Tell me about Carnival

[lukes]

We have sailed Royal and NCL several times. Contemplating a Carnival cruise this May. Price is really good. Is it too good? Why the big difference? How does Carnival compare to these other two lines? Please don't just give me - ya Carnival is great. give me the true facts, pros and cons. Food, service, entertainment, extra costs, shore excursions> what will be the same, what will be different? I look forward to all of your comments. Thanks

[Tapi]

Before someone says that all these cruise lines are "more alike than not", I'm going to say that they are NOT.

 

How CCL compares to RCI or NCL is going to depend on what ships you have sailed on (the comparison wouldn't be the same if you've sailed on Monarch of the Seas vs. Allure of the Seas).

 

In general, Carnival is considered a budget cruise line, but that's not a bad thing. It just means that they are charging you less to enjoy the same basic pleasures of cruising. The main differences you'll see are:

 

• Ship decor and layout: RCI ships are more elegant and tastefully decorated, CCL are bolder, louder, and a bit over the top (think Vegas glitz). CCL ships are more "traditionally designed and sized", while RCI's newest ships are much larger and innovative.
  
• Entertainment: CCL focuses more on games, trivia, karaoke, comedians, and Vegas style shows. RCI adds more high budget entertainment, like full theatrical productions, Cirque du Soleil style performances, etc. If you don't care about rock climbing walls, flowriders, ziplines, carousels, etc, you won't even notice that Carnival doesn't have anything like that either.
  
• Food: Quality and taste are subjective, but selection is not. CCL is a bit more limited with dining venues (MDR, Buffet, Deli, Pizza, one alternative restaurant, and on some newer ships, additional specialty buffet stations like the tandoori grill). On RCI, you'll have more dining venues to choose from. On the largest ships, you'll have up to 24 different dining options!
  
• Kid's Program: Carnival has a great product with their Camp Carnival, but Adventure Ocean blows them out of the water. The program and facilities are more expansive, and the age group is broader as well (with the addition of the Royal Babies and Tots program).
  

 

Keep in mind that the comparisons between the two will vary from "very similar" when comparing some of RCI's oldest and smallest ships, to "there's absolutely no comparison" when comparing some of RCI's newest and largest ships.

 

I sailed on RCI and CCL's respective newest and largest class of ship last year, and I have written a review for each. If you want a more detailed comparison, feel free to click on the links below my signature. :)

[divingmedic]

Everything but the entertainment will be same as the other lines. Unless you sail the Dream or Magic there is not much else to do other than chill on sea days. But I do not sail to be entertained.

[serene56]

We have sailed Royal and NCL several times. Contemplating a Carnival cruise this May. Price is really good. Is it too good? Why the big difference? How does Carnival compare to these other two lines? Please don't just give me - ya Carnival is great. give me the true facts, pros and cons. Food, service, entertainment, extra costs, shore excursions> what will be the same, what will be different? I look forward to all of your comments. Thanks

 

 

My vacation budget dictates what lines I cruise. I like taking two vacations a year.

 

Royal vs Carnival-- Royal most times cost more to sail. But we sometimes find deals. Sailed the Voyager. I tried the Norweign but it is not for me- the rooms are just gashly way too small. I thought it was a closet.

 

I found food/service to be the same.

Royal has more venues that charge money.

 

After our voyager cruise I needed a vacation from my vacation- discovered that big ships are not for me- (it didnt help that we had a cabin directly on the aft and most entertainment was in the forward.

[lukes]

Thanks for the quick replies. I should ahve listed the ships. NCL - Gem, Jewel, Dawn. Royal - Explorer of the seas. Carnival would be the Miracle.

 

Again thanks, keep it coming.

[munchkin4]

We have sailed Royal and NCL several times. Contemplating a Carnival cruise this May. Price is really good. Is it too good? Why the big difference? How does Carnival compare to these other two lines? Please don't just give me - ya Carnival is great. give me the true facts, pros and cons. Food, service, entertainment, extra costs, shore excursions> what will be the same, what will be different? I look forward to all of your comments. Thanks

 

We actually prefer the food on Carnival to that on Royal.

[PROCRUISE]

Have not cruised with RCCL yet, so can only compare for you what I've experienced.

Celebrity and HAL are much more upscale than CCL.

Found NCL to be okay, but food on CCL was much better.

I would think that assuming you're taking a 7 day or more cruise on CCL, you'll find it to be just fine. I personally sort of like the "wild decor" on CCL but will be interested in seeing the "new decor" look on The Breeze.

Just go and enjoy your cruise and make your own decision afterwards regarding CCL. :)

[lukes]

I should also ask about attire. At least my wife wants me to ask about that. How dressy? Formal nights - how formal? Again any info is appreciated.

[PROCRUISE]

I should also ask about attire. At least my wife wants me to ask about that. How dressy? Formal nights - how formal? Again any info is appreciated.

 

Elegant nights on CCL are what you make of them. Some will be in tuxedos and formal gowns, others will be in shirt and tie, or less, and simple dressy, dress or slacks and dressy top. CCL does NOT enforce dress code at any time in MDR. :(

[Tapi]

I should also ask about attire. At least my wife wants me to ask about that. How dressy? Formal nights - how formal? Again any info is appreciated.

 

Carnival has "relaxed" their dining room attire. Shorts are now allowed for dinner. As someone mentioned, Formal nights have been replaced with "Elegant Night" which basically means: "Wear whatever your idea of Elegant is". Some men will just be wearing slacks and a long sleeve shirt (On our cruise, some men wore polo shirts), while others will bring tuxedos. Same for women, some will be wearing a basic cocktail dress, while others will be dressed as if they were invited to the Royal Wedding.

 

Overall, the dress code tends to be a bit more relaxed on Carnival.

[Surfwench]

I took a 4 day Royal out of Tampa last year. Overall I found the ship more tastefully decorated. The food was comparable. For a short cruise the passengers were more sedate than on a Carnival 4 day. Loved the adults only pool area and solarium.

 

Based on that experience I will go with Royal for short cruises, but I'm sticking with Carnival for the week or longer cruise. Carnival still represents the best value for me.

 

Hubby and I aren't 'boat' people. We love the sea, the journey, and the ports. If we were more ship-focused we might tend towards Royal.

[cruzegurl104]

Before someone says that all these cruise lines are "more alike than not", I'm going to say that they are NOT.

 

How CCL compares to RCI or NCL is going to depend on what ships you have sailed on (the comparison wouldn't be the same if you've sailed on Monarch of the Seas vs. Allure of the Seas).

 

In general, Carnival is considered a budget cruise line, but that's not a bad thing. It just means that they are charging you less to enjoy the same basic pleasures of cruising. The main differences you'll see are:

 

• Ship decor and layout: RCI ships are more elegant and tastefully decorated, CCL are bolder, louder, and a bit over the top (think Vegas glitz). CCL ships are more "traditionally designed and sized", while RCI's newest ships are much larger and innovative.
  
• Entertainment: CCL focuses more on games, trivia, karaoke, comedians, and Vegas style shows. RCI adds more high budget entertainment, like full theatrical productions, Cirque du Soleil style performances, etc. If you don't care about rock climbing walls, flowriders, ziplines, carousels, etc, you won't even notice that Carnival doesn't have anything like that either.
  
• Food: Quality and taste are subjective, but selection is not. CCL is a bit more limited with dining venues (MDR, Buffet, Deli, Pizza, one alternative restaurant, and on some newer ships, additional specialty buffet stations like the tandoori grill). On RCI, you'll have more dining venues to choose from. On the largest ships, you'll have up to 24 different dining options!
  
• Kid's Program: Carnival has a great product with their Camp Carnival, but Adventure Ocean blows them out of the water. The program and facilities are more expansive, and the age group is broader as well (with the addition of the Royal Babies and Tots program).
  

 

Keep in mind that the comparisons between the two will vary from "very similar" when comparing some of RCI's oldest and smallest ships, to "there's absolutely no comparison" when comparing some of RCI's newest and largest ships.

 

I sailed on RCI and CCL's respective newest and largest class of ship last year, and I have written a review for each. If you want a more detailed comparison, feel free to click on the links below my signature. :)

 

This is a very good comparison! DH & I went on RCI for our Honeymoon & we had a great time. We found RCI to be really elegant & we overall thought it was for the "older crowds"..?? But maybe that was just us:o

We haven't sailed (yet) on Monstrosity of the Seas. I think that's in our future tho:) It'll take a while to save!

IMO Carnival has a great product for the price. I think the food is much better on Carnival, but with less choices like mentioned above. The Steakhouse is great tho. We've never gone hungry (or thirsty) on Carnival. The cabins are bigger, also. We are in our late 20's, and it seems Carnival draws a diverse mix.

I hope you have a fantastic trip! I'm sure whatever line you pick, you'll enjoy it! Both are great, but for now, it's about price point for us!

carnival wins hands down for that one!

Happy Sails!!

[Surfwench]

We haven't sailed (yet) on Monstrosity of the Seas. I think that's in our future tho:) It'll take a while to save!

 

That's the other thing... the size of the ship may be more of a deciding factor than the cruise line as well. Those bohemoths of any line may have crowd and line issues you may not want to deal with.

[SunnyinDC]

I've only cruised Royal once -- on Monarch for a Thanksgiving weekend with a large family group, and it was fine. The cabins seemed small, compared to CCL. I've also had much better food on Carnival.

 

Generally, for my family of 4 (including 2 grade-school aged kids), we prefer Carnival. We cruise for 7+ days at a time, typically during Spring break and find that the ships are full of families with kids having a great time. We love it, but I'm not sure if you're looking for that type of family experience... The MDR food is wonderful, the buffet so-so, and it can feel crowded at times. The 'relaxed' dress code means that my daughters and I wear a lot of sundresses or capris with a nice shirt and sandals to dinner. We like it that way!

 

I had worried a lot about the 'party' atmosphere rumored to exist on a Carnival ship -- I didn't want my kids subjected to a frat-party atmosphere. And what I can tell you is that it absolutely did not exist on the ships we were on. We had balcony cabins on our sailings,and we had a very relaxing time, enjoying the ports and a relaxed schedule with the kids.

 

I think that you need to look at the ages of your fellow travelers, what types of amenities you want on a ship, and whether the itinerary is right for you.

 

Have a great cruise, whichever you choose!

[maldenmusic]

I've only cruised CCL but have good friends that have done RC and Norweigen. They have all ended up going back to CCL for various reasons. I like CCL but then I don't have anything else to compare it to but for the value, I can't beat it.

[Warm Breezes]

I have not sailed on RCL yet as none of their ships have enticed me enough to pay the premium over the ships sailing at the same time/itinerary that I want to go. Someday that may happen...it just hasn't yet. IMHO you shouldn't make a decision based on the cruiseline but on the ship and what you are looking to get out of your vacation. Most of the things you are asking about are very subjective and can vary from ship to ship/sailing to sailing and will be highly enfluenced by the reviewers personal likes/dislikes and their experience on their sailing which may or may not be the same as yours.

 

Saying all that, I have never had a bad cruise. I have sailed on DCL, CCL, and NCL. My favorite to date is NCL Epic (which I was comparing to RCL Oasis when choosing that vacation cruise and it came out $1000 less for the same itinerary, same week, same type room for our family). Each cruise had things I liked and things I didn't (but never enough of the things I didn't to cause me to have a bad cruise). Most of those things were specific to that ship or that sailing and my experience on them...not specific to the cruise line. IMHO the quality of the food, room sizes and entertainment were better on DCL...but I also expected it to be better because I paid a premium to sail on them. If I were ever to sail on RCCL, at the prices I have seen when pricing out my vacation, I would expect better from them too.

 

Back to Carnival...average size rooms and less specialty restaurant choices than NCL and RCL. Everything else is subjective by ship/sailing/reviewer but since you asked for our opinion mine is as follows (comparing CCL to NCL since that is what you know):

 

IMHO CCL MDR food is similar to NCL. NCL Buffet is better than CCL. CCL desserts are better than NCL. I haven't done enough specialty restaurants to give an opinion...but there is nothing on CCL to compare to Blue Lagoon/O'Sheehans which we love. The fish and chips come close though.

 

CCL standard rooms are larger than NCL. No experience with suites so I can't comment there.

 

Our experience with the service is the same. Anytime dining on CCL is very similar to freestyle dining on NCL.

 

IMHO the entertainment on our NCL cruises were much better than CCL. But I have to say the entertainment we had on our last Glory cruise was better than all of our other CCL cruises with Freedom being a close second.

 

Bingo on CCL is less expensive than the Bingo on NCL.

 

NCL's sport's court blows CCL's out of the water...but CCL has the mini-golf courses to make up for it.

 

Like I side before...know what you want out of your vacation...find the ship that offers it, no matter what line, and have fun.

[murcor]

We have also sailed on DCL, NCL and CCL and have to agree with most of the comments by Warm Breezes :)

 

I just wanted to add, I was very nervous to take the Carnival cruise for many of the reasons you are actually thinking hahaha

 

We loved the Cranival Magic, we thought it was cleaner than the NCL Epic. The Epic had better entertainment but we still found family entertainment on the CCL.

 

For the prices/quality of the cruise we didnt hestiate to book another CCL :D

 

I have not sailed on RCL yet as none of their ships have enticed me enough to pay the premium over the ships sailing at the same time/itinerary that I want to go. Someday that may happen...it just hasn't yet. IMHO you shouldn't make a decision based on the cruiseline but on the ship and what you are looking to get out of your vacation. Most of the things you are asking about are very subjective and can vary from ship to ship/sailing to sailing and will be highly enfluenced by the reviewers personal likes/dislikes and their experience on their sailing which may or may not be the same as yours.

 

Saying all that, I have never had a bad cruise. I have sailed on DCL, CCL, and NCL. My favorite to date is NCL Epic (which I was comparing to RCL Oasis when choosing that vacation cruise and it came out $1000 less for the same itinerary, same week, same type room for our family). Each cruise had things I liked and things I didn't (but never enough of the things I didn't to cause me to have a bad cruise). Most of those things were specific to that ship or that sailing and my experience on them...not specific to the cruise line. IMHO the quality of the food, room sizes and entertainment were better on DCL...but I also expected it to be better because I paid a premium to sail on them. If I were ever to sail on RCCL, at the prices I have seen when pricing out my vacation, I would expect better from them too.

 

Back to Carnival...average size rooms and less specialty restaurant choices than NCL and RCL. Everything else is subjective by ship/sailing/reviewer but since you asked for our opinion mine is as follows (comparing CCL to NCL since that is what you know):

 

IMHO CCL MDR food is similar to NCL. NCL Buffet is better than CCL. CCL desserts are better than NCL. I haven't done enough specialty restaurants to give an opinion...but there is nothing on CCL to compare to Blue Lagoon/O'Sheehans which we love. The fish and chips come close though.

 

CCL standard rooms are larger than NCL. No experience with suites so I can't comment there.

 

Our experience with the service is the same. Anytime dining on CCL is very similar to freestyle dining on NCL.

 

IMHO the entertainment on our NCL cruises were much better than CCL. But I have to say the entertainment we had on our last Glory cruise was better than all of our other CCL cruises with Freedom being a close second.

 

Bingo on CCL is less expensive than the Bingo on NCL.

 

NCL's sport's court blows CCL's out of the water...but CCL has the mini-golf courses to make up for it.

 

Like I side before...know what you want out of your vacation...find the ship that offers it, no matter what line, and have fun.

[mizLORInj]

ok here goes my opinion as I've sailed all the ships you're entertaining.

Explorer of the Seas is the most elegant in decor. Fabulous atrium area, nice outside promenade deck. Like that you can stand at the bow of the ship too. Pretty three story dining room. Buffet food was just 'eh'. Average balcony cabin.

Jewel, Gem, Dawn all nice. No fancy atrium area like Exof Seas. Not on Miracle either. I like NCL's bright stateroom doors and colorful decor. On Jewel & Gem I love the Spinnaker Lounge forward, and The Great Outdoors outside aft deck area. I like NCL's buffets and various restaurants, though some cost extra.

Entertainment I find to be pretty much comparable on all.

Food we (six of us) liked least was on Explorer of the Seas, but I wouldn't discount sailing RCI again as I want to try out Oasis or Allure someday.

Carnival's cabins larger than the other lines. Carnival's waterslide better than NCL's on those ships.

Haven't used the rock climbing walls on any of the ships.

I like trying different lines and ships, and have enjoyed all.

[tiffy0428]

Thanks for the quick replies. I should ahve listed the ships. NCL - Gem, Jewel, Dawn. Royal - Explorer of the seas. Carnival would be the Miracle.

 

Again thanks, keep it coming.

 

 

The Miracle is my favorite so far from Carnival. The crusie director and the assistant cruise director made sailing so fun. I also enjoyed the dedcor, it wasn't too over the top. I found the ship to be big but not too big and I also loved the ports that we stoped in. The food was good on the ship, I didn't go to any shows but I did play all the games that they offerd and that was very fun.

 

I don't care for NCL , their rooms are too small and the ship seems very "DRY"

[Tapi]

Those bohemoths of any line may have crowd and line issues you may not want to deal with.

 

This is a common misconception from people who've never sailed on them. Personally, I've found more crowds, long lines and chaos on ships the size of Carnival's Fantasy class.

 

When we sailed on Allure, the lines were literally NON-existent. It was the most relaxed and crowd-less cruising experience in a long time. The reason behind is that, contrary to other ships where they have one check in area and one boarding gangway (not to forget older, disjointed ship designs that hinder crowd flow), ships the size of the Allure have multiple check in areas and gangways, etc. From the moment you arrive at the cruise terminal, you're directed to a different part of the building depending on your cabin location and category.

 

Once onboard, passenger flow is absolutely fantastic. These ships are designed to handle the crowds, and very few times, you feel as if you're sharing the ship with 6,000 passengers. Never, not even ONCE did we stand in line. Think of the Oasis twins as several smaller ships tied together, which in essence makes the experience feel more intimate than sailing on ships half its size.

[lukes]

Thanks for all the info. it has been great.

[LHP]

Have not cruised on anything but Carnival....

 

but the previous advice to compare ships (not cruise lines) is good advice.

 

What you will find on Carnival is 24 hour free room service, pizza and soft serve ice cream.

 

What you will not find on this ship is multiple "for a fee" food options. The Miracle will have one Steakhouse that is $30 per person and a little coffee shop (kinda like a Starbucks with desserts) on Promenade.

 

The buffets, pizza, deli, asian, sushi etc etc etc are all included in your cruise along with the Main Dining Room.

 

You will also find that Carnival caters to the sea. They build their ships so that you are drawn "outward" to a view of the sea.

 

I would suggest you give it a try. Go with an open mind to have a good time and I think you will have just that.

 

Don't miss the Fun Farewell Party on the last day with free booze!! (usually around 5PM)

[Surfwench]

This is a common misconception from people who've never sailed on them. Personally, I've found more crowds, long lines and chaos on ships the size of Carnival's Fantasy class.

 

Really! I'll have to try that. Initially I was discouraged because the photos show the public areas stacked with crowds.

 

You are right about Fantasy class .... last Carnival cruise was on the Fantasy... and it was a short 4 day to Bahamas. Loved the Bahamas but felt crowded out by woohoo people on board.

 

Stepping up to the Spirit class in 6 weeks on the Legend out of Tampa.

 

Thank you for sharing

[Sparky2]

Really! I'll have to try that. Initially I was discouraged because the photos show the public areas stacked with crowds.

 

You are right about Fantasy class .... last Carnival cruise was on the Fantasy... and it was a short 4 day to Bahamas. Loved the Bahamas but felt crowded out by woohoo people on board.

 

Stepping up to the Spirit class in 6 weeks on the Legend out of Tampa.

 

Thank you for sharing

 

I think you'll love the Legend. It is so easy to get around on the Spirit class ships. We were on Miracle 2 years in a row, then our Jan. Legend.

[asalligo]

Everything but the entertainment will be same as the other lines. Unless you sail the Dream or Magic there is not much else to do other than chill on sea days. But I do not sail to be entertained.

 

Funny, that is exactly why I sail. I can relax in a deck chair in my own back yard.