Oakman

Loved our JS so much on Allure, we booked the identical cabin on the Oasis for this September. The space was exceptional, and the larger hump balcony made for a perfect cruise. We are more about comfort than amenities, although any additional perks are greatly appreciated. Go and enjoy!!!

Just off Carnival Liberty and got Maine lobster with shrimp. Have to say I was pretty impressed with the food on Carnival.

Must agree. Love the ships of Royal Caribbean, but Carnival's food is much better in our opinion. Better variety and taste. Especially appreciated this in terms of the vegetarian selections.

WOW!! What a GREAT way to start the day-a new review by one of my favorite cruisers. So happy to see you again, and more importantly, CONGRATULATIONS on the new relationship. May you have days of smooth seas ahead. Life is way to short to not share it with someone. My partner and I have been together for 27 years, and recently married in California. Best wishes always-

Trip

Thanks for the heads up. Just purchased it. Love his books!!

How did you guys book the TA? I've been stalking carnival site all day and don't see the TA open for booking.

Glad to see you having a terrific time as always!! We were on one of the "Whatever of the Seas" ships, Liberty of the Seas, while you were docked in Cozumel. Hoped I might have run into you while downtown. I wanted to tell you in person how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into all of your trip reports. We have gone back to RCCL for now. Tired of all the changes at Carnival. We will be back I'm sure, but the entertainment and overall atmosphere on RCCL is much more our preference. Keep up the good work!!!

Let me know if there are any specific categories/comparisons you guys would like to see!

 

Clientele/Passengers

 

Okay, this may be a touchy subject so hopefully we can just say this tactfully. By now you know we LOVE Carnival but there is always going to be maybe 20% of the ship that is a bit rough around the edges (could be looks, behavior, social graces, etc). Sailing the Breeze last summer, I'd say only 10%. Sailing a 4 day Carnival cruise--maybe 50% rough. That was one reason I was so excited to sail RC for a shorter cruise.

 

The ship was 99.9% families which I think makes a big difference in clientele. You're not going to see Jimmy and 20 of his fraternity bros taking an RC Christmas Cruise. So there were literally no ruffkins on the entire ship! Overall I found the passengers very well behaved, low key, and polite. People were dressed a lot better and you never saw folks dressed in their cut-offs, tank tops, baseball caps, and flip flops in the dining room.

 

My son thought this worked to his disadvantage in the teen club though. He thought the kids were a bit too "different" for his liking though he did make a couple friends. Could have just been this particular sailing though.

 

Who Wins: Definitely RC if you are looking for more of a typical upper middle class passenger. But, I did miss seeing groups of people having a ton of fun around the ship. So it just depends what you're looking for in a cruise.....

After our recent Liberty of the Seas cruise (12/6//14), I definitely agree with your assessment of the clientele. Very nice to see after our recent 5 night cruise on the Victory.

Thought of you in Cozumel. We were on the Liberty of the Seas and saw the Dream docked nearby. Hope you had a wonderful time. Looking forward to another fun-filled, photographic travel adventure.

May and September/October. Great weather, minimal kids, low rates.

We Will Rock You (often abbreviated as WWRY) was a musical based on the songs of Queen with a book by Ben Elton. The musical tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown.

Directed by Christopher Renshaw and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, the original West End production opened at the Dominion Theatre on 14 May 2002, with Tony Vincent, Hannah Jane Fox, Sharon D. Clarke and Kerry Ellis in principal roles. Although the musical was at first panned by critics, it has become an audience favourite, becoming the longest-running musical at the Dominion Theatre, celebrating its tenth anniversary on 14 May 2012.[1][2] The London production closed on 31 May 2014 after a final performance in which Brian May and Roger Taylor both performed.[3]

A number of international productions have since followed the original, and We Will Rock You has been seen in five of the world's continents. Many productions are still active globally.

I just checked my VIFP offers and I was passed over again :mad: not sure what I need to do to get a $50.00 cruise

Of all people, you should be offered a $50.00 cruise for all the goodwill and positive reviews you give their product. Your loyalty to Carnival is invaluable.

Jane-

Once again, thanks again for the great review and photos. I always look forward to your reviews and am very happy you retired so that we can now get them even more frequently.

I know how happy you are now that there is direct service to San Juan from your home. We had the same problem in Tampa. In order to fly to San Juan, we had to connect in either Charlotte, Atlanta. or Miami. Plus, the airfare was higher than flying NYC to San Juan. Recently, JetBlue( my favorite carrier), has started non-stop Tampa/ San Juan service, with times perfect for same day in and out service. Booked Adventure recently to celebrate.

As much as you enjoy the Radiance Class, have you ever considered a back to back on the Brilliance out of Tampa?

Looking forward to the second leg of your trip. Hoping we can one day meet on a Royal Caribbean vacation

Trip

So excited to see another review. Always enjoy your perspective on cruising. We have not been on NCL in many years, and we contemplating a return after seeing the Getaway in Nassau last week. Looks beautiful, and after watching the boarding party from our balcony of the Carnival Victory, the staff really works hard to make sure everyone is having fun.

We cruised on the the Allure in May, after finally giving in to "big ship resistance" and LOVED it. Booked Oasis while on board for next September.

Bon Voyage!!!! Looking forward to the first installment.

Yes it is. There is only 1 Elegant Night on the 5 night itinerary.

Thanks MomontheGo.

So sorry, I can't remember if lobster was on the menu. We are vegetarians (vegans actually), so I usually only pay attention to things that we can eat. We had eggplant on formal night.

Liberty was our favorite Carnival cruise also.

Pools had normal crowds, but chairs near the pool were still available as late as 1030am. Did not notice many chair hogs. Music volume on deck (or wherever the DJ was) was LOUD!!! This was our 18th Carnival cruise, and the first time we noticed how loud the DJ,s had the volume turned up.

Pools had normal crowds, but chairs near the pool were still available as late as 1030am. Did not notice many chair hogs. Music volume on deck (or wherever the DJ was) was LOUD!!!

We were on Empress Deck, OS 7250. Friends next door in 7248. Cabin very clean, spacious, near Atrium elevators, and very quiet. Flat screen TV. Balcony divider opened between our cabins to create a very large balcony.

We were on the Grand Turk/HMC/Nassau itinerary, which is one of our favorites. To answer the food questions-MDR has scaled down menu especially salads and main courses. Food in both MDR and buffets bland and the deserts had virtually no flavor. Steakhouse options including lobster are available for an additional fee in the MDR. We are not fussy, but the food quality, which we used to enjoy, has declined greatly.

Evening entertainment options on several nights were few and far between. Wednesday and Thursday nights, after about an hour of walking around with nothing to do, we retreated to the cabin and watched TV. Cabin TV selection was probably the best of any cruiseline in recent memory.

Just off Victory last Saturday (9/20). Excellent and speedy embarkation-arrived and parked at the pier at 1017AM, through Security and checked in by 1030AM via Platinum Line. I was actually the first person on the ship. Ship very clean, but looking well worn. Desperately needs rehab. Always book OS cabin, which was clean and well maintained (7250). Efficient, but absent room steward. Had balcony dividers open after checking with Guest Services. Food quality declining, especially in Lido areas. MDR just OK. Excellent old style production shows-Living In America and Vroom. Best cast of dancers seen on a ship in a long time. Two nights were a bust in terms of entertainment-passenger participation and game shows only. Thankfully Carnival gets excellent TV reception. Comics OK, nothing overly exciting. Saw both. Tendering at Half Moon Cay was handled very poorly compared to the Liberty 2 yrs ago. Cabana ticket holders were told they could proceed ashore anytime, just approach a staff member with tickets. They proceeded to insert you in the line between others who have been waiting, obviously causing a scene. We decided to just wait until the line thinned out.

Smoking-Never a problem on the balcony. The Promenade, however, was a different story. Casino so smoky, it was unpleasant to walk by or listen to the band nearby. Poorest ventilation on any ship ever.

Debarkation was excellent for Platinum. Met in Atlantic Dining Room at 730AM. Off by 745. In the car and homeward bound by 800AM.

After this trip, we will definitely be taking a break from Carnival. Sub par food and entertainment, as well as many visible cutbacks make it necessary to spend our cruise dollars elsewhere. Carnival was great under Bob Dickinson's leadership. The line is now a former shadow of itself.

A few more vegetarian options and entrees, please.

Just off yesterday, and nothing has been updated. We were in an Ocean Suite (7250), and it did have a flat screen TV however. Like the above post, definitely not our favorite cruise either.

My favorite-Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale 17th St./Convention Center. Just stayed there last weekend prior to cruise out of Miami. This is our first choice whenever we choose to drove over to the pier/s (FLL or MIA) the night before. Clean, friendly staff, LARGE rooms, near many shops and restaurants. Always a great experience.