Don't mind me...I'm just hitting my head against a wall....

[Joe_Antonelli]

Personally I think the threads about snobs is right on the money. I also know it is meant with humor - regardless of the truths your posts may speak. I enjoy Carnival - but I also know what to expect when I take a Carnival Cruise. I've come to the conclusion most of the anger on the Carnival boards is jealousy. Oh sure, they'll flame me big time and tell me (well all of us) how much they pay for a Carnival Cruise. Well, we all know it's not in the same ball park. Oh sure, on occassion Celebrity might have a special that is as low as a Carnival Cruise but, the reality is they are in two different price levels. I've also decided it's more fun to sit back and watch them defend themselves rather than trying to reason with them. And I dare not start up that Neiman Marcus vs. Walmart thing again ;)

[chessbriar]

You are right. No two cruiselines are the same. Each has choosen a different direction to market itself. If they we all the same why have so many different lines. Even the lines withing a given company are very different as they cater to a different market. Why would you compare for example a GM Chevy Cavelier to Ford's Lincoln TownCar? Everyone has their preference and tends to stick to that. What one peson sees as a bonus could be a negative for someone else.

 

IE freestyle cruising is becoming a big thing as the cruiselines all add the different restaurants. Me, I prefer the formal setting of the full dinners. It's what makes cruising so different. In my opinion if I wanted to go to a different restaurant each night I could go stay at a hotel or better yet stay home. I love the feeling of getting dress up and seeing everyone else dresses up. Today's society has become to informal on a day in day out basis. And before you pick me as some old fuddy duddy, I'm 35 years old, at the very low end of Celebrity demographic, but I love the line. I have also enjoyed other lines as well and will continue to travel all the lines. I will just find out what line offeres me the most of what I want from a vaction.

[Danno]

XSNOBS don't sail Carnival (just promoting the myth;) )...I have a number of reasons for not sailing Carnival, and RCL, and HAL, and Costa and believe me none of those reasons is jealousy. I pick X because of the style and the type of pax it attracts, no more no less.

[BB5953]

I have do respectfully disagree with the statement that X is usually a different price market then Carnival. While planning my wedding/honeymoon I researched almost all major cruise lines and have to tell you that the average Carnival sailing (not on sale) is only a few hundred dollars if that from X. I have never sailed Carnival and don't plan to based on what I have heard here but for most cruisers I think that price has a lot to do with where they go and the fact of the matter is that X is competitive with the other lines. Until they raise there prices X will continue to become more and more like Carnival and RC and HAL. I think that while these Snobs threads are a nice thought the bottom line is Cruise critic represents a miniscule amount of cruisers and 80% of the people on the ship will probably never have heard it or the threads and will act as they see fit (even if it is rude and ill mannered). Until X changes a few things there is nothing that can be done about it. IMHO.

[robbyxoxo]

Joe :)....youre like the nicer version of me ....ive been known to ruffle some feathers on the carnival board when i give my opinion on what kinda peeps sail with carnival.....but as u said, reasoning with them over these things gets us about as far as trying to convince them that paying 16% on credit card debt is for dummies......lucky for me i enjoy a good spat:)

[Desertbelle]

You are just fooling yourself if you think raising the prices will make your Celebrity cruise experience better. Being rude, loud and obnoxious crosses all social-ecocomic barriers.

 

We travel with the best intentions of having a wonderful time. We do not allow the behavior of those around us to affect our good time. You can always pick me out of a crowd...I will be the one with the big smile on her face. :D I cruise to relax, get pampered and to enjoy myself and I'll be darned if I am going to let some else ruin that for me!

 

BTW....we have cruised on Carnival, and we had a wonderful time! :)

[BB5953]

dessertbelle - I agree to an extent with you. I for one would not let rude guests effect my stay as I have stated before. However I disagree with the price issue. I have heard from others that X has already started rasing prices due to the catergory changes and I suppose only time will tell if I am right. I certainly did not mean to offend you.

[excitedofharpenden]

Margie

 

We travel with the best intentions of having a wonderful time. We do not allow the behavior of those around us to affect our good time. You can always pick me out of a crowd...I will be the one with the big smile on her face. :D I cruise to relax, get pampered and to enjoy myself and I'll be darned if I am going to let some else ruin that for me!

I am with you on this one. I have only done Celebrity. I'm sure there were some examples of lack of respect, but I never noticed them. I was too busy having a good time (and hopefully demonstrating a bit of respect for others myself).

 

There is a huge cruise market out there and with that brings all sorts of different folk. Just be true to yourself, that's what I say. I have enough hassles at work. I intend leaving those behind and not worrying too much about others when I go on a cruise.

 

Phil

[Peanuts]

As you can see from my signature I've sailed on Carnival "several" times:rolleyes: . DH and I are also stockholders (87% roi). That said Carnival is as nice a cruise line as all the others if you know what you want in a cruise. If you want Vegas do Carnival. If you want a higher level of service do Celebrity. If you want a quiet cruise do Princess and on and on.

 

DH and I decided we wanted a change and X was it. TA has cruised X many many times and X had the ports we wanted. Did we book for the extras absolutely! Did we book for a higher level of service of course! Will we be disappointed I really doubt it. Are we looking forward to our cruise YES:D !

 

As far as differences isn't that what makes life interesting? Some cruisers love Carnival (DH and I being in that group) some love RCCL and others love other cruise lines. It all depends on what you as an individual likes and dislikes.

 

The SNOBS :o (snooty nobodies obsessed by status) you will find on all cruises. I just ignore them. We're looking forward to meeting some really nice people and enjoying 11 days on a ship in the Caribbean in February. Michigan winters are awful :eek:

[sie625]

I agree with the price difference having nothing to do with the choice of cruise line. It usually will be around the difference of 1 room category, if that. And as much as I love my balcony, I would take an outside cabin on my preferred line than a balcony on a line that didn't appeal to me. With that said RCCL remains my favorite, with X a very close 2nd, and it will likely soon become my favorite, but hey I'm still young and like a little more activity.

 

Steve

[themommy]

There are so many good comments above.

 

Prices for us from the UK are always so high as we have the flight added in which affects the pricing structure of the different cruise lines. We have so far tried P&O,Princess and NCL, this will be our first with Celebrity. I consider myself a cruise snob because I like the best that I can afford but I could never be described as stuffy.

 

As I remarked on a similar thread, there are stuffy people and snobs. It is easy to mistake one for the other but they are quite different types.

 

I am in my mid forties, my husband and I cruise with friends minus our children, it is our special treat.

We like to have loads of fun, let our hair down and generally have a good time but we enjoy the finer things in life and like high standards of behaviour, service, food and dress.

 

The two can be mixed so easily.

Well brought up folk can relax and party without offending anyone.

[Danno]

The SNOBS :o (snooty nobodies obsessed by status) you will find on all cruises. I just ignore them. We're looking forward to meeting some really nice people and enjoying 11 days on a ship in the Caribbean in February. Michigan winters are awful :eek:

I assume you must be refering to real snobs, not XSNOBS. If I remember the guidelines properly, I should I wrote them, they are all about attitude, manners, courtesy and tradition....I don't remember status being in there:confused: . If it were, I'm not sure I would qualify, I own a small automotive business in a city no one has heard of. While I am proud of my success it certainly doesn't set me on any kind of pedestal.

[chessbriar]

Beleive me when I say, I will not sail Carnival again, EVER. My one experience was a three day cruise and it was miserable. The tacky decor, the inconsiderate people, the mess, and the poor staffing. I would have complained to Carnival due to their vacation garuantee, but I was afraid they would send me back. While on Carnival I found now where did they excel except in marketing. Unfortunately most people stay with the first cruiseline they try. Thank GOD I tried Celebrity first.

[emilysmom]

Peanuts,

 

Ditto! Couldn't have said it better myself. I love Carnival, I love Celebrity! I love cruising, period!:D I think no matter what cruise line you're on there will Xsnobs and non-Xsnobs. On my Zenith cruise we were next door to non-Xsnobs, but I ignored them and had a great time!

[Peanuts]

DANNO

 

 

Yes I was referring to "real" snobs not xsnobs. "Real" snobs judge an individual by what club they belong to, what designer clothes they wear, where they live, what car they drive, etc. "Real" snobs are so stuck on status they can't see the forest for the trees and never learn to appreciate each person as an individual regardless of where they came from. The xsnobs really are people considerate of others and expect the same in return. As I posted before I just ignore the "real" snobs.

 

I too live in a small town and own my accounting business, DH is an exec with a corporation. I feel we have been successful but choose to live our life as we see fit and besides we LOVE to cruise :D and it's our treat for a job well done.

[themommy]

For the record

I mean that we are x snobs not real snobs. The real snobs have great difficulty in enjoying life or allowing others to.

[Danno]

peanuts...you sound like definition of XSNOBS... it would be nice to meet someday. I think if you look on a map we are at close to the same latitude. As a result I'm sure we "enjoy" the same type of winter weather!! Hard to believe that some people think that getting away for a week or ten days is a luxury...IT'S A NECESSITY!!

[Peanuts]

Danno it sure looks like it. I have no idea where N Bay Ont is but we are directly across the river from Sarnia, Ont. Have had the pleasure all my life of two different countries. We run back and forth across the Blue Water Bridges, to Sarnia, like we are driving to the corner store. Great place to live.:D

[chessbriar]

I need a little help, I've seen all these postings for snob and xsnobs. What's the difference. I took xsnob to be a Celebrity snob, but in reading some of the postings, I didn't see it. Help.

[halos]

I've come to the conclusion most of the anger on the Carnival boards is jealousy.)

 

 

 

 

Joe...my Paisan (sp???? been out of Philly too long!)

I am very disappointed.

 

I'm going to start with a little background. I am in my 40's. Grew up in Philly. moved to Maine about 5 years ago.

I consider myself upper-middle class. I have been blessed enough to live extremely comfortably on my husband's income, be a stay at home Mom and do volunteer work. I send my oldest child to private college in KY. My youngest will be going to college in just 2 more years. She is looking at a private school in NC.

And, yes when I need laundry detergent, I run to the Wal-Mart.

I am jealous of NO one.

 

There is no jealousy on Carnival Boards. I, like others have chosen Carnival for the cruises I have taken (only 3) for reasons other than money; covenvenience, more a family cruise and better suited for my teens, and party atmosphere because right now I feel 19 at heart. I am thrilled to see that most people on this particular thread understand that. If anger is displayed on Carnival Boards on occasion it is because a thread like this is started on another board and all the posters toss out their little jabs about Carnival Cruisers and what class of people we are.

I have only been on 3 cruises, but plan on doing quite a bit more because my nest will be blessedly empty soon. I am very open to trying new lines....sticking with just one seems silly...or, at least it did. But after many minutes, maybe hours of checking in on these other boards, and seeing the insults fly...I have to wonder...which is better, a cruise ship full of blue-collar, fun loving people, OR a 'classier', white collar bunch of snobs (and I am not referring to Xsnobs). Of course I don't mind hearing negative reviews from people who have actually sailed Carnival...if you have sailed it and you hate it, by all means, say why..this is Cruise Critcs, right?? But when folks get on their soap boxes about Carnival and it's passengers and they have never set foot on their ships...that irritates me. I have read a LOT of those comments and frankly, don't understand it.

 

I have to say that although Joe seemed to have tried to create a 'trash' thread here, I am thrilled that no one here took the bait (except you Robby...but you're another story)....it made me feel less turned off by Celebrity Cruisers....and I thank you.

 

I hope to try a Celebrity cruise in the future, Princess also looks appealing. I hope that fellow passengers will help to make my cruise enjoyable. And I hope that in the future, when any Celebrity, Royal Caribbean or Hal cruisers decide to put down Carnival and it's passengers in the future...you would have at least sailed one of it's ships before making stereotypical comments.

I may sail another line and never go back to Carnival again, who knows...but I will never lump people who sail a particular line into 'class' groups and insult them.

That's as low class as you can get.

[CruisinDoug]

For a first time cruise, Carnival worked well for us. It only made us yearn for bigger and better things. We can't wait for August 2005 on the Summit!

[BB5953]

I could be one of those people you referred to as "folks get on their soap boxes about Carnival and its passengers and they have never set foot on their ships...that irritates me." I can understand where you are coming from but let me tell you why so that you can see where I am coming from and possibly others. I have only sailed X and enjoyed it very much. With that said it is a safe assumption that others on this board share my opinions and quite possibly look for the same types of things. Therefore, if another fellow X cruiser (or many in this case) tell me specific reasons as to why they prefer to stay away from Carnival I will take that to heart. I do not feel that I need to spend the money or waste the my time if there is a very strong chance I will not enjoy myself or not enjoy myself as much as I should be. So in ending I understand that you like Carnival and would like everyone to at least try it before making opinions but most don't want to waste the money if so many others who share their likes and dislikes have and were less then happy.

[halos]

BB5953

I see nothing wrong with making a decision on not to cruise Carnival because of things you read...I wouldn't sail HAL (not yet anyway) because of the age demographics....there is nothig wrong with making a decision NOT to cruise a line from things you've read or heard. BUT when someone makes that decision and never sails Carnival, I don't think they have a right to comment on the ships or the passengers.

The two lines are obviously vasty different in many respects. I just have difficulty with the put-downs...is it necessary??? I don't believe it is.

That is all I am trying to say here. Everyone deserves respect, not just folks who sail the 'better line.'

Robby up there :rolleyes: goes on to the Carnival boards periodically, talking like a 12 year old boy from the hood ("keepin' it real...it's kewl...my peeps") and trashing the line...YET continues to book cruises with Carnival on a very regular basis...what is THAT all about??? He's due to sail the Miracle next.

Does anyone realize how ugly it is when you put yourselves 'above' another person/passenger?

There are more than a handful of people on these boards who could stand to take a good, honest look in the mirror.

[parrothead1]

I have cruised both, even though Carnival was only one time this past March. Having done 9 or so X cruises, we got very used to the service, food, atmosphere of Celebrity. DW enjoy that when we cruise. We went with a very open mind, knowing that we would not be getting the same treatment we get on X.

 

My wife and I had a very nice cruise on the Carnival Glory. The food was good, the ship was acutally very nice. It was only 6 months old when went on and it wasn't the neon light/Vegas style you would expect on a Carnival ship. The service, with the exception of our waiter, left a lot to be desired. There were so many little things that were missing. The cold towels coming back from port, 5 course dinner, silverware for each course, somalier's, waiters taking your tray in the buffet, dessert tray showing what is that night's choice, bread basket on the table, butter pats just to name a few.

 

We did use their specialty resteraunt, The Emarld Room, and even though we had a nice time, it was very cramped there. Like McDonald's booth stlye tables right on top of each other. The food and presentation was very nice, but the service, etc that we got there was standard for the main dinning room on X. We dinned in The Olympic last year, and I can honestly say, no comparing the two.

 

We had a veranda, like we do when we sail on X, and the veranda was very small compared to Millie, etc. The cabins we slightly, but noticably, smaller than X. We only paid slightly less ($120) than we did for the same Cat (1A)on Millie the year before.

 

As far as crowd age, I saw just as many 80 plus cruisers on Carnival as I have seen on X. So, the reorts of X being for older crowd and Carnival as a young crowd only is false. DW and I are 34/35, and it was just as deverse an age group. We have taken our son on 3 X cruises, he will be 4 in two weeks, and I cannot say enough about how he was treated. To have a waiter cut my wifes food for her while she is feeding an 8 month old, well, enough said there. I can't say that would have happened on Carnival. I just didn't see them going beyond doing their jobs.

 

The other thing we did not like about this cruise was the very short port times. I mean leaving Cozumel at 3PM? Come on. Leaving Belize at 4? Just not enough time in ports to explore, shop, take excursions.

 

Would I go on Carnival again? Maybe. Let's just say they won't be my first choice. We actually just cancelled a 2 night cruise to nowhere because after thinking about it, it was way too much money ($850) for two nights.

 

It all boils down to what you are looking for I guess. For DW and I, it is X. I like to have my 'Expectations exceeded'!!

[Tatka]

BB5953

I see nothing wrong with making a decision on not to cruise Carnival because of things you read...I wouldn't sail HAL (not yet anyway) because of the age demographics....there is nothig wrong with making a decision NOT to cruise a line from things you've read or heard. BUT when someone makes that decision and never sails Carnival, I don't think they have a right to comment on the ships or the passengers.

It's funny that you are "blaming" other people for stereotyping but at the same tyme doing the same. ;)

 

"I wouldn't sail HAL (not yet anyway) because of the age demographics"....

 

What is a HAL's age demographics?

 

We are going on Zuiderdam in August and there are already about 100 kids of age 9 - 12 (and more than 400 overall) booked. IMHO their parents at most are 50 years olds.

 

We are 31 and 32 with 12 years old son. :)