The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...

[TwoWeebles]

Tell me about Carnival! I want to hear the great stuff, and the not so great stuff! I am a "Royal" girl and have never tried another brand, but I am looking to cruise in June 2012 with my hubby and my son. We will be ages 41, 40, and 8 by then. I want to hear everything! Tell me about the food, the rooms, the entertainment, the kids program...anything you can think of! And don't forget to tell me what ship you were on!!

[silkhair1]

Me too. Going on my first Carnival cruise in June and can't wait to read about the line!

[sarahleebones]

I wish I could comment more, but I have yet to go on my first cruise (Carnival Glory - May1st!!!!!). I do know that they have a great kids program. We aren't taking our 8 yr old daughter this time, but will the next time.

 

We booked strictly on the price. For the same price as a standard balcony stateroom on RCCL, we got a premium vista balcony (9C aft wrap) on Carnival. Once I showed DH the aft wrap, there was no way I could book anything else.

 

I understand the food *may* not be as good as RCCL but will definitely be good, if not great. The interior decorating is very "lively" so very colorful, which some may find a bit over the top, but to me, I think it will add to the "fun-ness" of the cruise.

 

Hope this helps....I'm sure others will be able to comment more.

[DrLookGood]

Good: Value. You are paying significantly less than Celebrity and RCCL (my 2 favorites), but are not getting significantly less (although you are getting less no mistake here).

 

Bon Voyage for hard liquor - no reason to smuggle. You pay a bit more, but get piece of mind. Also, Bon Voyage for drink tickets.

 

Free espresso in MDR during dinner.

 

Pizza - I liked it, even though I know some people don't.

 

5pm free Sushi - significantly better than Celebrity (of course worse than what you get in a good Sushi restaurant).

 

Smoked salmon included in the continental breakfast menu that can be delivered to your room.

 

Early Saver (with its caveats - buyer beware).

 

Comedy Club (matter of taste of course).

 

For a small fee your kids can stay in the Camp Carnival until 2 am.

 

Camp Carnival is open during port days and is free.

 

Self-serve laundry (fee based but cheaper than somebody else doing it for you).

 

Bad:

 

Variety and creativity of food. Don't get me wrong the food is well prepared in MDR, but at the end of the cruise it seems like you are eating the same thing over and over (under a different name).

 

Drink menu - not a lot of creativity there.

 

Room service menu - no hot items and you cannot order dinner from MDR to your room.

 

Some entertainment activities (like game shows) run concurrently with late seating dinner.

 

Lack of activities on board during sea days.

 

Ugly:

Customer Service - too many Eastern European workers (I am from Eastern Europe myself and can attest to the fact that customer service is almost non-existent in that part of the world).

 

Kids club programming and staff.

 

Carnival's exclusive deals with popular excursion providers.

[travelntreats]

Personally I think that "You pay for what you get" properly describes CCL.

 

Some people LOVE CCL and some steer clear of them.... it's all a MATTER OF OPINION !

 

My opinion is that CCL is the Walmart of cruising and does not meet my needs.

 

Not trying to start a war, just offering MY OPINION.

 

<----------bringing out flame retardant suit from closet, just in case the cheerleaders decide to start flaming, due to a less than positive opinion !

[blindrid]

Here's my take as I have taken cruises on three cruise lines to date:

 

1) Cabins - same old stuff, slightly larger than some.

2) Food - never had a complaint on any line I've been on. Some suggest that CCL is better but like I said I've been happy with all of the lines.

3) Entertainment - lacking but gives you something to day anyway.

4) Ships - the ones I've been on have been OK, seemed like CCL's design causes it to feel crowded moreso than others I've been on.

5) Amenities - no different than others. The service will be fine.

6) General "feel" - seems like the fellow cruisers are a bit harsher and not as friendly and fun - I won't get into details but I've had better experiences with fellow passengers on other lines.

7) Price - Sometimes they are cheaper but I've also paid the same amount on different lines for what I considered a better value. Now I believe RCCL is always more expensive so this may be a benefit for you.

8) Service - I've never had bad service on any cruise regardless of line.

 

If I were you I would not avoid any lines based on their reputation as I would book another CCL cruise but would also check out the competing lines as well. I've enjoyed every cruise I've been on.

 

You'll be fine whichever way you go. I've had friends that thought RCCL was better and some that thought it was worse than CCL. It's pretty subjective and based one's outlook on life. If you want anything to be bad, it will be as some will complain about damned near anything.

[English Tim]

I'm from the UK. I love Wall-Mart and I love Carnival.

 

I have recently become Platinum on Princess, but have since only cruised Carnival, due to excellent value for money. I haven't noticed any other major differences. Maybe I should try other lines to offer myself a better comparison?

 

Embarkation and debarkation are excellent on Carnival, as is the service. Perhaps the food isn't quite as good and they don't seem to be able to shift from official policy, so it's difficult to get anything changed.

 

The weather wasn't so good on my last cruise, but I don't think that's Carnival's fault, but I may have to have a word with John Heald!

 

Carnival is far more lively than other lines, so if you want peace and quiet, you might struggle.

 

I'm sorry I can't help the OP more, but I keep returning to Carnival because they give me an excellent product at top vfm.

[Anung Un Rama]

I'm pretty biased as I've only cruised on Carnival but I hear the same things from other people, that they are the cheaper version and 'you get what you pay for'.

 

I've been on the Pride twice and me and my girl love it. The service has always been great (room service, dinning room, bar tenders). The Pride leaves out of Baltimore so it's terribly convenient since we live 20 minutes away. The food has always been good bordering on great. The filet I had in the steak house didn't need chewing, it melted in my mouth. We enjoy the casino most nights but aren't big spenders or anything. It's usually a fun place to spend several hours if not attending a show.

 

IMO, these are the fun ships for a reason. They are geared to a younger >50 audience. I can say that both my cruises were by far my two favorite vacations I've ever been on. I'm looking forward to my 3rd this September.

[hfweather]

I was recently on the Inspiration and loved every minute of it. I have been alternating between RCCL & Carnival, however after our last cruise, we came home and cancelled the RCCL one and rebooked on the Inspiration before it leaves Tampa for good.

 

The good IMO the Camp Carnival. They have great hours, take the kids to dinner if you want, I couldn't hardly get my 3 year old granddaughter out of there. The beds, I find them much better than RCCL. Waterworks, once again, kept the granddaughter entertained for 2 straight hours one day. Someone previously said there weren't many activities onboard, but I was constantly on the go on the sea days going from one thing to the next, maybe I got lucky I don't know, but I've never had a day fly by so much.

 

The bad, well my only complaint was the temperature of my lasagna and cheesesticks. I know I could have sent it back, it was edible but barely lukewarm so I ate it, cause I was in a rush to get to shows.

 

The ugly the Lido buffet. On that note I'm not a buffet eater anywhere, so I always eat in the MDR when I can.

 

If I were you I'd give Carnival a try, I'm glad I did.

[norcal2]

We cruised on the Spirit and my list of good is this:

 

The Good

 

Sushi is set up near the public area before dining. We LOVED it! It is just one of the nice little surprises.

 

The cost for a Carnival can be very good.

 

Bagels, cream cheese & salmon EVERY morning in room service.

 

Cappuccino at dinner in the dining room.

 

It is more casual and for us that works.

 

There is more nightlife if you wish to have a night life.

 

All ages may enjoy Carnival.

 

 

The Bad

 

The food is good but I have had better. I find that if you pick well you have a better experience. That likely applies to all lines but where a ship's food may or may not be a match for our personal taste, it is fairly easy to find something a little more agreeable for you.

 

Cabin menu is a little weak on choices.

 

Cabins are average to me and it would be nice to have more room to move around.

 

Get the feeling I am mostlyl about food? I think you will enjoy it as in some ways most lines have some similarities and how can you go wrong with a cruise? :D

 

I am not locked into just one line so I view Carnival as one of my choices simply because it is a good line. You'll all have fun.

[stacyinohio]

Room service menu - no hot items and you cannot order dinner from MDR to your room.

 

They are offering hot items on the room service menu, which were wonderful. (see below) My husband and I just returned from the Carnival Fantasy on Saturday and it was FAB.

 

Here's the room service menu:

https://www.goccl.com/irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/RoomService_247.pdf

 

The following are hot items, which I loved. My husband and I especially enjoyed the grilled ruben on the room service menu!

 

Hot items:

Grilled American Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Fresh Mozzarella and Portabella Mushrooms

Grilled Ruben Sandwich with Corned Beef

Chicken Fajita Wrap

Hot Pastrami Sandwich

[DrLookGood]

They are offering hot items on the room service menu, which were wonderful. (see below) My husband and I just returned from the Carnival Fantasy on Saturday and it was FAB.

 

Here's the room service menu:

https://www.goccl.com/irman/bookccl/shipboard_knowledge/RoomService_247.pdf

 

The following are hot items, which I loved. My husband and I especially enjoyed the grilled ruben on the room service menu!

 

Hot items:

Grilled American Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Fresh Mozzarella and Portabella Mushrooms

Grilled Ruben Sandwich with Corned Beef

Chicken Fajita Wrap

Hot Pastrami Sandwich

 

I guess I should have been more specific, by hot I meant entries and sides - like a steak and hot sides that you can get on Celebrity any time (for free).

 

I don't normally eat sandwiches, and I never eat chips and/or pretzels, so I might be biased here.

[TwoWeebles]

Thank you all for responding...keep them coming please! What I am mostly hearing is that CCL is a better value, more relaxed, and lots of fun. I am excited to check it out. (This question to everyone...) What is your favorite ship and why? If you have kids, how do you like the kids program/activities/pools/water fun?

 

Bon Voyage for hard liquor - no reason to smuggle. You pay a bit more, but get piece of mind. Also, Bon Voyage for drink tickets.

 

Free espresso in MDR during dinner.

 

5pm free Sushi - significantly better than Celebrity (of course worse than what you get in a good Sushi restaurant).

 

Smoked salmon included in the continental breakfast menu that can be delivered to your room.

 

Early Saver (with its caveats - buyer beware).

 

Ugly:

Customer Service - too many Eastern European workers (I am from Eastern Europe myself and can attest to the fact that customer service is almost non-existent in that part of the world).

 

Kids club programming and staff.

 

 

 

What is the Bon Voyage for hard liquor and Bon Voyage for drink tickets? We're not big drinkers, but like to have one now and again.

My hubby will love the free espresso, the sushi, and the smoked salmon!!

What is the Early Saver (buyer beware)??

Self-serve laundry sounds promising.

The comments about customer service and the Kids programming and staff scare me a little. Can you be more specific as to something bad you experienced? Especially the kids program. I want my son to have fun on this vacation!!

travelntreats: I welcome any and all opinions as I have none of my own to go on at this point.

Anung Un Rama: We are actually from Baltimore. We left in 1998 before they started cruises out of that port. Now we are landlocked :(

One thing that excites me about Carnival is the more casual atmosphere. I like to dress up every now and then...but NOT when I am on vacation. That would be a relief to not have to worry about packing all these fancy clothes that take up way too much space and get all wrinkled anyway!

[westview1]

Personally I think that "You pay for what you get" properly describes CCL.

 

Some people LOVE CCL and some steer clear of them.... it's all a MATTER OF OPINION !

 

My opinion is that CCL is the Walmart of cruising and does not meet my needs.

 

Not trying to start a war, just offering MY OPINION.

 

<----------bringing out flame retardant suit from closet, just in case the cheerleaders decide to start flaming, due to a less than positive opinion !

 

ok I'll bite. If you are so anti-Carnival why are you reading through this area? It just seems odd.:confused::rolleyes:

[MissyMac13]

Camp Carnival is wonderful! This past cruise was my first experience with the program and my 8 year old would have lived there if she could have. It helped that there were so few kids on the cruise we went on, so she and the other kids got lots of attention. She was never bored and wants to go back. (Spring break, my dear....) The dining staff was great to her as far as getting her food that she would eat (cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, etc.) and very attentive to her needs. There were only a few hours in the day where Camp Carnival didn't have something going on. We were on the Paradise and will be on Ecstasy in March.

[lkva]

We have sailed with many different cruise lines (RCL the most) in the past before we tried Carnival. I really enjoy Carnival relaxed environment!

 

I look at the food issue this way. I don't have to cook or plan a meal to me that's a plus and we did not go hungry. It may not be the best you ever had and it is not the worse. We make a habit of having breakfast in the MDR daily, I like that better then the buffet.

 

When we cruised on Carnival we found everyone to be friendly and helpful.

 

I would not say it is the Walmart of cruise lines! Maybe the Target!:)

 

I went in with a very open mind the first time and tried not to make too many comparisons since all the lines are different.

 

Good Luck with your decision! :)

[Yazoo cruiser]

As a veteran of 63 cruises, on seven different cruise lines, including Carnival, Princess, RCCl, Norwegian and others, we have NEVER had a bad cruise. Some that we had to miss a certain port or stay at sea a couple of extra days because of a storm or unforseen events, but the ships can't do anything about the weather except take care of the passengers. Honestly, the only difference we have found is the room service on Princess was the best we have had. Food, entertainment, customer care were all very similar. The thing Carnival excells at is Price. A side note, as a retired K- Mart manager, I don't see the comparing Carnival to Wal Mart as a bad thing, they both provide good deals for the average person. HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT CRUISE.

[1965]

We've cruised on Princess, Orient Lines, Louis Lines, and Grand Circle, in addition to CC. We really do like CC the best. A cruise is always fun, no matter. I think the food is not all that different from line to line. We think it's all good. Once in a while you can't find anything you really like, and some nights you can't decide because it all sounds so good. Overall CC seems to have the best prices. We booked our upcoming trans Atlantic, 16 days from Barcelona, for $650 each. That's $40 a day!! I haven't found that nice a deal on any other line. We don't have little ones anymore, but have observed Camp Carnival goings on. The kids seem to be happy, engaged, and well supervised. If you go during spring break to a tropical destination, there may be more of a wild, drinking young crowd. But that seems to be true of many cruise ships. We always get an inside cabin and it has always been quite comfy, plenty of room. No complaints about the service. I sound like a commercial, but I don't think you'll regret giving them a try.

[DrLookGood]

Thank you all for responding...keep them coming please! What I am mostly hearing is that CCL is a better value, more relaxed, and lots of fun. I am excited to check it out. (This question to everyone...) What is your favorite ship and why? If you have kids, how do you like the kids program/activities/pools/water fun?

 

 

 

 

What is the Bon Voyage for hard liquor and Bon Voyage for drink tickets? We're not big drinkers, but like to have one now and again.

 

My hubby will love the free espresso, the sushi, and the smoked salmon!!

 

What is the Early Saver (buyer beware)??

 

Self-serve laundry sounds promising.

 

The comments about customer service and the Kids programming and staff scare me a little. Can you be more specific as to something bad you experienced? Especially the kids program. I want my son to have fun on this vacation!!

 

travelntreats: I welcome any and all opinions as I have none of my own to go on at this point.

 

Anung Un Rama: We are actually from Baltimore. We left in 1998 before they started cruises out of that port. Now we are landlocked :(

 

One thing that excites me about Carnival is the more casual atmosphere. I like to dress up every now and then...but NOT when I am on vacation. That would be a relief to not have to worry about packing all these fancy clothes that take up way too much space and get all wrinkled anyway!

 

Kids Program: It seemed to me that the camp counselors just did not care. If you dropped the kids at the Camp, they were always at the camp - no activities outside of the camp. Kids spend a lot of time watching TV. Do the kids like it? - Of course!!!! Do I like it? - not really... I guess my point is that the fact that the kids like Camp Carnival, does not make Camp Carnival program great. Kids also like McDonalds, it does not make McDonalds' food good.

 

Also there were 2 unpleasant "incidents" during our last cruise on Legend. On the second sea day, they closed Camp Carnival in the afternoon. My daughter spent the morning with us in the pool area, then after lunch she really wanted to go to Camp Carnival. When my husband took here there, he was told that the only activity available is build a bear (fee based) and he has to stay there with our daughter. So basically, the club was closed from noon to dinner time on the sea day. Their reason was that they want parents to spend time the kids (it was kind of insulting). It is not like we were pawning the kids on them at 7 am in the morning. It was 2pm and our daughter was bored of the pool and there is really not that much to do for small kids other than the pool. In retrospect, we should have read the schedule more carefully, but at the same time it was not clear on the schedule either that the camp will be closed.

 

Then there was an incident when we arrived to La Paz. The camp is supposed to be open 15 minutes prior to Port arrival. When I took my daughter to Camp 45 minutes after we arrived to port, the camp was closed and there were couple of p...off parents waiting for camp to open. My husband went to customer service (and I told him to be loud) and they finally got the camp counselor out the bed to open Camp Carnival (1.5 hours later than she was supposed to). While signing my daughter in, I mentioned to her that we might miss the excursion and she lied to me saying that we still did not dock and the camp was not supposed to be open. We almost missed the excursion (couple of more seconds and we would have missed it!!!! - basically the bus was leaving and somebody who knew us, recognized us and stopped the bus).

 

 

Early Saver: with Early Saver you can get price adjustments up to 2 days prior to sailing, but there are no name changes and lots of other restrictions. Basically, you have to be sure you are going to take the cruise with no changes.

 

As far as customer service complaint, I just felt that some employees were somewhat snippy and also that our concerns over La Paz near fiasco were never addressed.

 

Bon Voyage: You can buy drink tickets from Bon Voyage department that save you a little bit (not a lot over regular price). Some people buy them in advance and avoid having large bill at the end of the cruise. You can also call Bon Voyage department and order hard liquor to be delivered to your room. This way you can mix some drinks in your room and hopefully save money on the bar bill.

 

My point of view is that we get a pretty good rate from Carnival and are able to cruise twice a year with that rate so I am willing to overlook some of Carnival's "faults".

 

My DH's point of view is that he would much rather pay more (and maybe cruise less), but does not have to deal with the issues we encountered on Carnival.

[Winterstale]

I've sailed Carnival twice, Disney 3 times.

 

My first cruise on Carnival was on the Paradise - I had a great time, but my expectations were "in order" -- it was a 3-night cruise with a friend and we just wanted to hang out and sunbathe, have some cocktails, and go to the spa - we did not expect gourmet food, but we were not disappointed by the food. We had a blast, made some new friends and I'd go again in a heartbeat.

 

My second Carnival cruise was November of 2009 on the Splendor -- what a GREAT time we had!!

 

The weather was PERFECT - gorgeous, sunny days - our first two sea days were surprisingly sunny and warm for November in Southern California - and the closer we got to Mexico, the better it got!

We booked a "spa" cabin - worth EVERY extra penny - didn't matter that it was an interior - with access to all the spa emenities (not appointments, mind you - just the Thallosotherapy tub or however you spell it - LOL, the steam rooms, heated loungers, etc), we were hardly ever in the room. And when we were in the room? It was just fine for us.

The food in the main dining room was so-so at best - that's the bad.

For an extra $30 per person (might have been $20, I can't remember) we ate in the steakhouse a couple of times and it was FAB-U-LOUS! It was also a really good idea to explore some of the dining alternatives -- not sure if they kept the Tandoori station by the aft adult pool, but it was my favorite - GREAT food.

Ron Bass was on the ship in the piano bar - a great time was had hanging out there one night! (despite the cigarette smoke which was a bummer).

The aft adult pool is great - we spent almost all of our time there when we were not ashore -- either there or the spa :) We also figured out that some of the therapists in the spa would come to the room with the stone loungers and do hand and foot massage for $1/minute - a great way to relax without spending too much!

My husband was not fond of the big crowds in the buffet at key meal times, but we got past that. Most of the time we charter in the Caribbean and sail by ourselves...so he's not big on the whole cruise ship atmosphere - the Splendor was a great deal because we're based here in Southern California so we didn't have to buy airline tickets, etc.

We enjoyed all three ports but did our own thing everywhere we went so I can't speak to the excursions -- I'm not big on them anyway so there you go.

Honestly, the only "bad" thing I can really say is that the food in the dining rooms could have been better...but seriously? I think it's also because I work in a field where we do parties at Spago...so again, my expectations were in order here. I'm not expecting Spago - for that matter, I don't expect it on ANY cruise ship.

All in all, I would jump on the Splendor (when she's sailing again :D) in a hot heartbeat -- in fact, I'm debating between Splendor and the Disney Wonder for this November - more than likely...I'll end up on the Splendor :D

Hope this helps :)

[subaruSTi]

Why do I never hear anything about NCL? I see NCL in people's signatures but no one ever compares them to Carnival like they do with RCCL and Celebrity.

 

Having NCL being the line I've cruised beside Carnival I thought NCL to be not nearly as nice as CCL but slightly more expensive. I hate the 'anytime dining' and that you can only get a decent meal at one of the pay restaurants. Carnival's food is great for us, yeah sometimes a dish may not be piping hot but I'm not a complainer and when serving over 1,000 people I don't expect it to be like an expensive sit down restaurant. I guess everyone has their own preference on vacations but I find Carnival to be the perfect mix of 'pampered' and fun. Hell we're only 23, we don't need our butts kissed ;)

[SportsMomof4]

I have been on only 2 Carnival cruises (without my kids) & the Disney Magic (with the kids).

 

All 3 cruises were fun, the food was excellent, the nightlife & shows were entertaining, the ports & excursions were fun. I cannot say 1 was better than the other.....with the exception of the Disney characters. I can say that the Carnival cruises by far are for the most part are 1/2 the price for the same itinerary as Disney & when you have a family of 6, that is a HUGE plus! We are planning our next cruise for Feb 2012 & if money was no object I would probably book another Disney cruise for my 5 year old (since he was only 5 months on the last one). But their prices are totally outrageous.

 

RC is also more expensive so I have steered clear of them. After we get a couple more Carnival cruises under our belt (we plan to do 1 a year now), I may venture out of my CCL comfort zone but right now we are happy with CCL!

[CRUZBUDS]

ok I'll bite. If you are so anti-Carnival why are you reading through this area? It just seems odd.:confused::rolleyes:

 

 

This had me wondering also -- we have three cruises booked on three different lines. I read the HAL, Celebrity and Carnival boards.

 

If Royal came back to San Diego, I'd read that board again also.

 

There are several cruise lines that "aren't a fit" for us, I think reading their boards would bore me to tears!

[blindrid]

ok I'll bite. If you are so anti-Carnival why are you reading through this area? It just seems odd.:confused::rolleyes:

 

I don't find it odd. Not to get testy but accordingly, should only cheerleaders lurk around in here?

 

Bon Voyage is you can pre-order a lot of things i.e. anniversary packages and other stuff online. You can also order bottles of liquor (by phone only) and they will be delivered to your cabin.

 

Regarding a prior post regarding NCL, I happen to prefer NCL over CCL so one can see how subjective the cruise experience can be.

[travelntreats]

ok I'll bite. If you are so anti-Carnival why are you reading through this area? It just seems odd.:confused::rolleyes:

 

Gee thanks for "biting" !

 

Just because CCL does not currently fit my needs does not mean that I cannot perhaps find something new about a ship or an interesting topic to look into as well as share a personal experience or OPINION. ;) I have friends that Love CCL but are not CC members (but I certainly don't knock them for not choosing to use the wealth of knowledge here they could obtain REGARDLESS OF THEIR CRUISELINE PREFERENCE). But often I can find something relevant to their upcoming cruises that they may have asked about. Just because I do not prefer the CCL product does not mean I cannot read the threads or add posts on the CCL board does it ? :rolleyes: Who knows.... I may try CCL again, but if I do not stay in the loop of the changes that may occur, how would I know ?