Carnival Cruise

[katiebeth]

Hi Fellow Cruisers,

 

We are loyal Celebrity cruisers and have cruised many times in the last several years, including Constellation, Infinity, Solstice, Ecplise, and Millenium, as well as the Azamara Quest. My husband and I are in our upper 40's and have 2 teenage children. We enjoy the relative quiet and sophisticated cruise experience that Celebrity provides.

 

I have been invited, along with my 15 year old daughter, to go on a a Carnival cruise with another mother and her daughters. We are good friends and enjoy each others company. The cruise is on the Fascination out of Jacksonville, Florida

 

I feel as if we are spoiled with Celebrity, and just wondering if we will enjoy the Carnival cruise. I am concerned that it will fall very short of our experiences on Celebrity and Azamara.

 

I would appreciate any comments from those who have sailed both cruise lines, so we have an idea of what to expect.

 

Thank you,

 

Nancy

[packedandready]

Never cruised Carnival so can't say one way or the other. But, the company of good friends should over shadow the things you might miss on X. Happy Cruising.

[dolittle]

Take Carnival for what it is A cheaper cruise line with A good product.Judge it on it's own terms not always compare it to X. We did Hal. and X before Carnival and still liked it.Yes X is all around better ,Carnival still has much to offer I.M.O. best shows,good steaks, bigger rooms etc. In fact went 4 more times on Carnival .

[katiebeth]

thanks dolittle and packedandready ...very wise advice ..company of good friends cannot be measured and taking Carnival for what it is and not comparing it to Celebrity is so true!

 

I will be on a cruise ...how bad could it be?? LOL

 

Nancy

[Muushka]

Without ever sailing on Carnival I found 2 major problems

 

1. Check their cancellation policy. If you do the early savers fare, they don't give you a full refund if you cancel prior to the 75 days out, they give you a credit towards another Carnival cruise (which, without my friends, I would never take).

 

2. Smoking policy. RCI is bad enough, Carnival is even worse.

[LouisianaMamma]

We've cruised both Carnival and X and have had a wonderful time on both. One thing I liked about Carnival was that our fellow passengers seemed a little more relaxed and friendly. The crew was a little more professional and helpful on X. The two lines each have different cultures but they are both great, in my opinion.

[katiebeth]

Muushka,

 

I must agree the smoking policy does concern me. We are non-smokers and it appears that Carnival has a very liberal smoking policy. Smoking is allowed in staterooms, balconies, and I would guess on the pool deck ...with no restrictions in terms of port vs. starboard side?

 

Celebrity and Azamara definitely have designated areas for smoking that do not include staterooms, balconies, casino, etc.

 

I would appreciate any comments from those that have sailed Carnival in terms of their experience with the smoking policy.

 

Nancy

[GE Mom]

We've sailed on three Carnival ships, two Princess and are about to leave for our first Celebrity. We actually like Carnival a little better than Princess, and wouldn't hesitate to sail them again. We didn't have any problem with smokers (and I am very sensitive to smoke), and thought the food and the entertainment was actually somewhat better on Carnival than on Princess. We would sail again on Carnival if we were with our young adult kids, or if the itinerary or the price was noteworthy. I wouldn't hesitate.

[jstsig101]

I guess if you are going into it with a relatively small travel investment, then i would concentrate on just having fun. My wife and i were in a similar situation and went with a group of 15 that were already booked on carnival. Needless to say, i actually almost got into a fight with a crewmember while waiting at the bar one night he barged between my wife and me knocking the wife's drink. I actually had to read his nametag multiple times to make sure i wasn't imagining it! We will never do carnival again! too many other options out there with better service.

[bighairtexan]

I've been on over 30 Carnival Cruises so obviously they are doing something right. Is there any way you could cruise w/ them on a different ship? Even though I'm sure it's been in drydock, the Fascination is 17 years old and I have sworn to NEVER cruise on their older ships. They often seem to get "trainee" crew or demoted crew. Maybe I've been too spoiled by Celebrity, but if I just don't think I could cruise on the Fascination. Then again, I don't have teenage kids any more, so that also enters into my choices.

 

That being said, being w/ good friends is a plus, and the food on Carnival the past few years had become surprisingly good. (Sometimes better than Celebrity). I guess if the price is right and the friends are special go for it. Since you aren't expecting the polish and sophistication of Celeb, you shouldn't be disappointed.

[CruisinManiac]

Carnival is an OK product, but it's the ship that you will be disappointed in. The Fascination is very, very old. It was old when I started cruising 10 years ago. lol However, it may have had an upgrade here and there, and may now look good as new.

 

As others have said, it's the company that will make the cruise. Our last cruise was on Carnival, and the only reason we picked it was so we could take my parents on a cruise without them having to fly. ;) It was convenient to us, with a short drive to the port. The ship was OK (we had been on it several years earlier) , but Carnival is a different product.

[Cuizer2]

Hi Fellow Cruisers,

 

We are loyal Celebrity cruisers and have cruised many times in the last several years, including Constellation, Infinity, Solstice, Ecplise, and Millenium, as well as the Azamara Quest. My husband and I are in our upper 40's and have 2 teenage children. We enjoy the relative quiet and sophisticated cruise experience that Celebrity provides.

 

I have been invited, along with my 15 year old daughter, to go on a a Carnival cruise with another mother and her daughters. We are good friends and enjoy each others company. The cruise is on the Fascination out of Jacksonville, Florida

 

I feel as if we are spoiled with Celebrity, and just wondering if we will enjoy the Carnival cruise. I am concerned that it will fall very short of our experiences on Celebrity and Azamara.

 

I would appreciate any comments from those who have sailed both cruise lines, so we have an idea of what to expect.

 

Thank you,

 

Nancy

 

If your idea of an enjoyable cruise is Celebrity and Azamara, then you are going to be in for a big dose of culture shock on Carnival.

[Gonzo70]

For me it would come down to vacation time/money. If you are in a position where you have ample vacation time (or are retired) and are in a comfortable financial position, it may be good to try out Carnival; even if it was not your cup of tea you would still be in the company of family and friends. However if your vacation time and/or vacation funds are limited and sailing on Carnival means having to put off another cruise you'd been wanting to do for several months or more, it may be prudent to give the Carnival cruise a pass. While Carnival is enjoyed by many people, it is very different than Celebrity and Azamara so you can not expect to have the same type of experience.

[Essiesmom]

If you go with an open mind, you will have a great time on Carnival. The teens will love the waterworks, and you might even try the big slide, too. I too, consider their food to be better than Princess, although not as good as Celebrity. Their beds are awesome! If you avoid the casino and piano bar, and the smoking side of the outside decks, you should be fine. EM

[Solstice23]

Hi Fellow Cruisers,

 

We are loyal Celebrity cruisers and have cruised many times in the last several years, including Constellation, Infinity, Solstice, Ecplise, and Millenium, as well as the Azamara Quest. My husband and I are in our upper 40's and have 2 teenage children. We enjoy the relative quiet and sophisticated cruise experience that Celebrity provides.

 

I have been invited, along with my 15 year old daughter, to go on a a Carnival cruise with another mother and her daughters. We are good friends and enjoy each others company. The cruise is on the Fascination out of Jacksonville, Florida

 

I feel as if we are spoiled with Celebrity, and just wondering if we will enjoy the Carnival cruise. I am concerned that it will fall very short of our experiences on Celebrity and Azamara.

 

I would appreciate any comments from those who have sailed both cruise lines, so we have an idea of what to expect.

 

Thank you,

 

Nancy

 

 

 

Fascination was our first cruise and I do not think after the cruises we have been on we could go back to that ship, but thats just our opinion

[ACJV]

Can you talk your friend into changing cruiselines? I think you will be sorry if you do go on a very old ship. Carnival has a totally different type of passenger than you are probably used to. My last Carnival cruise was bad, and we said never again.

[helen haywood]

I have sailed Carnival many times and also X many times....as well as HAL and RCI. If I were just comparing CCL to X it would be one thing....but the Fascination is a different thing altogether. You must not (if you go on the cruise) base your opinion of Carnival on that ship.

 

Re smoke....I have sailed on Legend, Valor, Miracle and Destiny. Smoke on balconies or elsewhere (other than the casino) has not been a problem. Food is very good on Carnival. Although nothing in my experience is as beautiful as the Solstice Class Celebrity ships, I have had many, many wonderful Carnival cruises....and I have many more planned!

 

A sail with friends will be fun regardless...but before you make comparisons to Celebrity please try a newer Carnival ship! And when I say "new" I mean even the Legend...which in my opinion does a fantastic itinerary for an unbelievable price.

[ricew001]

I am very offended by the "different type of passenger" comment.

But I am not going to argue with someone on the internet........

 

Fascination left something to be desired, but it was still a good time. My sister and I enjoyed our rare girls only vacation.

 

Just got off the Victory with my hubby two weeks ago and we had a wonderful time - we kept a smile on our faces and we enjoyed our time together. Sure, not every single thing was perfect. But I guess as a "different type of passenger" I'm used to things not being perfect in life.

 

As far as the smoke, I have severe respiratory issues. I moved once on the adults only serenity deck and we left the piano bar early one night because of the smoke.

 

Egads...we were at a bar. Guess we are a different kind of passenger...

 

As a Princess cruiser, I liked it better than Fascination. But after Carnival Victory, I am ready to do that AGAIN!!

 

If you've been invited by people you enjoy being with, then go and wear a smile and a positive attitude. And if you hate it, then you know not to repeat it and you'll have a entertaining story to tell!

[bighairtexan]

I have sailed Carnival many times and also X many times....as well as HAL and RCI. If I were just comparing CCL to X it would be one thing....but the Fascination is a different thing altogether. You must not (if you go on the cruise) base your opinion of Carnival on that ship.

 

Re smoke....I have sailed on Legend, Valor, Miracle and Destiny. Smoke on balconies or elsewhere (other than the casino) has not been a problem. Food is very good on Carnival. Although nothing in my experience is as beautiful as the Solstice Class Celebrity ships, I have had many, many wonderful Carnival cruises....and I have many more planned!

 

A sail with friends will be fun regardless...but before you make comparisons to Celebrity please try a newer Carnival ship! And when I say "new" I mean even the Legend...which in my opinion does a fantastic itinerary for an unbelievable price.

 

I am on the exact same page as you. There ARE some nice Carnival ships out there that have decent service and that don't reek of smoke. Fascination is not one of them. I was on the Ecstasy (also old) about a year ago w/ a large group of friends and the saying "Any cruise is better than a day at the office"? NO it's NOT!! I wanted to "make like the pope" and kiss the ground when I disembarked.

 

RICE: I'm not the one who made the comment, but "different" doesn't mean better or worse. It means "Different". As a whole, (yes this is a sweeping generality) Carnival is more of a party crowd. They ARE the FUN SHIPS after all. More night time activity. The group that enjoys the hairy chest type of pool games is not well represented on Celebrity. Does this make Carnival passengers better? Celebrity passengers better? I don't think so but it's a different environment. The median age of Carnival passengers is younger than that of Celebrity. Does that make one or the other "better?" No, just different.

[bradpole]

Hi Fellow Cruisers,

 

We are loyal Celebrity cruisers and have cruised many times in the last several years, including Constellation, Infinity, Solstice, Ecplise, and Millenium, as well as the Azamara Quest. My husband and I are in our upper 40's and have 2 teenage children. We enjoy the relative quiet and sophisticated cruise experience that Celebrity provides.

 

I have been invited, along with my 15 year old daughter, to go on a a Carnival cruise with another mother and her daughters. We are good friends and enjoy each others company. The cruise is on the Fascination out of Jacksonville, Florida

 

I feel as if we are spoiled with Celebrity, and just wondering if we will enjoy the Carnival cruise. I am concerned that it will fall very short of our experiences on Celebrity and Azamara.

 

I would appreciate any comments from those who have sailed both cruise lines, so we have an idea of what to expect.

 

Thank you,

 

Nancy

 

Hello,

 

I thought I would add my 2 cents on this topic...

 

Carnival has a good product with a very loyal following, just like X, HAL, Princess, RCL, etc...

You can't beat their entertainment choices, hands down some of the best production shows I've seen have been on Carnival.

 

The Fascination is an older ship, but they have spent tons of money refurb'ing their older tonnage, they converted what used to be the kiddie pool area into the adults only serenity, it looks heavenly!

 

I'm not trying to open a can of worms with this comment, but I will say it. Carnival has no dedicated, or a very very very small, fashion police on board! Nor do they have a traditional "formal night," their version is "elegant night" and they ask that at a minimum wear kakhi's and a polo shirt. Yes there will be people dressed formally, but very few, just the people who truly enjoy dressing up! On the casual nights, you will see shorts in the MDR! In all honesty their dress code is more in touch with today's younger crowd, they aren't out to impress others by what they wear nor are they out to judge others by what others wear!

 

Give them a try, could be pleasantly surprised! If you like the Fascination you'll probably love their newer larger ships!

[DrLookGood]

I had to chime in on this subject.

 

I cruised both Celebrity and Carnival and while I think Celebrity is a better product, I think Carnival offers better value for the money.

 

Service: I found service to be SO MUCH better on Celebrity. I think Carnival really lacks in this area.

 

Food: I think Celebrity has an edge over Carnival by offering more variety in both buffet and MDR. The specialty restaurant on Carnival is not worth the money, while on Celebrity it is a steal. That being said, I thought food preparation at dinner at MDR was better on Carnival than on Celebrity. On Celebrity it felt like I was eating banquet food that was sitting steaming under the covers waiting to be served for quite some time, while on Carnival the food tasted like normal restaurant food. On the hand, the variety of the food and creativity was no so good on Carnival, that by the end I got tired of Carnival's food. This did not happen to me on Celebrity. Room service on Carnival offers only cold food. On Celebrity you can order steak (and other hot food) any time of the day. You can even order dinner from MDR during normal dining hours. On Carnival smoked salmon is part of in room continental service menu, while it is not the case of Celebrity (non-concierge).

 

Shows: Carnival has awesome comedy shows - thumbs up!!!! Other shows I found better on Celebrity.

 

Activities: Carnival schedules a lot of activities that conflict with late time dining. I found this to be not fair for those of us who cannot eat at 6:00 pm. Also I felt there were not that many free activities on Carnival and there was a lot of down time with nothing to do. On Celebrity I felt like I was running out of time to do everything I wanted to do.

 

Kids Club: Much better on Celebrity with lots of activities for kids. On Carnival kids club is equivalent to kids watching TV all day.

 

Crowd: I am not sure what people mean by party crowd on Carnival, but I did not find that the case on Carnival. A lot of families on Carnival vs Celebrity. Last time I cruised on Carnival I met professional people with excellent careers who like to have a little fun. I found people on Celebrity to be a little "less friendly". We stayed up later on Carnival which in my book is a good thing, but if you don't want you don't have to.

 

Dress Code: I actually thought that people on Carnival took formal nights more seriously than those on Celebrity. Also, due to lay out of the ship pre-dinner felt so much more festive on Carnival. Everyone ends up in one area (people having pre-dinner/post-dinner drinks, people taking pictures) and you get a chance to meet and mingle with people. On Celebrity everything is dispersed and as a result we just always went straight down to a dining room.

 

Overall even though Celebrity offers a much refined product, Carnival offers a good product for much less money.

[bradpole]

I couldn't agree more about Carnival's value. They offer excellent value on their price!

 

I also agree with your comment about formal night (or as they call it elegant night). In all honesty I think it has to do with it being completely optional, those who want to dress up do, those who don't see the fun in it aren't forced to

[katiebeth]

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to comment ...I have decided to go with an open mind and have a good time and HOPEFULLY not try and compare to Celebrity. We do LOVE Celebrity and particularly the Solstice class ships. We almost always try and book on newer ships, in fact, we sailed on the Eclipse this past summer in June and she had only sailed a couple of itineraries before us. Normally, I would not book on such an older ship, but as I said, my dear friend has 3 daughters and each is taking a friend, including my daughter, so cost is a factor as well as proximity to the port. We live in Tallahassee, Florida so Jacksonville is the closest port to our home.

 

I have read that the Fascination has undergone a major renovation in the past few years to the staterooms and public areas. As long as the ship is clean and well-maintained and the smoking situation isn't just terrible, I know we will have a great time and enjoy time with our daughters and their friends. I am grateful that we have the means to be able to cruise!

 

Does anyone know if smoking is allowed in all of the bar/lounge areas, or are some that are designated non-smoking? Also, on the pool deck area, is it only allowed on the port or starboard side, or designated to a certain area? My friend and I are interested in going to the Serenity Pool area a time or two and hoping that they have designated smoking areas and not allowed everywhere.

 

Thanks again for all of the great input!

 

Nancy

[bradpole]

As for smoking on the pool deck, this past October on the Freedom it was the starboard side only around the main pool (near the pool bar) and I'm pretty sure the serenity area was non smoking.

[CruisinManiac]

;)

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to comment ...I have decided to go with an open mind and have a good time and HOPEFULLY not try and compare to Celebrity. We do LOVE Celebrity and particularly the Solstice class ships. We almost always try and book on newer ships, in fact, we sailed on the Eclipse this past summer in June and she had only sailed a couple of itineraries before us. Normally, I would not book on such an older ship, but as I said, my dear friend has 3 daughters and each is taking a friend, including my daughter, so cost is a factor as well as proximity to the port. We live in Tallahassee, Florida so Jacksonville is the closest port to our home.

 

I have read that the Fascination has undergone a major renovation in the past few years to the staterooms and public areas. As long as the ship is clean and well-maintained and the smoking situation isn't just terrible, I know we will have a great time and enjoy time with our daughters and their friends. I am grateful that we have the means to be able to cruise!

 

Does anyone know if smoking is allowed in all of the bar/lounge areas, or are some that are designated non-smoking? Also, on the pool deck area, is it only allowed on the port or starboard side, or designated to a certain area? My friend and I are interested in going to the Serenity Pool area a time or two and hoping that they have designated smoking areas and not allowed everywhere.

 

Thanks again for all of the great input!

 

Nancy

 

Good for you!

 

On the Glory, there were designated smoking areas on the ship. If you are in a non-smoking area, and someones lights up, just say something nice to them about it. That's what I did. They had no idea they were in a non-smoking area. Most people do not read. :rolleyes:

 

Also, while the Serenity area is nice, it is far from serene. First of all, get there really early if you want a lounge. Secondly, the passengers on the Glory didn't understand the meaning of "serene." Same amount of gabbers and loud passengers as anywhere else on the ship. We even had one party that played a very loud game of cards near the bar area, and one female passenger sat near us, spilling out her sad life story. Very irritating when you are trying to read. While Serenity's main area was non smoking, the hot tub area of serenity was not.

 

Lastly, Serenity was filthy! Food and drink not picked up, and flies were everywhere. That's where there is a service difference in Celebrity and Carnival, not to mention considerate passengers.

 

One positive I can hand Carnival was that the food was very good. No9t quite as good as Celebrity, and a few notches down from HAL. :)

 

With the renovation of the ship, the addition to the slides, and comfort of the stateroom beds, and good company, you should have a great time. I know that your children will! Just try not to compare and you will be fine.