though. But with unlimited free alcohol, I did see quite a few drunks.

 

The majority (seven) of my cruises have been in the 10-14 day length category, and I found all of Naismith's complaints on those trips, even with their more "refined" demographic.:D

 

My wife bought the "anti-Carnival" propaganda and refused to even consider a Carnival cruise, even when the itineraries were great. Now that she's no longer in the picture :rolleyes: , I'm looking forward to my Conquest trip with great people and, finally, the opportunity to make up my OWN mind about Carnival.

 

I can't wait!

 

Allen[/quote']

 

Allen: Now you are making me wish I had booked that trip. Sadly (only a small tear, because after all...I will be on a cruise) I will be on the Miracle on October 8th. That would be one great B2B!!! Thanks for the input about the other cruise lines. I figured they were all in the same "boat" (pun intended).

[RyanMFitz1]

Here is a short and simple comment that the original poster can use. Its to the point and better yet, the truth...

 

Tell the people that wish to bad mouth carnival to you this....IT IS MY MONEY AND I WILL BOOK WITH WHATEVER CRUISE LINE I WISH, IF YOU WANT TO PAY FOR MY HONEYMOON THEN I WILL GO ON THE CRUISE LINE OF YOUR CHOSING.

 

They may not like that response but its the truth... Enjoy your honeymoon and you made a good choice !!:)

[elaineb]

When I went to AAA a few months ago to get the newest Carnival Brochure, I got "We don't recommend Carnival. Why don't you get a RCCL brochure?" I told her I'd sailed on Carnival before and loved it. She had never even been on Carnival!

I recommended a Carnival Miracle cruise to my boss who just got back last week and absolutely loved it! I also had to work at selling my family to go on a Miracle cruise this summer. Our last one was on RCCL's Adventure - great ship. My SIL keeps asking "am I going to like this cruise?" My husand just smiles and says "You're gonna love it".

OP - You're gonna love it, too!:)

[salt_salt_salt]

I went back to Carnival without any preconceived notions. There is little difference between the lines. Yeh, Princess and Celebrity are nice but only marginally. For those who think RCCL is a cut above, think twice...,It is NOT.

Besides that...they should wear a mask...those bandits. Carnival's past is behind it and they have really turned the corner. Enjoy your Honeymoon!

[SkaterJasp]

I sailed on Carnival and RCCL before and if I have to pick between the two, I would sail on Carnival over RCCL... Carnival have GREAT customer service from my experiences and the food is way better... Most of the time I cruise, RCCL offer lower prices of $100 to $200 a person for similar sailing and similar cabins for the same set of dates, but I still opt for Carnival because I much perfer what Carnival have to offer. Most of the time I hear negative stuff about Carnival is almost always from those that sailed with RCCL and never been on a Carnival Cruise before and to me, thats kindda wrong. I dont think anyone can say they hate, or love, something if they never tried it. I'm not saying that I will never sail on RCCL, they do have some nice ships and I will love to go on them, but at the same time, I will continue to sail with Carnival... right now I'm going on about 1 RCCL cruise for every 2 to 3 Carnival cruises and most of the time I would of saved money on RCCL but opt for Carnival instead. With that said, I think you will have a GREAT time on Carnival and just ignore what you hear about Carnival from those that never sailed with them.