Reassure me! Booked on first Carnival cruise

[sea_u_onboard]

I wonder sometimes why all the posters who have such a rotten time on Carnival post to the Carnival board so often? It would seem to me they would want to stick with the boards for the cruiselines that they adore and bash Carnival from there like others do. JMHO. :D

[Lauri32]

We've sailed on the Navigator and Mariner with our almost 14yo twin girls. They had a blast on both. We've never taken them on a Carnival but wouldn't hesitate to do so. I agree with the poster who says that Conquest class is a closer comparison to Voyager class. Not only in size but in decor. We sailed the Glory last year and the teen dance club was always full of kids. I can't speak for the Legend, yet. We will be sailing her in Jan. But I'm sure you guys will enjoy yourselves. We like RCCL and Carnival, they both have good and bad points. I will say that Carnival normally has a more lively atmosphere. RCCL seems to shut down earlier.

[Lauri32]

I wonder sometimes why all the posters who have such a rotten time on Carnival post to the Carnival board so often? It would seem to me they would want to stick with the boards for the cruiselines that they adore and bash Carnival from there like others do. JMHO. :D

I was wondering the same thing.

[steveNcindy]

Ok, I need some reassurance here. We just booked an 8 night cruise on the Legend for 6/22. We will be traveling with our two sons (ages 15 and 11) and my parents. We have been on three RCI crusies in the past and I am worried that we won't enjoy Carnival as much. Our agent is awesome, and she assured us that the Legend is the closest that we will find to the Voyager class ships. We were sold on the price of this cruise vs the Voyager, as well as the itinerary and the departure port. Have any of you done this cruise yet that can make me feel confident about the decision?

 

Tammy

Tammy - what are some of the things specifically that "make" the cruise wonderful for you? Let us know some of the specifics of what you are looking for on your cruise and those of us who have been on the Legend before can let you know if you will find that on board.

[neverenufcruising]

oops

[Ericknow32]

Unless something has changed recently Carnival's new price policy that will be going into affect in January is not the same as RCI's. With RCI a TA cannot sell a cruise for less than what RCI has set. On Carnival a TA cannot advertise a price for less than what is set by Carnival. Big difference as a TA can still discount.

I just want to say the reason rccl made this discount change was to protect the travel agents. With the Internet getting the most cruise bookings, travel agents have been taking a big hit. What rccl did is make it so the bigger travel agents couldn't give a discount that they could afford, but smaller travel agents couldn't. All they did is equal the playing field. I am pretty sure that carnival is doing the exact same thing.

 

And about somone saying rccl passengers are snobby. You are wrong.

[Cruising89143]

I just want to say the reason rccl made this discount change was to protect the travel agents. With the Internet getting the most cruise bookings, travel agents have been taking a big hit. What rccl did is make it so the bigger travel agents couldn't give a discount that they could afford, but smaller travel agents couldn't. All they did is equal the playing field. I am pretty sure that carnival is doing the exact same thing.

 

QUOTE]

 

Carnival's new policy is not the same as RCI/Celebrity. Agents can still discount but they will not be able to advertise the discount price. Big difference. Carnival and other cruise lines will benefit from RCI's new pricing policy and as a matter of fact I am seeing more and more of that just from the posts here on Cruise Critic. I bet before long RCI will change their policy when they see the competition taking some of their business. That is business that they cannot afford to lose since they are up to their necks in debt with all of those new builds.

[JerseyBOb]

We sailed on the Legend last year at this time for the 8 day cruise. Our kids were 15 and 13 at that time. WE ALL LOVED IT! The kids had tons to do without the rock climbing and ice skating and met kids they felt very comfrotable hanging out with all week. We felt very comfortable in the cabins and the public decks. Yes, Carnival is for the masses that enjoy fun! We went during a holiday break and at times the ship felt "busy" due to no vacant cabins, but this did not stop our fun. It could appear to be a little overdone in color and theme but it reminded me of Las Vegas, a very clean Las Vegas.

I have many photos taken aboard ship during quiet times of the a.m. that showcase the beautiful design and variations in entertainment for both kids and adults.

The food..common folks.lets be real here.Food is food.A lobster is a lobster, burger a burger..etc.. We enjoyed the various types of food (deli, buffet, sit down dining room, oriental, salad staton..etc..and the 24 hr pizza)available during all hours. Service was fine and we tried the supper club ( $25 per person up charge) two nights. a very nice exp. but would only do it one night instead of two next time. We booked that as soon as we walked on board.

The only thing that I feel Carnival does not do well is intitial boarding and final departure. I believe with a little thought and input from the passengers with exp. this process could be easier.

We enjoyed the ship so much we almost rebooked it again for the same trip. Alas, we realize the world is a big place with many things to see so we booked the Miracle with different ports in March. If you would like the photos of the ship, email me and I will send them in a virus free file. HAve a great time!

[robseat]

We are booked on our first Carnival cruise (Glory, 11/5/05) because it is a family reunion-type of thing. Have only cruised with Princess --(Sun to Alaska, and Grand to Western Carib). We are a little "nervous" about what to expect, but aren't too picky about most things and will probably have a good time. The reason we have always gone on Princess before is their reputation for good wheelchair accessibility. Hope we can say the same about the Glory! Looking at posts on this board, seems like very few people list Princess on their list of previous cruises, and wondered why.

[Marcys]

Cruisingator2...I am one of those people defecting from RCCL because of the prices this year. But, it's not deterring other people from booking with them. Back in September when I tried booking one of the Voyager class ships, some of the cabin categories were already sold out and I had trouble finding 2 across from each other.

 

Their pricing scheme is hopefully a blessing in disguise for me because I otherwise wouldn't have chosen a different cruise line. This cruise would have given me 5 with RCCL, bumping me up a category in perks!

 

I will have to try hard not to compare but to enjoy each ship for its positive features.

[ccletzgo]

I just want to say the reason rccl made this discount change was to protect the travel agents. With the Internet getting the most cruise bookings, travel agents have been taking a big hit. What rccl did is make it so the bigger travel agents couldn't give a discount that they could afford, but smaller travel agents couldn't. All they did is equal the playing field. I am pretty sure that carnival is doing the exact same thing.

 

 

 

Why not just book direct with the cruise line? Same price and you have more control of your booking. Just like the airlines did. Same price to book direct now.

Saves the cruise line paying out commisions. They pocket the profits. Doesnt sound like a good move for the agent to me.:confused:

[cali-croozer]

On our last 2 Carnival Cruises (Elation and Inspiration), we sailed with our 2 boys (11 and 13 years old on the Elation, 13 and 15 on the Inspiration) and my parents. We all had a great time because Carnival offers something for everyone. Your kids will love it. Have them go to the Camp Carnival meet and greet the first night so they can meet some friends-they will be in different age groups. After that, they'll have many things to do. They'll probably participate in some of the Camp Carnival activities and, at other times, find things to do with their friends.........swim, eat, play cards, hang out in the teen center and listen to music, etc. If they like soda, get them each a soda card. Have a great cruise.

[Tamhugh]

Thanks to everyone for the responses. I don't think I'm an RCCL snob, but I do make my kids dress up for formal night. LOL! The pricing policy with RCCL wasn't the problem for us, as our agent told us there are ways around it. The problem was that the Voyager seems to sell out pretty quickly when she sails from NYC, so the prices just tend to run a little higher.

Since I only ever sailed RCCL, I have nothing to compare it to. However, I felt we had wonderful service on all three ships (except the excursions desk on the Radiance). My kids had a great time at Adventure Ocean and I felt the youth staff was very professional and well-trained. I was a little bit panicked, however, when we went to step onto an elevator one night and found our 14 year old dressed in a full RCCL uniform and name tag. Somehow, they had obtained it in a scavenger hunt and he was going to surprise the counselor he took it from. We all enjoyed the food in all of the restaurants onboard.

When trying to answer the question about what I like about cruising, I guess it is everything. I think I am just a little worried about the Carnival reputation as a party ship. I am not much of a drinker and my parents don't drink at all. When our agent compared the Legend to the Voyager, she wasn't talking about ship size or amenities. She felt that in a ship leaving NYC, this one had the most similar youth program. She also felt the service was only slightly lower than the Voyager and that the food was slightly better. She has done very well for us in the past and I think she has a good feel for what we are looking for.

Again, thanks to everyone for your responses. It has helped me get excited for the trip. I know that not everyone will enjoy every cruise ship or experience so it is good to hear both positives and negatives. Jersey Bob, I would love to see your pics!!!

 

Tammy

[rhoeffner]

Our very first cruise was on the Carnival Celebration! We had a WONDERFUL time with great memories - even considering the age of that ship!

 

HOWEVER.....in the meantime we have sailed RCCL, NCL, and Celebrity. We have just returned from a cruise on the Elation. We took our children 17 & 20. I booked Carnival specifically for the 'fun ship' atmosphere for the kids. What a mistake!!! Now I understand why Carnival has such a bad reputation! Wished I had paid a little extra and gone with RCCL.

 

While the Elation's food was outstanding in my opinion-DH said it was so-so, the 'fun ship' was more like the 'drunken ship'. My family of 4 sat at a small table right in the middle of 4 big round tables - each having 12 DRUNKS - that is 48 drunks total - every evening. My 20 year old was horrified and he is one wild child!! That says alot about their behavior.

 

Personally, I think all the lines we have sailed can be compared...taking into consideration the age and class of ships. Yes, my Celebrity cruise was wonderful, but it was a Millenium class ship - and for what I paid, I expected it to be wonderful! I think a cruise is what you make of it. We did have a good time on the Elation due to our private tours I had arranged at each port.

 

I had already purchased another Carnival cruise before sailing on this last one - however, I think it will probably be my last on Carnival - unless this one makes up for the last one in a BIG way - I'm not holding my breath! ;-) I'm still looking forward to it and will have a good time, because it's a cruise!!!!!

[tlmlb]

These ships do not even have balcony staterooms!!! :eek: :rolleyes: .

 

and your point being???

[Earthworm Jim]

[quote name='steveaaaa']If you can sail on RCI for a similar price, think twice about CCL.[/QUOTE]
That's a mighty big "if" from what I observed when I was booking my cruise.

Maybe that was due to the fact that RCL's new pricing rules had already gone into effect at that point while Carnival's still haven't.

[dsclark]

Passenger behaviour can vary. On RCCL, 18 year olds can drink beer and wine, whereas the age limit on CCL is 21. That should make things less rowdy on CCL.

Say what you want about the behaviour on the Elation, but I saw equally, if not worse, behavior on the Explorer of the Seas . The "highlight" was in the future cruise booking area- a woman was giving her man a hummer in there. Real classy, real classy...

[ccletzgo]

[quote name='dsclark']Passenger behaviour can vary. On RCCL, 18 year olds can drink beer and wine, whereas the age limit on CCL is 21. That should make things less rowdy on CCL.

Say what you want about the behaviour on the Elation, but I saw equally, if not worse, behavior on the Explorer of the Seas . The "highlight" was in the future cruise booking area- a woman was giving her man a hummer in there. Real classy, real classy...[/QUOTE]

:eek: Oh my! Wonder if it was indead, her man. :eek:

[Ericknow32]

passengers vary. i dont judge a cruise line by the passengers. you never know when you get a bad batch. although sailing with rccl many times i have never seen problems with passengers.