why choose carnival

[djheart007]

Hello - I am also trying to decide to book with RCI adventure or Carnival Destiny in Nov2005. We just came home from our 2nd RCI cruise on Serenade. Our first on Navigator was great. So the problem is price - RCI prices are gettting more expensive, I would book with them first but we are looking into a less expensive and kid cruise. So we found Carnival destiny. How is it for the kids out of San juan and as classy as RCI for the adults? Any other comment would be great ! Thanks so much!

[pholter]

[quote name='djheart007']Hello - I am also trying to decide to book with RCI adventure or Carnival Destiny in Nov2005. We just came home from our 2nd RCI cruise on Serenade. Our first on Navigator was great. So the problem is price - RCI prices are gettting more expensive, I would book with them first but we are looking into a less expensive and kid cruise. So we found Carnival destiny. How is it for the kids out of San juan and as classy as RCI for the adults? Any other comment would be great ! Thanks so much![/QUOTE]
I just cruised the Destiny and never saw many kids.... I heard on the last day that there were over 400 on board though, so Camp Carnival must have been doing their job and it's during the school year! The ports are fantastic and we had alot of fun for a very good price.. I'd recommend it...

[theroos]

I must add my two cents to this post. My wife and I and my brother and his wife are going on our first Carnival cruise in March. We pick our cruises by 1. Itineraries, 2. Price, 3. Service. We have cruised NCL three times (going on four), RCL (going on four). I do not know where all of you get prices from but until recently (when RCL went to a no discount pricing policy and NCL will start the same policy in Jan of 2005) Carnival was not even in the same ballpark as the other two when you compare apples to apples.
This cruise will also give me the chance to compare equivalent cabin types from all three lines. But Carnival already has two strikes against them.
Strike one- I called Carnival to have my reservation and my brothers reservation linked so we can have dinner at the same time. Would not even talk to me.
Strike two- I e-mailed the management to help with this small problem. This was five days ago, no response.
I will do a review after the cruise but it will not include anything about food which is too subjective.

[MrPete]

[quote name='Ericknow32'][size=5][color=blue][b]why do you care what other people think.[/b][/color][/size][/QUOTE]
The FUN

The people

The cabin size

The food.

[Cruising89143]

[quote name='theroos']I must add my two cents to this post. My wife and I and my brother and his wife are going on our first Carnival cruise in March. We pick our cruises by 1. Itineraries, 2. Price, 3. Service. We have cruised NCL three times (going on four), RCL (going on four). I do not know where all of you get prices from but until recently (when RCL went to a no discount pricing policy and NCL will start the same policy in Jan of 2005) Carnival was not even in the same ballpark as the other two when you compare apples to apples.
This cruise will also give me the chance to compare equivalent cabin types from all three lines. But Carnival already has two strikes against them.
Strike one- I called Carnival to have my reservation and my brothers reservation linked so we can have dinner at the same time. Would not even talk to me.
Strike two- I e-mailed the management to help with this small problem. This was five days ago, no response.
I will do a review after the cruise but it will not include anything about food which is too subjective.[/QUOTE]
Did you book directly with Carnival or through TA? If it is through a TA then the cruise line will not talk to you about your reservation since the TA owns that booking. If it was booked through Carnival then they should be able to link the two together.

[pholter]

I must add my two cents to this post. My wife and I and my brother and his wife are going on our first Carnival cruise in March. We pick our cruises by 1. Itineraries, 2. Price, 3. Service. We have cruised NCL three times (going on four), RCL (going on four). I do not know where all of you get prices from but until recently (when RCL went to a no discount pricing policy and NCL will start the same policy in Jan of 2005) Carnival was not even in the same ballpark as the other two when you compare apples to apples.

This cruise will also give me the chance to compare equivalent cabin types from all three lines. But Carnival already has two strikes against them.

Strike one- I called Carnival to have my reservation and my brothers reservation linked so we can have dinner at the same time. Would not even talk to me.

Strike two- I e-mailed the management to help with this small problem. This was five days ago, no response.

I will do a review after the cruise but it will not include anything about food which is too subjective.

1) Was your reservation with Carnival?? That's the only way they can help you. If you booked through anyone else, then your TA has to help you.

2) If you emailed through the Carnival site, then you should have received an automated email saying someone would review your questions, etc. It has taken up to a week to get the proper answers in my questions at times. If you emailed someone direct, then you may consider that this is a Holiday week and probably took vacation.

 

I've always has good luck via phone with my vacation planner as well, but I'm guessing that you possibly didn't book your cruise through Carnival and that could get frustrating if you used an internet company or something similar. Good Luck!

[dsclark]

"I will do a review after the cruise but it will not include anything about food which is too subjective."

 

Food is only subjective when people give opinions, rather than observations.

 

For example, my sister's favorite hamburger place is McDonalds. They take a frozen hamburger patty, cook it ahead of time,add rehydrated onions then they microwave it and if you want french fries, they are made from from fries, which are often cold by the time you get them.

 

She doesn't understand the fascination I and other have with the recently opened up In an Out hamburger restraunt in our town. For those who are from back east, this is a family own chain in CA/NV and AZ. Travel Magazine ranked them one of the ten top places to get a burger. Subjective? Hardly.

 

All hamburgers are made from fresh meat, cooked to your order. All ingredients are fresh. In fact, they don't have a freezer at In and Out! The only frozen thing there are the ice cubes! You also can have freshly grilled onions on your burger if you wish. There are no heat lamps or microwaves- as soon as the burger is done, you get it. Want some fries? All fries are made from fresh potatos, cut just before frying. If want a shake, they sell milk shakes- made with ice cream, not some goop.

 

I'd argue that In and Out serves up better quality food. The combination of fresh meat and lack of microwaving makes for a juicier, more flavorfull burger. Likewise, using fresh potatos instead of frozen fries makes for more flavorful fries. Just because someone prefers a banquet salisbury steak doesn't mean that it is better quality than a steak from Mortons.

 

Burgers on RCCL are made ahead of time, then placed in a warming pan.

On CCL, they are made fresh and handed to you. They even make up freshly grilled onions for you. Which would consider better quality?

 

RCCL serves 'ranch steak", a form of round steak- the cheapest slab of meat sold in the stores.

CCL serves NY steak- which would you consider better quality?

 

RCCL serves up small langostino sized lobster tails

CCL gives you a real lobster tail- which would consider better quality?

 

Take mediocre quality food, serve it on a nice plate with parsely, in oppulent surroundings, and people will think it is better than it is.

[rchauv]

"RCCL serves up small langostino sized lobster tails

CCL gives you a real lobster tail- which would consider better quality?

 

Take mediocre quality food, serve it on a nice plate with parsely, in oppulent surroundings, and people will think it is better than it is."

 

 

On my RCCL cruise, the lobsters were so small that it they were combined with shrimp to make an entree. The one I got was multi-colored and multi-textured. I was prepared to ask for a second serving, but after sampling what was offered, I passed when the waiter asked if I was still interested. On the other hand, the CCL lobster was an entree by itself and quite good.

 

Service and surroundings on both were quite nice.

[MrPete]

In an Out hamburger restaurant in our town. For those who are from back east....

We were just in Las Vegas last weekend and saw one down from NEW YORK NEW YORK. Our friends from California were raving about it. Unfortunatley, we never got to go inside. They took us to a buffet at the Excaliber instead.

 

I'd have rather eaten a fresh burger.

[dsclark]

[quote. They took us to a buffet at the Excaliber instead.

 

You poor thing! I have been there and it wasn't pretty! There are some great buffets in NV and that wasn't one of them. In fact, we were at a buffet for thanksgiving (crab claws, primerib, smoked turkey legs, sweet and sour shrimp, etc).

[glrounds]

Yes, In and Out Burgers rule the roost here in So Cal. Fabulous burgers made fresh on the spot, No heat lamps, no freezers. They put McDonalds, with their dried out hockey pucks, in the crapper. :o

 

Incidentally, if you're ever in LA there are, I think, only 3 left, you must try FATBURGERS. Absolutely delicious, but you can actually hear your arteries moaning when you bite into one of these "heart-stoppers". The moment of sheer pleasure may cost you big time, but the risk, at least with one once in a while, is worth it. :D

[dsclark]

Incidentally, if you're ever in LA there are, I think, only 3 left, you must try FATBURGERS. Absolutely delicious, but you can actually hear your arteries moaning when you bite into one of these "heart-stoppers". The moment of sheer pleasure may cost you big time, but the risk, at least with one once in a while, is worth it. :D

 

 

You'll be happy to hear that Fatburger is alive and well. In fact, they recently opened up in Las Vegas, across from NyNy. I read that they are planning on going nationwide!

The other place I love in Socal (also in the Travel magazine top 10) is Tommy's. I always keep some of their chile frozen in my freezer. That stuff is definite artery clogger!

You all sound like you'd know the difference between a meal on RCCL and a meal on CCL! All this talk got me drive in 6" of snow to our local In and Out. FWIW, My area might be the only one where the In and Outs might see snow. It is kind of funny seeing these palm logos with snow stuck on them.