cruzfitter

I had the same thought. Perfect tracking device.

 

I wonder if they will put mini readers of the tracking bands in the "preferred" stores ashore to help track their commissions earned when customers buy there.

Exactly how would they be able to tell the difference between someone buying and just browsing. It's not like you can use it to make purchases in stores onshore.

Also,I don't know if you know this or not but they can put a chip in credit cards. Which means they can put them in your stateroom key card. So, it isn't necessary for any new technology to track you.

Yes, very similar, I don't like the idea of having to walk around the entire cruise with a wristband on.

The wristband appears to be removable. So just put it in your pocket. And if go in the pool or something like that, you can put it on you wrist and not have to worry about it falling out of a bathing suit pocket or leaving it unattended at your pool chair.

Cruzfitter. I am trying to line by line quote you but I guess I don't know how. Hence, I will answer based on my memory of what you just posted.

 

You seem angry at my experience and opinion. Too bad.

 

The maitre d. . . The reason why my gf and I wanted to change tables was bc we had booked our cruise separately and were in different cabins. Hence, we were put at a solo table in the dining room. On the first night of the cruise only one other solo showed up, a man. This man was a bit odd and made my gf feel very uncomfortable. Hence she wanted to change tables. The maitre d had a bit of a time trying to find a table that would hold two additional people. We were standing over him as he looked at the tables in the dining room. He would click on a table and then say, "No that won't work." After he did this more than once, one of us asked him why would that table not work? He responded that the table was full of couples and Carnival does not put single women at tables with couples because it may make the women at the table uncomfortable. I couldn't argue with that logic. Or he would come across a table and say, "this table his small children. I don't think you want that either." He was looking for a table with female to female cruisers (i.e., mother-daughter). He finally found a large table with 3 single girls (from Aruba) travelling together and a few single guys. I don't remember what their relationship was.

 

Yes, it is my recollection that in my 15 or so cruises with Carnival, every single cruise when I was solo, I was placed at the solo table. There is usually at least one or two each seating. When I would meet people, and talk to them, if dining came up, I would learn that woman-woman cruisers were paired with other women-woman, or families with small children were put at the same table. They also tried to pair by general age if possible to avoid putting a party loving group of 20-somethings at a table with retirees.

 

It is not rocket science. It just take a little software program to pair people up in the dining room. This is how my gf and I got put at the solo table. Our reservations was separate and Carnival had no way of knowing that we were actually cruising together. We were solo women about the same age, so the program or whatever they use put us at a table together. RCCL just doesn't bother or at least did not bother on any of my cruises with them. On my first cruise with RCCL, I was married travelling with my husband. We were at a table with a very strange eclectic set of fellow cruisers (solos, young, old, couples) and I felt that it would not have taken too much to have put us at a table more compatible. We ended up moving on our own halfway thru the cruise to the table next to us which was half empty and more compatible to the two of us.

 

Now for your indignation over my opinion. Comparing the two, Carnival is more my taste. Nothing is wrong with RCCL if that is your speed. It is just not a better cruise fit for me.

I have no indignation or anger over your opinions or choice of what suits you better. I glad that the Maître D has always come through for you. But apparently your gf wasn't so lucky. It appears she was placed at a table with table mates that she wasn't comfortable with. It's the luck of the draw, and can happen on any cruise line.

I also never said that I preferred RCCL. If you notice, in my signature of my last 5 cruises only 1 was with RCCL. But on that cruise there was trivia/ silly pool games/ a piano bar and a game in which the guests participated. All things that you insinuate RCCL doesn't have. Not to mention the plethora of loungers facing the pool and near one another. For the record, yes, there were also loungers facing the ocean, just in case someone wanted to look at it while they were relaxing on a cruise ship.

I have cruised both RCCL (3 times) and Carnival (over 15 times). I cruise solo and enjoy a lively nightlife.

 

Because I cruise solo and enjoy interacting and meeting new people, I prefer Carnival over RCCL.

 

In my opinion the activities offered on Carnival are designed specifically to encourage the passengers to interact with each other (trivia/silly poolside games/singalong piano bar/audience participation activities in the theater) while RCCL's layout and activities seem designed to allow people to stay within their groups/couples without feeling a need to interact with "strangers" (rock climbing/flowriding/ice skating). Even the layout of the RCCL Lido deck (whatever it is called on their mega ships) is designed so that half of the people are faced away from the masses with little barriers between groupings of loungers while Carnival's lido deck is designed so that everyone sees everyone and friendly conversations are a natural occurrence.

 

RCCL seems more like a hotel with "stuff" and Carnival is more like an adult sleepaway camp.

 

Breakfast is better on RCCL while the other meals are much better prepared on Carnival.

 

Also, as a solo female, the dining room table assignments are done totally opposite on these two cruiselines. On Carnival, when my gf and I tried to change tables once, the Maitre D refused to put two single women at a table with couples. He said he felt that our presence may make the other women at the table uncomfortable. I totally understood and was quite impressed that he was so forward thinking. On the other hand, on a solo cruise on RCCL, I was assigned to a dining room table with two couples and just me. It was o.k., except one couple spoke no English. The 5 of us were totally different and there was no common thread. Carnival goes thru great lengths to group people of likeness together (couples with couples, families with families, all solos together, mother/daughter groupings are put together and the list goes on). I like this bc this gives diners a common thread and a sense of comfort. My dining experience on the NOTS was quite uncomfortable and I eventually ended up eating dinner in the buffet b4 joining some other people at their table. RCCL seemed to make ZERO effort and just threw people at tables helter/skelter.

 

Also, I feel that Carnival staff is much more accommodating and more eager to please, while RCCL offered you a service and package with little or no wiggle room. I found RCCL to be a bit "take it or leave it."

 

All in all when I compared my experiences on these two cruiselines, I have always felt that Carnival worked harder to ensure you had a good time while RCCL worked harder to ensure you were presented with a pretty package.

 

Good luck with your choice but the difference in fare should be enough to wipe away any misgivings you may have about giving Carnival a go.

I wasn't going to post on this thread, but this post changed my mind.

1st issue- activities. In case you didn't notice RCCL has trivia, silly pool games, a piano bar where you can sing-a-long if you like, and although they don't use guests as entertainment in the theater, they do have a rather fun adult game called Quest that guests can participate in if they'd so desire.

2nd issue- pool area layout. Like Carnival, the majority of the loungers face the pools and are not separated from one another. In 15 RCCL cruises I have never noticed barriers other then structural pieces around loungers. Also, many people complain that you feel detached from the ocean on the so called mega-ships. So did you ever think that loungers facing the ocean might be good thing? Either way there are still plenty of seat that are together and facing the pools if that's the OPTION that you want.

3rd issue- dining room seating. If Carnival's Maître D does such a great job of seating people together properly, why did you and your gf want to have your table changed? In your 15+ Carnival cruises did you always get placed at tables with only other solo cruisers when you traveled alone? If not, how did the Maître D know it was ok to seat you with couples? Is there some kind of a questionnaire, that I don't know about, that is used to check for comparability of table mates?

I don't care who you or the OP cruise with, and I hope you each have a wonderful time with whoever you choose, but please don't contradict yourself when trying to make a point.

Lol. I dunno! I've never seen any tulips on a Carnival ship.

Probably have to look on HOLLAND America for tulips.

As I am not in Korea and have access to the necessary kitchen equipment, I make my own.

Just wanted to see if anyone would get the reference. One of my all time favorite episodes of a great TV show.

I have flown with quite a few liquids put into other receptacles with no problems. I have flown with liquor in rumrunners and with NC barbecue sauce in plastic coke bottles. (Not the same trip) I DID include a note in my luggage that yes that was 5 pounds of barbecue and two bottles of barbecue sauce. All arrived at my destination without incident.

What about the coleslaw? You didn't forget the coleslaw did you?

Except he explained what he meant by "pie" - meat pie like you can get in cafes & pubs over there, as in "pie & chips" or "pie, chips and beans" or "sausage, pie, chips & beans", same in Australia too:eek:

Doesn't that come with spam, spam, spam, and spam.

You can buy wine in any port during the 1st half of your b2b. It will be sent to your stateroom on the last night of 1st cruise. That way you won't have to go off the ship looking for wine. You may even be able to have more than 2 bottles for cruise #2.

We chose to do the land portion first. Figuring if anything went wrong with flights or luggage transfers there would be time to adjust. As it turned out we ended up flying in a day late due to weather problems in the mid-west. It worked out for us since we planned to have an extra day in Fairbanks. But we did find out that if there is a problem with your luggage that Princess will do everything to get your luggage to you.

As you can see, you get completely different opinions (many the diametric opposite from each other) when you ask different people about their opinions of cruise ships and cruiselines.. You cannot possibly make those sweeping generalizations of the cruiselines as you have.. Your experience on a particular sailing of a cruise ship, on ANY cruiseline, will depend on a multitude of factors and variables, which are fluid and constantly evolving... including:. the cruiseline's current business plan set into play - which in turn determines the amenities/services that you will have access to and experience, the captain, the officers, the staff, the head chef, the hotel director, the entertainment staff, the entertainment shows themselves, *your* waiter, *your* room steward, the ease in which you embark/disembark, the venues/amenities which you find particularly important either being/not being there for you.... AND, often most importantly, the particular passengers on that particular sailing.. The "vibe", and therefore your experience and perhaps overall impression about that cruiseline, can vary tremendously from one week to the next.... even on the same ship!. Please consider that the itinerary itself (including the experiences you have onshore at the various ports) can have a tremendous impact in your overall vacation experience.. Lastly, don't forget that the "season of your life" - whether you are in your 20s, or 40s, or 60s.... can often make you "see" things differently through the same glasses...

 

We've been on more cruiselines and ships that we can remember, however one thing we've retained from our experiences on all these ships is that they are more alike than different.. You will find unexpected (sometimes startling) surprises and pleasures:. food better on a Carnival ship than a Celebrity ship, wonderful "vibrant" people and formed-friendships on a HAL ship than a Norwegian ship, a Princess ship being more to your children's liking than a Royal Caribbean ship.... and so on.

 

Please do not make any one bad experience on one sailing of one cruise line taint and/or form permanent negative generalizations for that entire cruiseline.. Again, you can go on another sailing on that same ship, and have a diametrically opposite experience.. Just be open-minded, know that there are a multitude of cruise ships from which to choose, and be ready to have some of the greatest experiences of your life!

 

- Rick

.

Well said Rick.

 

In modern times I have only cruised on one line-Princess-and haven't found much to complain about. After 5 cruises I am halfway to Elite status thanks to booking suites. 2 more cruises booked. So far no reason not to keep going BUT I am curious about other lines and ships so I read reviews on every mainstream/luxury line and watch endless youtube videos. The step-up for me would most likely be Oceania and Azamara at the moment....a smaller ship experience.

 

Re the OP's post....I would find it hard to fault a cruise line that "pushes drinks" in the case of RCI (RCCL as I now them from my history of cruising) as one of the common complaints against lines like Costa and MSC is the lack of drink service.

"Bar service!"....yeah, over here pal!! My glass shall not be empty and I'm not going to get up from this comfy lounger to go stand at a bar waving a $20 as if I am back home in the UK where you have to be related to the bar-keep to get a drink. I can say no to the "drink of the day" with a plastic umbrella and ice cubes shaped like a dolphin in a giant plastic "glass" that won't fit in my luggage and will join my room steward's collection of plastic crap-but get me a nice cold Beck's sir!

 

The lines rely on the take from selling drinks to make the voyage profitable so if you are thirsty accept the offer of service. Capitalism at work and I have to love that.

 

Somewhere in the thread I read that Seabourn are offering some 80% off deals!

 

I get one e mail a day from Oceania offering the same kind of thing- it's hard to find enough bodies to fill a ship when the pricing is smoke and mirrors. 2 for 1, free airfare etc. The "regular price" is just a fantasy number so that when it is 50% off it enters back into the realm of "what it is really worth for what you will get". Anyone booking a cabin on these lines at regular price needs their head examined and there's probably a spa treatment on board where that can be arranged.

 

I don't read much satisfaction in reviews regarding butlers and who really needs one? If there is a butler out there who will feed me coconut shrimp or stone crab

just before my afternoon nap then maybe I would want one. If he sings softly to me as I fall into a slumber then I am sailing with that line again.

 

With Princess I see the price of the cabin and book it. I know they have sales too but I want a specific cabin and can't wait. I am not looking for cheap- I am looking for good and exactly what I want. I book my own flights so I am not on an aircraft with propellers and parachutes and people with chickens in wicker baskets sitting next to me-no offense to any chickens reading the board.

 

Cunard's ships are pure eye-candy but they have many poor reviews too. If you are British then you are all too familiar with the expression "it's more than my job's worth mate". Even on their sea trials someone on the bridge "pushed the wrong button" and they were unable to hit their maximum speed on the glorious QM2.

 

Carnival (parent company) owns half the cruise lines most of us would travel on so they have to have been doing something right. I personally don't get the warm fuzzies looking at their ships nor the old Joe Farcus decor on most of them but credit where it is due. I am not interested in party ships or parties on land for that matter. I want to relax when at sea. Forced jollity I shun like a rabid dog.

I doubt if their food is really bad. I had two cruises with them so long ago (24 years) that it cannot be held as a measure of what they serve today and it was what I would call "decent cruise ship food"....and plenty of it. 24 years have passed...

 

On Princess I pretty much clean my plate- I have no shame in picking it up and licking it or licking the plate of a passenger at a nearby table. Is it 5 star cuisine?-no it is not, but it's great that they can achieve what they do and feed over 3,000 people at a couple of sittings. At a wedding for 250 guests last week I was served "banquet food" and it was not of the calibre of a Princess MDR meal, rest assured.

 

We are all spoiled for choices in cruising-so many ships, too little time. Reviews from cruisers are a god-send to the modern traveler in the age of CC. Beyondships.com can let you see the ship before booking. The many boards I surf on CC can give you all sorts of insights into what to expect. It didn't used to be like that, say I , who started cruising in 1985 with RCCL.

 

It is notable that Rick's favorite cruise was on Crystal who didn't get a name check in the OP's post. They have many stellar reviews yet are low on the radar for most. Maybe Rick can tell us why it remains his favorite?

If you are on a cruise ship and enjoying yourself then you are way ahead of most of the World's population. As Rick said there are a lot of factors that have to come together all at once to make it a memorable cruise. You owe it to yourself to do a lot of research before booking though. There's "work" involved and maybe some "rolling with the punches" if it's not all you hoped it would be.

 

One last thing- to me it doesn't matter how old the other passengers on my ship might be or whether they jog everywhere or get there in a motorized wheelchair-they've paid their fare and are probably just as passionate as I am about ships and cruising-but they are less-fortunate with their health than I am. I don't care if you are 18 or 80-you are welcome to talk to me on a ship and -of course- buy me a drink!

 

Norris

norrisadair.blogspot.com

I normally hate quoting long posts, but these 2 should be mandatory reading for all CC members. Great attitude and outlook on life and cruising in general. I think that I would enjoy cruising with both of these posters. And if I ever do I'll buy you that drink Norris ( you too Rick ).

Cruising is having to do nothing, but having plenty to do if you choose.

 

Cruising is a relaxing time with a beautiful view passing by just outside.

 

Cruising is a gentle roll and back and forth motion.

 

Cruising is fine food, drink, and delicious dessert.

 

Cruising is a comfortable room / cabin with a steward that picks up after you.

 

Cruising is pleasant background music soothing away thoughts of anything else.

 

Cruising is seeing places and doing things you don't ordinarily get to see or do.

 

Cruising is the feeling of being at sea.

 

We experienced these things on our first cruise twenty five years ago and we have experienced the same things on each cruise since. We are not looking for a new restaurant to try, a new wall to climb, a new car to smash into another car, or a cherry picker view of our ship. We'll be content to have a nice sized balcony and a lounge chair or three to sit in on our balcony.

 

Our experiences would be the same on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, or other similar cruise lines. Carnival provides the one ingredient that no other cruise line can provide; proven familiarity. We know what to expect and are comfortable with what we receive. In our case Carnival cannot possibly fall behind because all we expect will always be there.

 

The main reason we have not sailed the largest 'greatest' ships is the same reason we tend to avoid ship excursions; we avoid the herds. Herds of people all being directed to or away from something simply to get them thru the experience....without experiencing it. Bigger is better in regards to many things in life, but in our choice of cruise ships, we want a size that will afford us the feeling of being at sea and not being herded thru.

Mikesa1721,

 

Nice show!

 

I can see why there are so many Divina sailings in your future. :) The ship certainly appears to be a viable alternative to the behemoths of Royal / Norwegian mall line.

I can respect that you know what you like and you stick with it. But, I have a couple of questions.

In your 1st post here, why do you feel the need to equate herds of people with bigger cruise ships?

Also, why does MSC Divina have to be a viable alternative to the "behemoths of Royal / Norwegian" and not just a viable cruise option?

And I have noticed a shopping area on every cruise line I've been on, including

Carnival, yet it's only other cruise lines you call malls. Why is that?

Be ready, your on the hit list now...the excuses about CCL charging for breakfast is coming in 3...2...1...

Is this a Royal thread?

 

 

 

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Where does Hendricks Clan mention Royal in his post. If anything he talks mostly about NCL, his new cruise line of choice, in this thread.

Seems odd that you would bring Royal into the discussion at this particular point.

Nope to all your questions...but that doesn't mean there are others who don't.....we all are different after all ;).

 

As to your first point, I think those that have sailed only Carnival do have a right to voice their opinions on Carnival innovations...they do sail Carnival after all and see the innovations Carnival gives to them first hand and can do ample research on the ones they haven't yet.

 

"Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in-articulated needs, or existing market needs."-Wikipedia. 2.0, Dr. Suess, Carnival Live, etc. all fall under this definition. As for the other lines innovations, you don't need to experience them to know what they are and discuss them. It is quite easy to do a little research to see what ships are offering. I do that every time I start planning a vacation. I know what a carousel and ice skating rink are. I don't need to have been on the ship experiencing it in order to discuss and evaluate if it is something that would appeal to me and my family :rolleyes:. I knew my kids wouldn't do the rock climbing walls or the slides on Epic before we even sailed it. I was right. But I didn't choose Epic for those innovations and I wouldn't place that ship above our last Carnival Freedom cruise because it had those innovations. Others would because that is where their tastes lie. Do you see how it is all woven together. Whether innovations are better on one line vs another is based on what you like to do. It doesn't matter if you never sailed on a ship with a carousel, you still have a right to your opinion that that carousel is not as good as having Dr. Suess for YOUR kids...if that is what your kids is into. It's all subjective.

I think we're on different pages here. I'm talking about generalizations such as:

A Royal only cruiser saying "I won't sail Carnival because it a nothing but a party ship."

A Carnival only cruiser saying "I won't sail HAL because it's nothing but old people."

A Norwegian only cruiser saying " I won't sail Royal because it's just a big shopping mall."

But, as to your point, it is one thing to say, I don't like something or my family won't use something on another cruise line or at a restaurant, etc. than to put something down just because it's on another cruise line or at a different restaurant.

But if what you are purchasing meets or exceeds you expectations for the price you are paying and you have no desire to purchase something else, does that mean you are missing out? For some people there is a comfort and joy in the known. It doesn't matter if there is something else out there that would make you just as happy or happier if you are pleased with what you got. I can understand that. It's not me when it comes to cruising, but I can understand it.

 

We do sail different ships and lines because we like to see what is out there and when we are booking a vacation we don't limit ourselves that way. But Carnival is the line we come back to the most because they most often have the ship that meets our wants for a particular vacation and they have always met or exceeded our expectations for what we paid for. If I were the type of person who took pleasure and comfort in the known when it comes to cruising, then I probably wouldn't look for another line either. I am that way when comes to weekday breakfast. I have stopped at the same place for breakfast for the past 10 years on my way to work and gotten the same thing everyday. They have me on a tab and start making it for me as soon as walk in. I don't have to say a word. Are there other places or other items that I would like just as well, if not more? Maybe. Probably. But I don't care. I am happy with the breakfast I get. It is fast, on my way to work, and I like it a lot. Why would I waste my time looking for something else when I am extremely satisfied with what I have?

 

Some people are just like that when it comes to cruises. Who is anyone else to tell them they are wrong and something else might be better for them? Why should they care if they are extremely happy with what they have? We are all different, with different needs and wants. Choice is good.

My point is that just because you have found what is an adequate cruise line for you, what ever line that may be, if you've never experienced anything else you really shouldn't be in a discussion comparing cruise lines. You would have no 1st hand knowledge of the things being discussed. This isn't a Carnival issue. It doesn't matter which cruise line someone started out on. I know you don't fall into this category. I'm making a general statement.

Now, about the breakfast story. Do you only drive the 1st car brand that satisfied you? Do you only eat dinner at the 1st restaurant that you found adequate? Do only cruise on the 1st line that satisfied you? Oops, never mind.:p

Why am I not surprised that the question of is Carnival innovating or losing an edge has turned into an echo chamber of the same people reposting that they want a cheap cruise and don't add anything.

 

Don't worry, Carnival isn't adding anything. Except Decks. And Crowds. And if that's what it takes to make the cruise fare low and make you happy, A-OK with me. But it's not innovation. I don't think there is anything wrong in stating Carnival gave up on being innovative a long time ago. They provide a certain experience for a certain price. People unwilling to see what they are missing outside of Carnival really paint themselves into a corner saying they love everything the way it is; how do you know?

 

And Carnival does not need to make monster ships or have a million pay for venues in order to innovate. That's not the only thing innovation means.

I know because I do sail other lines. I haven't sailed RCCL, yet, but I have sailed NCL, Princess, and Disney. Carnival is an option for us when we just want a low cost, relaxing get away. There are times we want more so we will pick a ship with more. It all depends on what we want out of that vacation. We sailed the Epic. This was a decision between Oasis and Epic since our want for that vacation was to try a newer, larger ship. We looked at the same rooms, same itinerary, same week. Epic was $1k less than Oasis. While I loved the entertainment, DH hated the size. DH thought Carnival food was better...I thought they were very similar with Carnival slightly better in the MDR and NCL better in the buffet. The kids had no interest in the rock climbing, slides, etc. and went to the teen club once. Some people just don't get into that type of stuff so they are not missing out by not going on a ship with it....most likely if they went on a ship with it on they would avoid it like my kids did. Now I'm not saying that I'm absolutely not going to try the one of the RCCL mega ships one day (or any RCCL ship)...but it has to be at a price I am willing to pay in comparrision to the other ships I am comparing it to for that vacation.

 

IMHO Carnival is fulfilling a niche that you are apparently not a part of. There is nothing wrong with that...you have other choices that will fullfull your wants and needs. What is wrong is assuming that there must be something wrong with those who are in that niche because they like what Carnival offers for the price they pay. If Carnival fullfills their wants and needs for their vacation, who are you to say they are missing out? Carnival may not be as innovative as you want and the changes they make may not appeal to you....but that doesn't mean there aren't people out there that they do appeal to. We all don't like to vacation for the same things you do. Choice is good...innovative or not.

I believe LMaxwell is trying to say that if all you've experienced was CCL, you have no basis to say that another cruise line couldn't better meet your vacation needs. I'm not trying to say that another cruise line will be better for anyone, but you can't possibly be sure if you have no other experience.

I have always been satisfied with dinner at Outback Steakhouse, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't be just as happy or happier with Longhorn Steakhouse or Morton's steakhouse.

Carnival falling behind NCL and RCCL? LOL... How? Because they don't want to build those Mall size ships that can't dock in a lot of ports, making them unappealing? hmmm.... RCCL and NCL builds nicer ships? Why? Because they're bigger? Need you be reminded Carnival owns MANY brands in the cruise industry and NONE of them are targeted at each other's demographic market. RCCL and NCL have NOTHING that can get even close to comparing with Cunard, a Carnival owned line. Bigger and newer is not better people... its all based on each person's opinions. Princess ships are every bit as "Nice" as any of those 2 lines... HAL is even nicer. Carnival is in a class all it's own. They are the leader in cheap, affordable cruises, and THAT is exactly the market they chose for THAT line... Cunard blows away EVERYTHING out there in elegance, once again, owning their demographic market. HAL does quite nicely in attracting the older crowd that still has some life left

 

 

 

Personally, I have sailed RCCL and never care to do it again. Those huge Mall Of The Seas ships have no interest to me whatsoever, but if that's your cup of tea, have at it...

 

Carnival will be around as long as they want to be, and will continue to dominate their desired market.

This thread is talking about Carnival cruise line not Carnival Corp. So bring up Cunard et al. is a moot point.

I don't know if you noticed but RCL has plenty of ships that are not huge "mall of the seas" ships as you put it. I've been on 4 cruise lines and all of them have shops. Can someone tell me why it's wrong if they are all in a straight line on either side of a promenade as opposed to spread out over several decks or if the shopping area has twisting hallways?

This is also true about Carnival Corp. But Carnival cruise line dominates in only one area that I can see, which is number of passengers per year ( due to shorter cruises which allows for ships sail twice in a week). Carnival cruise line is not even CCL's leader in revenue per year. This is not a knock on Carnival cruise line. Just pointing out information.

You know what was the one thing that we used the most when we sailed on the Allure? The Carousel! :o If you'd asked me before our cruise what was the one thing I was most looking forward to, the Carousel would've been dead last!

 

But were traveling with a 2 year old and we had a Boardwalk facing stateroom, so the Carousel was in our face all the time. Our son was super excited about it and would sit in our stateroom and watch that darn thing incessantly. It became a habit to ride the Carousel on our way out from our stateroom as well as on the way back! Thank goodness it was free!

 

As a general comment: All of these offerings, including the Carousel, are about one thing: CHOICES. Instead of the senseless bantering about who's better, people should instead be glad that there are CHOICES. The cruise industry would be VERY boring if my ONLY choice was Carnival, or Royal, or NCL. I'm glad that my last cruise was on Holland, the one before that was on Carnival, our next one will be on Royal, and the one after that will be on Princess. :D

 

 

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I should have stated that I myself will not use the Carousel, but I have no problem with it being there. Any attraction that is available helps with crowd dispersal.

Also, those cruisers that say they cruise for the ports, do you just sit in your cabin on sea days? Or would you possibly want some type of activity to entertain you? I personally can sit with my kindle and iPod in a quite spot for hours, but breaking the day up with say a run though a rope course could certainly be fun also.

It looks like your next cruise will be on AidaPrima. You better brush up on your German!:D

 

http://d1ozq1nmb5vv1n.cloudfront.net/fileadmin/user_upload/v3/Presse/PM_2013_Q4/AIDAprima_4_Elements_Lazy_River.jpg

I was primarily talking about the locally available cruise lines. If I ever get the chance to sail Aida that is the ship I'll be on. DW and I met a German air traffic controller on our Oasis cruise and still keep in touch. Might be interesting to cruise Aida with him along as a translator.

As entertaining as this whole thread is I'm more interested in why some of your comments have those great pics in the signature and some don't. Just curious. Battle on folks. :D

I've also wondered about this.

Carnival Corp. has two budget lines. Carnival and Aida. They have N. America and Europe covered with their cheapest lines. These two lines are in a class all of their own. Carnival Corp. competes with the other mass market lines with their other cruise lines.

I'm aware of this. The person I was responding to switched from talking about Carnival cruise line to Carnival Corp. to try to justify his statement.

Check out the wealth of info at Cruisemarketwatch.com

this us vs them is getting old folks. we enjoy both ccl and rccl and sail both. here is my frustration with carnival ships. WOW me with something new that isn't a cookie cutter same ole same ole ship. there is no need for carnival to attempt to compete for the largest ship contest. That doesn't mean they can't build more smaller ships? I'm waiting for a line to add a lazy river to the lido deck. Now that would be cool to float on my tube right up to the bar for a bucket of beers and then float on down the river while enjoying my cold ones. now that would be innovative!

I agree. Make a ship with a lazy river and I don't care who it belongs to, I'll be on it.

I also agree with your us vs. them statement. It bothers me when somebody puts down an option offered on another cruise line as a way to make there chosen cruise line look better.

As you can see most of my cruises have been with RCL, but I don't think all the things they do are perfect. Carousel-not going to use it. Flowrider- spent hours trying to master it. Bumper cars- maybe once. Skydiving simulator-love to try it if I ever get on Qos or Aos. Also liked the slides on Epic and would like the rope course on CCL.

Btw Carnival Corp. is very much still in Europe.

 

 

I know some people posted things in this thread about Carnival Corp. but the OP's originally was talking about Carnival cruise line. And when reading your post that I quoted, you were talking about Carnival cruise line also.

Well, I for one dont want a huge ship. I like the size of the carnival ships. I hope Carnival does not go to all huge ships. Not for me.

 

Why would you need bumper cars on a ship? You can do that at home..

Why would you want a carousel? ... I dont know... I just dont get it.

Wouldn't you know it, my local bumper car track just closed. ;).I don't know where you live but I don't have bumper cars near me. Not that I would use them anyway, but maybe someone with children might like the option.

And in the same vein, why would you need a rope course on a ship? You don't but it doesn't mean somebody else might like to have it.

And Carnival goes to more ports than any other line!

Really! Since they don't go to any ports in Europe, I don't see how that is possible.

Sarge must be going crazy reading this thread and not being able to respond. At least under his most infamous screen name.