Not a family cruise!

[Mikel1733]

We've run into this issue before and there is never enough security to cover all the issues. What amazes me is withe size of the ships and number of passengers how you can keep running into the same people over and over the entire cruise.

[La professora]

For the person who asked about the kids clubs, just be sure to ask questions. We tried to take our 12 year old to the club for her age group, but they told us that she would have to leave the club and walk down the hall to go to the restroom. When I asked who would walk her down there, they said, "No one. These are 12 year olds." Normally, that would make sense, but I told them that wasn't acceptable because there were too many drunk people on the boat for her to go anywhere alone. So, she didn't go.

 

Our older kids checked out the club for the 15 - 17 year olds, but there was nothing going on. When they gave us the schedule, there would be one activity listed for the day. It would say Smoothies Social at 10. It did list activities like Party on the Lido deck at 10:30, but that was the same party everyone on the boat was invited to. Again, teenaged kids had no desire to go hang out with drunk people. If they had scheduled more activities that were separate for the kids so they would not be in the middle of the drinking, the situation would not have been so bad, but they didn't. Kids should not be expected to share facilities with drunk college kids. If they were going to advertise a "teen dance party," it should not have been in the same area where the drunks were partying. That isn't a good situation for anyone involved.

 

We enjoyed our days in port, but the two days at sea were not fun.

[PROCRUISE]

Sincerely regret your poor experience with CCL. Hindsight is always great but doesn't eliminate your negative feelings. I do understand that you have to take vacations when you are also on school breaks. Unfortunately, most of us would NEVER consider a cruise during spring break on CCL, NCL, and maybe even RCCL. Secondly, I'd also never cruise this time period, or maybe even itinerary, on The Fascination.

 

Again, sorry for your family's experience. Believe it or not, MOST 7 day or more CCL cruises do not provide this type of poor environment. It won't do any good, but I would suggest a detailed letter be sent to the CCL CEO.

[Knights on the Beach]

Sorry for your experience - I know it sucks.

 

For future planning, not just for you but for others, the 4 or 5 day cruises during Spring Break time are known for the college spring breakers - all lines, not just Carnival.

 

I went on a 4 day cruise on RCI in May, and it was crazy with drunks as well - but not college age - middle aged. The longer cruises don't have this issue.

 

Exactly. Shorter cruises (less than seven nights) during Spring Break will be full of college kids looking for a party. I know several who were on cruises this past week and not all of them were on Carnival. Florida colleges were on Spring Break this past week; it was probably the worst possible week for a family with younger kids to take a short cruise. When our kids were younger, we cruised during the summer or Thanksgiving break and NEVER had these issues.

[stevenr597]

While I was assured that Carnival cruises are family friendly, our experience was NOT family friendly at all. Of the 2,4000 passengers onboard, I would estimate that 2,000 were college kids who had too much to drink. I understand that the cruiseline caters to all age groups and this was Spring Break time, but as a family, we were more than ready to get off the ship. My kids--teenagers from middle school to juniors in high school--could not enjoy themselves due to all the raucuous groups who were not monitored in any way. They couldn't get in the pool or hot tubs because they were always full of drunks. Once, the older kids tried to get in the hot tub, but a drunk man passed out in the water and had to be pulled from the water and received medical attention. My younger daughter tried to get in the pool, but drunks were playing chicken in the water so it wasn't safe. My older daughter walked into one of the restrooms in a public area to find a drunk man standing inside. The staff came quickly when we called to complain that we couldn't sleep due to all the screaming in the hallway, but our cabin steward told us, "There are too many of them. We are trying, but there are just too many." The cruiseline didn't seem to have enough resources to handle the rowdy crowds, and there weren't many family friendly activities onboard. The shows were good, but the costumes were definitely PG with the female dancers wearing thong type costumes. Also, the food in the formal dining room was better quality, but the food in the casual rooms with the buffets was like something from Golden Corral. We loved the ports. Nassau and Freeport were beautiful, but I will never take another Carnival Cruise. This cruise was good only if you wanted to stay drunk and eat lots of cheap food. It is NOT a family cruise.

 

It is unfortunate that the individual does not list the specific cruise ship. Was it a 3-4 day cruise where the crowds tend to be younger, or was it one of the more traditional 7-8 day cruises. It is interesting that the individual states that 2400 people were on the cruise. This most likely is typical of a ship the size of the MS Fantasy which is usually on shorter cruises. I would expect that if one goes on the newer and longer Carnival Cruises, even during spring break they would not be likely to find the behaviors described by the individual.

[beach410]

What a shame, I've never experienced this on any of our cruises and all my cruises have been 3-5 days.

 

I most certainly have in Daytona even when it wasn't spring break.

[MIZZ_K]

First, it was the Carnival Fascination. Second, my children are in school also, and I teach so Spring Break is when we travel. That time period does not b to college kids. Teenagers are on Spring Break also. Third, I said it is not a family cruise. If you want to spend your time drunk and passing out, that is your business, but they should not advertise it as a FAMILY friendly cruise if they expect teenagers and drunks to use the same facilities. That is my point. If you want that kind of cruise, that is great for YOU, but if they advertise it as a family cruise, it is NOT.

 

We have vacationed at Daytona Beach before during Spring Break, but I have never encountered an atmosphere this bad. The kids couldn't use any facilities without encountering drunks. We couldn't get food at the buffets without having people bump into us or curse loudly.

 

And for the person who says, you "might" believe me, I don't care if you believe me or not, I posted this for other families who are considering Carnival. I wish someone had warned us.

I know here in Massachusettes, college kids have spring break in March and the other kids have it in April, sorry your cruise was not what you expected, but do not let that deter you from cruising Carnival again.

[dasmonkey]

It is unfortunate that the individual does not list the specific cruise ship. Was it a 3-4 day cruise where the crowds tend to be younger, or was it one of the more traditional 7-8 day cruises. It is interesting that the individual states that 2400 people were on the cruise. This most likely is typical of a ship the size of the MS Fantasy which is usually on shorter cruises. I would expect that if one goes on the newer and longer Carnival Cruises, even during spring break they would not be likely to find the behaviors described by the individual.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=32842285&postcount=15

[La professora]

For the person who said it was far-fetched that the costumes were PG rated, that statement came directly from the Carnival staff themselves. My teenaged girl doesn't wear a thong to dance in.

 

I did do research, and I hadn't read anything like this. That is why I posted. Ironically, another traveller posted a review under the review section that said he/she experienced the same type of problems, but it didn't post until we were already on the ship. That is why I posted. I wish I had read that before we booked our cruise. We travel a great deal and always research, but nothing prepared us for how bad this was. The crowd was too much for the security to handle. Like I said before, if that is the atmosphere you enjoy, more power to you, but we did not enjoy it. Another family aboard said they had cruised a great deal, but they had never seen it that bad.

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

What ship? Did they not have a kids club for the kids on that ship? We are leaving out of Charleston on the 23rd on the Carnival Fantasy. I was assured that they had plenty of activities for children on board as well as activities for adults. :confused::confused:

 

There ARE lots of activities for kids and adults alike. Everything will be listed in the FunTimes, and encourage your children to get involved with the kids clubs...they have lots of activities / themes planned, and your children can opt-out of what doesn't interest them (depending on their age, you may have to sign them in and / or out).

 

... Third, I said it is not a family cruise. If you want to spend your time drunk and passing out, that is your business, but they should not advertise it as a FAMILY friendly cruise if they expect teenagers and drunks to use the same facilities. That is my point. If you want that kind of cruise, that is great for YOU, but if they advertise it as a family cruise, it is NOT.

 

Carnival advertises to appeal to the mass market that we are. They cannot control who purchases tickets...their goal is to fill the ship, and every paying customer will do that. Did you do your research before cruising? Not everyones spring break is at the same time, but I understand that this particular week has the highest majority (US schools) that observe it then. Personally I would have chosen a longer cruise (shorter cruises attrack younger adults based on the price) to avoid situations such as this.

 

A short cruise to the Bahamas at the peak of college Spring Break is always the worst for the chance to be over-run by hard-partying college kids. Carnival markets to everyone and they make money off all those bar bills. Sorry to hear your family had less Fun on your cruise.

 

Agreed.

 

Regarding the costumes...there is usually an announcement in the FunTimes about the show and that the costumes are for an 'adult' audience. I have even had Cruise Directors remind passengers prior to the show about the skimpy costumes and how inappropriate it may be for younger people.

[silvercrikhix]

OP: It is too bad that your vacation was not all you and your family had hoped for and that really does stink. And yes, apparently Carnival should have done more to control the problem passengers. :(

However, you are also at fault here for not researching further about the time, destination and length, of your cruise.

Had you checked with just a few searches you would have found that the shorter days, Bahamas, and prime spring break would NOT be the ideal time to cruise as a family.

With that being said, to condemn Carnival as a whole for 1 experience by 1 family is like throwing the whole bag of apples away because one went bad!

 

Try again and do some more research this time. This website and others are there to help you for this purpose! Happy Future Cruising! :D

[cruzlovr75]

I am sorry you had a bad experience. I would be upset too.

 

I have to add this in though. When I was in college I couldn't afford to go away on vacation!!! How the heck do these kids afford it?!

[Knights on the Beach]

For the person who said it was far-fetched that the costumes were PG rated, that statement came directly from the Carnival staff themselves. My teenaged girl doesn't wear a thong to dance in.

 

I did do research, and I hadn't read anything like this. That is why I posted. Ironically, another traveller posted a review under the review section that said he/she experienced the same type of problems, but it didn't post until we were already on the ship. That is why I posted. I wish I had read that before we booked our cruise. We travel a great deal and always research, but nothing prepared us for how bad this was. The crowd was too much for the security to handle. Like I said before, if that is the atmosphere you enjoy, more power to you, but we did not enjoy it. Another family aboard said they had cruised a great deal, but they had never seen it that bad.

I agree that the costumes are PG rated, but I have read comments on here many times (probably not recently) about the costumes not being appropriate for kids to see. Some people have posted that they are shocked and feel they are worse than PG. I think those people need a reality check and not make a mountain out of a molehill.

[Disneycruisers]

For the person who said it was far-fetched that the costumes were PG rated, that statement came directly from the Carnival staff themselves. My teenaged girl doesn't wear a thong to dance in.

 

I did do research, and I hadn't read anything like this. That is why I posted. Ironically, another traveller posted a review under the review section that said he/she experienced the same type of problems, but it didn't post until we were already on the ship. That is why I posted. I wish I had read that before we booked our cruise. We travel a great deal and always research, but nothing prepared us for how bad this was. The crowd was too much for the security to handle. Like I said before, if that is the atmosphere you enjoy, more power to you, but we did not enjoy it. Another family aboard said they had cruised a great deal, but they had never seen it that bad.

 

I DO agree with what others here have said...don't let this experience discourage you from sailing Carnival again. Give it another try and next time...book a 7-day. If possible, go in the summer, when there are tons of families (sometimes, different itineraries too in the Caribbean.) The buffets are the same on most every other cruiseline...not as good as the dining rooms, but not really all that bad either. (There are actually a few good dishes.) I suggest also visiting the steakhouse (if the ship you sail) has one. It's a wonderful experience! I also appreciate you being concerned about your children's safety. (If there's a 'family show' before dinner, I suggest that too. We enjoy the ventriloquists.:)

[stevenr597]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=32842285&postcount=15

 

I missed the post that it was on the Carnival Fascination. While the individual and his family,has my sympathies, nobody should be subjected to drunken behavior while on a cruise, or any type of vacation, the 3-4 days cruise tend to be more of a "party boat".

 

I would suggest going on a longer (7-8 day) cruise where the individuals tend to be a bit older and the kids are under better control.

[La professora]

Thank you to those of you who were helpful with your explanations. We did do research, but we hadn't seen anyone warn us not to take a 5 day cruise during Spring Break. We didn't know. All we knew was what the website said and the reviews we read, but no one addressed that.

 

As a family, we always travel in the fall and spring. We have never had this bad of an experience. We had already figured out that the cheap prices probably attracted the rowdier crowd, but we didn't think about that before. The person who said it is different than a beach because you can't get away from the drunk people was exactly right. That is why I posted. If you are a family, this is the kind of information you need. So, to those who say they don't believe me, that is up to you.

 

I understand they can't control who books the cruise, but they needed more security, and they needed to think out their activities more. If they call it a family cruise, someone should be creating activities for the kids away from the drunks. I didn't know this until we cruised, but the cruiseline should have realized this. I am sure this can't have been the only cruise that was this rowdy. A man passed out into the hot tub in front of the kids. My point is the kids should have had more activities away from that.

[Disneycruisers]

I have to add this in though. When I was in college I couldn't afford to go away on vacation!!! How the heck do these kids afford it?!

 

There is a whole new generation of 'spoiled' kids now. There. I've said it. There's no way I could have cruised in college. It's definitely more affordable now, and many college-age kids having dual-income parents who will let there kids sail at the drop of a hat. (If our daughter ever asks us if she can go on a cruise over spring break with her friends.."ha ha! You HAVE to be kidding!"):D

[danfiveoh]

La professora:

Thanks for taking the time to post. Hopefully it will encourage others to research spring break cruises. We've been cruising for over 20 years and have been on just about every line. It can happen on any line but unfortunately Carnival is well known for being more of a party cruise line so the college kids tend to go for the cheaper, party cruises. It is also unfortunate that most cruise lines, but especially Carnival, don't do much to discourage heavy drinking (it is important to the bottom line on any cruise). Don't let this experience ruin future plans to cruise. Try a different cruise line at a different time of year.

[cravingacruise]

While I was assured that Carnival cruises are family friendly, our experience was NOT family friendly at all. Of the 2,4000 passengers onboard, I would estimate that 2,000 were college kids who had too much to drink. I understand that the cruiseline caters to all age groups and this was Spring Break time, but as a family, we were more than ready to get off the ship. My kids--teenagers from middle school to juniors in high school--could not enjoy themselves due to all the raucuous groups who were not monitored in any way. They couldn't get in the pool or hot tubs because they were always full of drunks. Once, the older kids tried to get in the hot tub, but a drunk man passed out in the water and had to be pulled from the water and received medical attention. My younger daughter tried to get in the pool, but drunks were playing chicken in the water so it wasn't safe. My older daughter walked into one of the restrooms in a public area to find a drunk man standing inside. The staff came quickly when we called to complain that we couldn't sleep due to all the screaming in the hallway, but our cabin steward told us, "There are too many of them. We are trying, but there are just too many." The cruiseline didn't seem to have enough resources to handle the rowdy crowds, and there weren't many family friendly activities onboard. The shows were good, but the costumes were definitely PG with the female dancers wearing thong type costumes. Also, the food in the formal dining room was better quality, but the food in the casual rooms with the buffets was like something from Golden Corral. We loved the ports. Nassau and Freeport were beautiful, but I will never take another Carnival Cruise. This cruise was good only if you wanted to stay drunk and eat lots of cheap food. It is NOT a family cruise.

 

La Profesora,

I am so sorry to hear about your experience. I, too, would have been disappointed with that environment on a family cruise. As others have indicated, I truly believe it was the length of the cruise (less than 7 days) and the time of year (spring break). In October 2011, my husband and I took our 4 young children (ages 5-10) on the 7 night Western Caribbean on the Carnival Dream (newer ship). It was EXTREMELY family friendly! The entire week, I saw ONE visibly drunk person coming out of an elevator....That is it! Obviously there were many more intoxicated people on board, but they were not rowdy or obnoxious and I could not have pinpointed them. Our kids spent some time in Camp Carnival but mostly hung out with us. The bathrooms were located inside the camps, and the check-in/check-out system was very tight and secure. Our kids loved the pools and the hot tubs, and we spent tons of time in them. We also mini-golfed quite a bit.

 

All that to say, Carnival really is a family-friendly cruise line if it's not a shorter spring break cruise. Thank you for your review because it helps me as we are in the earliest stages of planning our next family cruise on Carnival. I will be sure to stay away from the shorter, college spring break cruise windows. If you decide to cruise again in the future, I hope you'll give Carnival another try. Best Wishes! :-)

[Fireball027]

I would estimate that 2,000 were college kids who had too much to drink. This cruise was good only if you wanted to stay drunk and eat lots of cheap food.

 

If you can't beat them.....join em!!!

 

And as far as being concerned with the costumes the carnival dancers are wearing and your teenage daughter viewing their outfits I am sure with this day and age… tv and the internet and even possibly first hand she has seen worse/more inappropriate things unless they live under a rock.

 

I’m sorry that your cruise was not enjoyable and you feel that you won’t cruise with carnival again, however I know that most cruise lines at this time of year especially the shorter cruises will have a similar atmosphere as far as the people, drinking and partying.

[JKJG3]

LOL...I was thinking the same thing. If you cruise this time of year, you have to expect the college crowd.

 

Time of year plus short, cheaper itinerary to the Bahamas=you have to know what to expect.

[aberthelot]

Hi, I agree. I also had a horrible experience on the Imagination last week. Drunks were everywhere and nobody had any control over them. I am also a teacher, and this is when we travel. I have nothing against having a good time, but there needs to be some control. We did not enter the pool or hot tub once. We were not able to get a lounge chair on the day at sea and we never had a chance to use the Serenity deck. Thank God it was only a 4 nighter! That is all we could take. Do the young women today have any shame? At least cover your rear ends when you go to eat your lunch!

[kona_wahine]

I can understand what you are saying, but I would never book any vacation between march 1 and April 15, just for that reason. I've only been on one cruise and never saw anything like what you experienced.

 

It's kinda of like when we went to universal studios a couple years ago in may. I thought it would be perfect; kids in school. We just happened to pick the day ALL the schools went for a field trip. What a nightmare!

[Disneycruisers]

La professora: It can happen on any line but unfortunately Carnival is well known for being more of a party cruise line so the college kids tend to go for the cheaper, party cruises. It is also unfortunate that most cruise lines, but especially Carnival, don't do much to discourage heavy drinking (it is important to the bottom line on any cruise). Don't let this experience ruin future plans to cruise. Try a different cruise line at a different time of year.

 

Interesting. You sound as if you're speaking from what you've heard, not what you've experienced.

[La professora]

If you can't beat them.....join em!!!

 

And as far as being concerned with the costumes the carnival dancers are wearing and your teenage daughter viewing their outfits I am sure with this day and age… tv and the internet and even possibly first hand she has seen worse/more inappropriate things unless they live under a rock.

 

 

 

Again, thank you to those of you who were helpful. Of course I am not saying that my kids never see anything like girls dancing in a thong. My point is the activity schedule even said the costumes were PG. My issue was that all week, the only show we saw that said family friendly was a comedian on the last night. All the other shows said 18 and up, and the Vegas style show didn't say 18 and up but it said the costuming is PG. That is fine if you are an adult, but I expected activities for my kids away from the drunks. For the 12- 14 year olds, the restroom was not in the kids' club. With that many drunks on board, they should have been willing to walk the kids to the restroom. It wasn't safe, as proven by my older daughter walking in on a drunk man in the ladies restroom.

 

So, if you are a family, I wouldn't cruise during Spring Break. I agree that the price point probably attracted the college crowd because that is what attracted us. We have already had a bigger vacation this year, and this was suppose to be more of a mini-vacation, but the ship wasn't family friendly. We did research, but none of the reviews we read addressed this. Someone else summed it up like this on a review that was posted while we were on the ship: If you are in the college party crowd, you will love it. If you middle aged and wanted to just relax, it probably isn't for you, and if you are a family, you will rue the day you boarded. I have no experience with the longer cruises so I will take your word for it, but the 5 day cruises on Carnival during this time are not family friendly.