Why is Carnival so Inexpensive?

[Avery]

A group of us are planning a Mediterranean cruise for Sept or Oct, 2007. In reviewing pricing I note Carnival is nearly $1000 per person cheaper than Celebrity or Princess for a comparable 12-13 day cruise. Why? I'm always very skeptical when there is such a price variance.

[greatam]

A group of us are planning a Mediterranean cruise for Sept or Oct, 2007. In reviewing pricing I note Carnival is nearly $1000 per person cheaper than Celebrity or Princess for a comparable 12-13 day cruise. Why? I'm always very skeptical when there is such a price variance.

 

Hate to be crass and will get flamed for this, but they are almost the bottom of the barrel for cruiselines. Better food, better accommodations, better service (especially better service), not so many people trying to get away with "stuff" (booze smuggling, dress code, chair hogging, ways to beat the system) on Celebrity and Princess. More upscale, if you will.

 

If you just want a Med cruise, don't care about ambiance and extraordinary service, Carnival would be fine. And especially in the Med, where there are a lot of port days.

[Planer's Edge]

I would hazard a guess it is related to sailing capacity. I believe Carnival typically sails well over 100% double occupancy capacity.

 

I could be wrong, but this is my guess.

 

PE

[lvtotrvl1]

Europe is a new market for Carnival...Just as Alaska was a few years ago, and the prices on the Alaska cruises were vey low in comparison to the others. The one drawback you may find taking a new entry such as Carnival into a market that relies heavily on shore excursions is that the other lines have built up very good relationships with the vendors that supply the shore excursions...most times you can be sure that the excursions will go as planned and you should receive the value back from what you pay. Carnival is still in the "experimental" stages and may not have the quality of shore excursions as the others.

 

I don't agree with the description of bottom of the barrell cruiseline statement. Some of thier new ships are very nice. I have cruised on different lines, and Carnival really was not all that different from the rest. Still had a great cruise!

[joelmarj]

IMO it really has to do with product and not capacity sales. If Carnival is sailing 100% full, wouldn't they increase their price given the typical supply and demand laws of finance? I think if you were to check Celebrity, you will find they are also sailing most at 100% capacity.

 

Having sailed both Celebrity and Carnival, they are two different types of products. You have a higher crew to passenger ratio on Celebrity, on at least the M Class - a higher space to passenger ratio, white glove service, champagne upon boarding, cool cloths waiting portside, sorbet served poolside, no hourly announcements, and lots of other little touches like this. Additionally, food (while always subjective) is of higher quality on Celebrity. These are all factors that allow Celebrity to price out their cruises higher.

 

Carnival has a market and they price their product in line with their business model and customer. Celebrity does the same. It's just a different product that you are buying.

[LHT28]

You are comparing Apple to mangoes.

 

Celebrity is more upscale than Carnival and princess is in the middle

IMHO!

[Timmys_mom]

"Hate to be crass and will get flamed for this" but Carnival is less expensive because they don't increase your cruise fare to pay for:

 

1. Cool towels portside

2. Champagne upon boarding

3. Extra crew

4. Ice cream by the pool

 

What you get is:

 

1. A bigger stateroom than the industry average

2. The most amazing beds and linens

3. Adequate staff for 99% of the pax

4. Good food (not gourmet, but still better than I can make)

5. Reasonably priced drinks (especially if you factor in the beverages I brought with!)

6. A boat-load of people who wouldn't drown if it started to rain, who are there to kick back and enjoy life.

 

I like to think of it as getting the most bang for my buck. Since I have not sailed Carnival in Europe, I cannot comment on the "quality" of passengers, but from reading the boards, every cruiseline has its flaws.

[BigDoug]

Carnival is still in the "experimental" stages and may not have the quality of shore excursions as the others.

 

I don't agree with the description of bottom of the barrell cruiseline statement. Some of thier new ships are very nice. I have cruised on different lines, and Carnival really was not all that different from the rest. Still had a great cruise!

2007 will be Carnival's third year in Europe. I think any problems with shore excursions would be ironed out by then. All cruise lines price their product to attract a certain market segment. If you like value over hype then Carnival is for you. You should check the reviews of Carnival Liberty before making any decision.

[joelmarj]

"Hate to be crass and will get flamed for this" but Carnival is less expensive because they don't increase your cruise fare to pay for:

 

1. Cool towels portside

2. Champagne upon boarding

3. Extra crew

4. Ice cream by the pool

 

What you get is:

 

1. A bigger stateroom than the industry average

2. The most amazing beds and linens

3. Adequate staff for 99% of the pax

4. Good food (not gourmet, but still better than I can make)

5. Reasonably priced drinks (especially if you factor in the beverages I brought with!)

6. A boat-load of people who wouldn't drown if it started to rain, who are there to kick back and enjoy life.

 

I like to think of it as getting the most bang for my buck. Since I have not sailed Carnival in Europe, I cannot comment on the "quality" of passengers, but from reading the boards, every cruiseline has its flaws.

 

Wow, your number 6 is pretty harsh and really uncalled for. The point is, there are people who are willing to pay for the extra touchs and clearly Celebrity has a brand that caters to them and since they sail full, aren't having a problem with their pricepoint and product meeting the needs of their customer.

 

The same is said for Carnival. They have a product and price point that certainly meets the different needs of cruisers. Personally, "Adequate" and "Good" are not standards some look for, but as you demonstrated makes you very happy. That's the beauty of the cruise industry. There are dozens of ships designed to meet the needs of individual cruiser expectations. Hopefully you feel that you got the value you expected from the price you pay. Isn't it great that there are options?

 

Calling people snobs because they want a different cruise experience really is rather unnecessary. Personally, the hairy chest contests, dancing in the dining room and announcements all day aren't my style. Neither is Freedstyle dining and a dozen other things that other lines offer. But I don't see any point in bashing on line over the other. My point was only that there are different experiences for everyone.

[mared1]

Carnival Corporation owns several cruise lines including Princess, Cunard, etc. Perhaps Carnival cruise ships can over less expensive prices because the Corporation can get more money from the other lines it owns? Just a thought.

[Cruising89143]

A cruise line is just like any other business. They have to price their product at what the market will allow. Carnival can only go so high with their prices. Right now Carnival is lowering their prices on many of their ships in the Caribbean as they are having a difficult time in filling the cabins. Their stock took a downward turn yesterday.

 

I quit cruising with Carnival after trying one of RCI's Voyager class ships. The difference in crew and service was night and day over what I had experienced with Carnival. Also RCI keeps their ships much cleaner and the upkeep is also a noticeable difference. I also did not base this off of one cruise with RCI. I have now cruised six times with them and I have had the same great experience each time.

 

This remark was totally out of line.

 

6. A boat-load of people who wouldn't drown if it started to rain, who are there to kick back and enjoy life.

 

I enjoy life myself but I just do it on a different cruise line.;)

[chasetf]

A group of us are planning a Mediterranean cruise for Sept or Oct, 2007. In reviewing pricing I note Carnival is nearly $1000 per person cheaper than Celebrity or Princess for a comparable 12-13 day cruise. Why? I'm always very skeptical when there is such a price variance.

What cabin category are you comparing ? For our upcoming Aug Princess British Isle, and last years Sept Princess Med, if we paid $1000 per person over Carnival :confused: , that means we could have done Carnival for a couple hundred bucks. :D

 

I donot think that is true. But to also qualify my answer, we were / are in the bottom categories on those cruises. (inside and outside obstructed).

 

It you are talking top of the line suites then maybe I would understand. Maybe X or Princess customers are willing to pay top dollar for those cabins.

[Keith1010]

A group of us are planning a Mediterranean cruise for Sept or Oct, 2007. In reviewing pricing I note Carnival is nearly $1000 per person cheaper than Celebrity or Princess for a comparable 12-13 day cruise. Why? I'm always very skeptical when there is such a price variance.

 

Just like Hotels, cruise lines offer different levels of service based on price.

For example, Carnival is considered a mass market line whereas Celebrity is considered to be a premium cruise line. Typically, the quality and variety of food, room amenities, along with other aspects of the cruise will be better on Celebrity than Carnival. Again, I am not knocking Carnival as many people enjoy the line.

 

If I compared the three cruise lines to Hotels, then Carnival might be the Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn, while Princess might be the Hilton and Celebrity might be the Hyatt.

 

The other factor in price is that Carnival started the trend many years ago in cruising to provide a low price to make cruising more affordable but to charge for a variety of items on board that used to be included in the cruise price. Overtime, other cruise lines followed Carnival's lead to various degrees, but Carnival is known to bring in a fairly large percentage of revenue from passenger's once on board the cruise relative to the other cruise lines.

 

Keith

[Bequia]

Think of them as the McDonalds of the cruise industry (and I just love Big Mac's). A decent product. Entry level for the masses. It's all about 'economy of scale'. Cheap yes, profitable, certainly. ;)

[momofmeg]

Think of them as the McDonalds of the cruise industry (and I just love Big Mac's). A decent product. Entry level for the masses. It's all about 'economy of scale'. Cheap yes, profitable, certainly. ;)

 

I would call it more like comparing Olive Garden to an more upscale privately owned restuarant- I may love that upscale privately owned italian restuarant in my town-but it is reserved for anniversary dinners-where as Olive Garden is more affordable and I can enjoy it more often. (like a weekday lunchen)

 

MacDonalds would compare I guess to a ferry ride.

 

Carnivial is defientely not my favorite line-but I have friends that love them-so we do cruise them some- when our friends pick the cruiseline. I still have a good time-I just do not expect as much from Carnival-but I have found I get my money's worth from Carnival, Celebrity or Princess. When I pay more I expect more.

 

I would say this-since you are going to Europe and if that is how You can make the cruise affordable-by all means go Carnival-and then maybe when you do a cruise closer to home-where you do not have air fare or less expensive airfare-you can go for a more upscale line.

[Happy ks]

I read this often, yet every time I price out Carnival vs other lines, I get a price that is over or very close to other lines. I'm sure their prices have got to be lower at some times, because I read that here a lot. I'm usually able to get 2 cabins for less $ on RCI rather than one cabin for 4 on Carnival, .

 

I don't happen to care that Carnival has larger staterooms, I don't spend a whole lot of time in the cabin. I'd rather have a nicer ambience throughout the whole ship, from my one experience and photos of their other ships, they just don't appeal to me at all.

 

For $83 per person, per day, I'd much rather be on a more upscale ship. Especially Celebrity, they have a definite advantage over so many mainstream lines because they aren't hawking games and events all day long. They respect your peace and quiet and allow you to make the decision on your own.

 

But, to each his own. Carnival obviously appeals to a lot of people or else they would go out of business.

[Timmys_mom]

Let me apologize for my comment (it was directed at no one in particular) - but I must say it irks me to read comments like "bottom of the barrel", "McDonalds of cruising", "not so many people trying to get away with "stuff" (booze smuggling, dress code, chair hogging, ways to beat the system)". Those of us who enjoy Carnival cruises get very tired of being classified as drunk illiterates with no class. As I said, every cruiseline has its flaws and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

When someone asks a question about pricing of a cruise, it is irresponsible to respond with such a broad generalization like "Carnival is less expensive because they are the worst". This tells the OP nothing.

 

While I should have slowed my fingers down somewhat, it is clearer to say that Carnival offers a different product than Celebrity or Princess. Not a better or worse product, just a different one. Selecting Carnival does not make you an illiterate drunk with no class and choosing Celebrity does not make you smart, important or an aristocrat. My sister has experienced poor service on Celebrity, I have experienced excellent service on Carnival.

 

To the OP, don't make your decision based upon what you read here. You have to decide what is important to you and choose your cruiseline based upon that.

[daddychuck]

My wife and I have cruised on both Celebrity and Carnival and we have found few if any significant differences. Celebrity has a few more boring snobs and Carnival has a few more children, both of which are usuually easy to avoid. While I think Celebrity Cuisine is marginally better, my wife prefers the food on Carnival. Since we like the longer (10days+) cruises we have been leaning towards Celebrity a little more butit is important to remember that Carnival has moved a long way from the Party Barges of years ago and Celebrity is not Seaborne!!!! The worst cruise I ever had was wonderful!!

[joelmarj]

Let me apologize for my comment (it was directed at no one in particular) - but I must say it irks me to read comments like "bottom of the barrel", "McDonalds of cruising", "not so many people trying to get away with "stuff" (booze smuggling, dress code, chair hogging, ways to beat the system)". Those of us who enjoy Carnival cruises get very tired of being classified as drunk illiterates with no class. As I said, every cruiseline has its flaws and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

When someone asks a question about pricing of a cruise, it is irresponsible to respond with such a broad generalization like "Carnival is less expensive because they are the worst". This tells the OP nothing.

 

While I should have slowed my fingers down somewhat, it is clearer to say that Carnival offers a different product than Celebrity or Princess. Not a better or worse product, just a different one. Selecting Carnival does not make you an illiterate drunk with no class and choosing Celebrity does not make you smart, important or an aristocrat. My sister has experienced poor service on Celebrity, I have experienced excellent service on Carnival.

 

To the OP, don't make your decision based upon what you read here. You have to decide what is important to you and choose your cruiseline based upon that.

 

I agree that opinions here need to be less "harsh". That goes for beer-drinking drunks or snobs;) . Overall, it really is just about the cruise experience each cruise line offers.

 

As for the OP - I understand trying to gleen information from these boards. Its a great place to gain information about some things you can expect. You then need to use your own judgement in weeding out the good, the bad and the ugly information and select a cruise based on what makes you happy. Amongst some of the nonsense that goes on all over the place (trust me, Celebrity is getting it's own fair share of bashing these days :D ), there is some very useful information that will help you understand what the overall experience is that you can expect and decide on a cruise based on what is important to you.

[smoothdancer]

I sailed on a short 3 day on Carnival in December, and previously that year sailed Celebrity. We had not sailed Carnival in a good 8 years and I was pleasantly suprised at the product.

 

We had a mini suite, which was nice, great linens. The public areas were still in good shape for an old ship, meals to our liking. Yes, I did notice that the level of service was not the same as Celebrity. For example in the dining room they had a real problem serving our table of six at the same time, and I dont know, the staff itself seemed disorganized. Still ,the staff was friendly and tried to fill whatever desiries we had. At the end of our cruise we left with a positive expereience and both said that we would not hesitate to do another short day cruise on Carnival.

 

I am attaching a link to our Carnvial review. You will see from the many pictures that for an older ship she is still in good shape, and the dinners and buffets comparable to many of the other lines we have been on.

http://WWW.JustEatin.com (click on the Carnival button)

[momofmeg]

I read this often, yet every time I price out Carnival vs other lines, I get a price that is over or very close to other lines. I'm sure their prices have got to be lower at some times, because I read that here a lot. I'm usually able to get 2 cabins for less $ on RCI rather than one cabin for 4 on Carnival, .

 

I don't happen to care that Carnival has larger staterooms, I don't spend a whole lot of time in the cabin. I'd rather have a nicer ambience throughout the whole ship, from my one experience and photos of their other ships, they just don't appeal to me at all.

 

For $83 per person, per day, I'd much rather be on a more upscale ship. Especially Celebrity, they have a definite advantage over so many mainstream lines because they aren't hawking games and events all day long. They respect your peace and quiet and allow you to make the decision on your own.

 

But, to each his own. Carnival obviously appeals to a lot of people or else they would go out of business.

 

KS have you ever priced dout a voyager class ship or a radience class ship? those are more expensive then Princess and sometimes even Celebrity.

 

Now if you are comparing Sovereign of the Seas to Carnival Fanasty (similiar ittneraries and both leave out of Pt. Canaraval FL) they are very similiar in price-it depends on which week you book-one week one is more expensive and the next week the other will be more expensive.

 

Now my Caribbean Princess cruise, balcony cabin midship, is about the same price as my atrium cabin was on Mariner of the Seas last year-and we are going almost the same exact week.

 

I was not impressed with Mariner at all-much to crowded in the lido and promande areas and I may feel the same way about CP but at least I will have my own balcony!

 

Cavier gal says the radience class ships are much nicer and more like Celebrity-so I may try one of them sometime- and I would go on good old Sovereign again in a heartbeat-but I will not go on a voyager class ship again-and forget that Freedom of the Seas-No way!

[Keith1010]

I'll go with my original comment which was not harsh at all. If you equate the cruise lines mentioned to the Hotel Industry I would say Carnival is more like a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn, Princess is more like a Hilton and Celebrity is more like a Hyatt. And if you asked me about Crystal and Seabourn I would say they are more like a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons. I have stayed at all of these hotels and I think each one gives you value based on the cost. I don't think any of them are bad. I just think that you usually get what you pay for. Again, paying less is not bad. One needs to figure out their budget and based on that figure out which cruise line will fit within the budget.

 

I just want to be clear that Carnival is not less expensive because they are say more efficient. While it is true that they are very efficient in terms of the efficiencies they realize through all of the cruise lines they own such as the purchasing of food, liquer, etc. this is not the major driver of their pricing because if it was then Princess would be just as cheap or Seabourn (which they also own as the do Cunard, as they do Costa, etc. etc.) would all be low cost and that's just not the case. Each one is priced differently based on the level of services that they provide.

 

Again, I personally think that cruising is wonderful and that those who can afford to take a cruise are fortunate. In the end the selection of which cruise line to pick comes down to cost, and what one likes or dislikes about a particular cruise line. For example, somone who wants a lot of entertainment and a more casual atmosphere and a lower price won't select Seabourn. Thank goodness their are choices out there.

 

But, I don't think it's fair to say that all three cruise lines that were asked about are precisely the same and that the reason Carnival is cheaper is because Carnival runs them because as I said Carnival runs Princess. And, by the way, Royal Caribbean owns Celebrity and you will see different pricing between taking a cruise on Celebrity and taking a cruise on Royal Caribbean because of the difference in service and amenities that is offered on these two cruise lines.

 

Keith

[momofmeg]

Let me apologize for my comment (it was directed at no one in particular) - but I must say it irks me to read comments like "bottom of the barrel", "McDonalds of cruising", "not so many people trying to get away with "stuff" (booze smuggling, dress code, chair hogging, ways to beat the system)". Those of us who enjoy Carnival cruises get very tired of being classified as drunk illiterates with no class. As I said, every cruiseline has its flaws and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

When someone asks a question about pricing of a cruise, it is irresponsible to respond with such a broad generalization like "Carnival is less expensive because they are the worst". This tells the OP nothing.

 

While I should have slowed my fingers down somewhat, it is clearer to say that Carnival offers a different product than Celebrity or Princess. Not a better or worse product, just a different one. Selecting Carnival does not make you an illiterate drunk with no class and choosing Celebrity does not make you smart, important or an aristocrat. My sister has experienced poor service on Celebrity, I have experienced excellent service on Carnival.

 

To the OP, don't make your decision based upon what you read here. You have to decide what is important to you and choose your cruiseline based upon that.

 

I understand. I read one post complaining that on Carnival you see "vomit in the halls" and I posted back I had NOT seen that in any of my 4 cruises on carnival. In fact that has happened to me only once and that was Celebrity Zenith.

 

As far as negative experiences with drunks, I have had one on a Carnival ship but 3 other such experiences on Royal caribbean. So my thinking is obnoxious people can be anywhere-and it is just the luck of a draw who your cruisemates are.

[momofmeg]

"Hate to be crass and will get flamed for this" but Carnival is less expensive because they don't increase your cruise fare to pay for:

 

1. Cool towels portside

2. Champagne upon boarding

3. Extra crew

4. Ice cream by the pool

 

What you get is:

 

1. A bigger stateroom than the industry average

2. The most amazing beds and linens

3. Adequate staff for 99% of the pax

4. Good food (not gourmet, but still better than I can make)

5. Reasonably priced drinks (especially if you factor in the beverages I brought with!)

6. A boat-load of people who wouldn't drown if it started to rain, who are there to kick back and enjoy life.

 

I like to think of it as getting the most bang for my buck. Since I have not sailed Carnival in Europe, I cannot comment on the "quality" of passengers, but from reading the boards, every cruiseline has its flaws.

 

timmy'smom on Carnival Miracle there was self serve soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt on the lido. Now they alos had this on RCCL Marienr of the Seas and even Celebrity Zenith. Other carnival ships had the soft serve in the lido restuarant-so I do not understand why you say there is no ice cream.

[smoothdancer]

Maybe she/he means the hard ice-cream. On the Celebrity Mercury last year they did have a stand by the pool at certain hours. You may have had to pay for this, I dont remember.