Carnival Cruiser thinking of going on X.

[olemissreb]

I haven't cruise Carnival, so I can't really speak to the differences. My DH and I first cruised on Celebrity 8 years ago in a Suite and it was the best cruise of the 3 cruises we'd had up to that point. When we boarded, we were greeted with a glass of champagne (or oj or mimosa - take your pick) for FREE! At every port stop, when we returned to the ship, we were greeted with punch (non-alcoholic) and a refreshingly cold cloth.

 

Our Butler was WONDERFUL - he was able to get a tux for DH when we discovered that DH forgot his suit pants at home. Tasty canapes and tea every afternoon that were left in our cabin even if we weren't there (well the canapes anyway). Our Butler would bring us our coffee and breakfast every morning and set it up on the table making sure to put a white tablecloth down first.

 

It was all the little things that added up to the most wonderful vacation we'd had. We were on the Summit's sister ship, the Constellation for our first Southern Caribbean cruise and we'll be on another sister ship this summer, the Millennium, for our Alaska cruise. I can't wait!!!

[cl.klink]

Ok, let me pose the original question in reverse. I've only sailed Celebrity, and only twice. Those of you who've done both Carnival and Celebrity - do you like both? How would you advise if I were to want to consider Carnival?

 

And, those of you who've been mainly one or the other, or are switching, ... Why?

 

- Joel

[chill6x6]

Hi,

I am Julie, a vetran of soon to be 18 cruises on Carnival. I want to sail out of San Juan to the Caribbean islands. I have not considered X before but saw that the Summit goes to some unique islands that CCL does not go to.

So what should I know before stepping onto a Celebrity ship? I am not unhappy with CCL but it would be nice to have a different menu. The only down side is I am Platinum with CCL and really hate giving up my 3 bags of free laundry. And the priority boarding. Those are the two perks that I really like. I want to see the islands that Celebrity Summit is offering. So I think we will do the "plunge" and sail on X.

Any advice? We don't sail until 10-25-2014

 

I've never cruised Celebrity BUT I have a cruise aboard the Summit BOOKED. I too was looking for the southern caribbean itinerary out of San Juan. When I was in the mood for booking, there basically was two cruise lines out of San Juan, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. I originally booked Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas.....I seconded guessed myself cancelled that and booked the Summit... At the time, it seemed like a GREAT decision. And it may end up BEING a great decision BUT....

 

I have been reading this forum regularly for the past few months... In many cases this seems to be a great ship/cruise line. Before you book, you should looking into a couple of things... Read the postings concerning the "dress code" aboard Celebrity ships AND research the condition of the deck chairs aboard the Summit which from what I gather are not in as good of a condition as deck chairs you are probably accustomed to. Deck chairs may or may not me a factor for you, JFYI.

 

Good luck in finding your cruise!

[MyDogRudy]

Ok, let me pose the original question in reverse. I've only sailed Celebrity, and only twice. Those of you who've done both Carnival and Celebrity - do you like both? How would you advise if I were to want to consider Carnival?

 

And, those of you who've been mainly one or the other, or are switching, ... Why?

 

- Joel

 

I've cruised Carnival four times and had a blast all four times. All were large group cruises for a week in the Caribbean with an open bar card staying in balcony rooms. They were not party cruises but loved not having to worry about a bar bill. We are married with no kids, late 30's/early 40's. Loved the dining room experience and the many things to do or quiet areas to hang out. Definitely a good line and economical so is perfect for western Caribbean routes with very active port days. I'll miss the Piano Bar and the food was really good and the beds super comfy.

 

I would cruise Carnival again, but learned of the 123 Go promo with Celebrity so we are giving it a try. Really excited for a couple new ports with plenty of sea days to relax and the ship looks beautiful. Love the smoking policy on Celebrity too...smokers almost ruined my balcony last time.

 

Really looking forward to the premium beverage package, very classy. Looking forward to Martini Bar and Ensemble Lounge and decor in general. Even after only four cruises we are ready for the excitement of getting on a 'new' ship as all four Carnival ships we've been on were the same layout. Still good and last cruise was on a 2.0 ship with new things, but this will definitely be much different again.

 

As for other lines...Royal seems too full of extras I'm not interested in especially considering the price. HAL smoking policy too lenient and ship ambiance a bit too sedate. Might try Princess for Alaska but also has more smoking than I would like. Even if I had unlimited $$ I don't think I'd go for the luxury lines; I think I'd be uncomfortable around the other passengers. That's what's cool about Celebrity...it is classy enough as is and if you want to upgrade to suites or specialty restaurants and private excursions you can yet still be with a fun, relaxed crowd. Something for everyone.

 

We are Sheraton/Westin type people (Starwood owners) so I think Celebrity will be a perfect fit if we can find deals like 123Go in the future. We live far from ports and have very demanding jobs so have to plan way ahead and can't take advantage of last minute deals (and have a strict budget), so we'll see...

[jrmende63]

Thanks everyone for the information! I had almost talked myself out of doing Celebrity, but now reading your words of wisdom, I think we shall book the Summit. What is this 123 go booking you are talking about? Is it still in place or something that has ended?

 

I am doing a OV room as I don't want to spend the $ for the Aqua Veranda until I know if we like X. I am a non smoker so the smoking thing is not an issue with us. We do like the waiters singing and dancing so that is fine too.

[jrmende63]

I just wanted to see what lines sailed out of San Juan. We are going to SJ to do the Torro Verde sit up zipline. I thought why not sail out of SJ! So I looked up the info to see what islands were on the itinerary. Loved what I saw with X. So I thought I would come to the experts on X here on CC!

[jrmende63]

Oh and as far as the dress code: We dress for dinner every night. And on cruise elegant nights ...he has a tux and I have formal dresses ( not ball gowns but fancy dresses)

We like dressing up and eating dinner. Did someone say that Dining rooms are open every day for all 3 meals? Or did I miss read that?

[JimAOk1945]

Hi everyone,

 

This thread has been very informative and helpful to me, too. DW and I have been thinking about the possibility of booking a Med cruise on X next year to celebrate our anniversary.

 

I have a question that I hope one of you can answer. I'm thinking about booking a Concierge Class stateroom. Is there a Concierge and a Concierge Lounge on the ship?

 

Thanks!

[gek]

I have sailed on both Carnival and Celebrity and I loved both. However I consider myself fortunate with my Carnival experiences because I have sailed out of season in Europe with only a minimal number of kids and (to use another poster's term) knuckleheads. Under those circumstances the experience is quite similar with one major exception - ship décor. Celebrity ships are like stepping into paradise after the hellish décor of Carnival.

 

As for dress code - well I'll say that at times on Carnival I have felt both overdressed and underdressed but on Celebrity I never felt overdressed.

 

I must admit I occasionally find Celebrity is a bit too sedate and appeals to an older demographic (i.e. over 70). There are no water slides, climbing walls, ropes courses or movies under the stars - all things I enjoy - but I'm willing to sacrifice those things for a more relaxing and stylish experience (and to avoid things like belly-flop contests).

 

Overall I rate Celebrity and Carnival just as highly in terms of food, service, cabins and overall entertainment. However I feel more comfortable booking with Celebrity because I know the experience is less likely to be adversely affected by my fellow passengers. Oh and also I don't have to hold my breath when I'm on my balcony if the person below me is a smoker.

[Mattingly23]

I feel like a spoiled college kid on carnival. That's not a bad thing and sometimes I like going back in time 30 years.

 

On Celebrity I feel like a spoiled rich adult which is a very nice feeling.

 

Aside from that, each line has its hits and misses and in the category most important to me, food, Celebrity gets the nod (but not by much....their sweets are consistently below average and take away from what was a very good meal)

[SNJCruisers]

Ok, let me pose the original question in reverse. I've only sailed Celebrity, and only twice. Those of you who've done both Carnival and Celebrity - do you like both? How would you advise if I were to want to consider Carnival?

 

And, those of you who've been mainly one or the other, or are switching, ... Why?

 

- Joel

I have been lucky enough to have been on over 20 cruises over the past 25+ years, primarily on Carnival and only once on Celebrity, 18 years ago on the Horizon. Cruising was much different then, but I do remember that the food was a major upgrade from what we had experienced previously. Our next two cruises are booked on X, and the reason is the 123 Go Promo. I perceive that as having value, which is the main reason that I have enjoyed my many Carnival cruises over the years. On our last Carnival cruise, which was in January on the Breeze, we participated in the Cheers program, which is their drinks package. It was a very nice program, but not nearly as all inclusive as the premium package on X.

 

Since you're accustomed to Celebrity and you want to try Carnival, I would recommend the following. Try the Breeze, the decor is the most similar to what a Celebrity ship is like with it's Caribbean colors and non glitzy neon style. The Breeze also has many 8 day sailings that visit the Southern Caribbean visiting Curacao and Aruba leaving out of Miami. Or two, try the Sunshine, which has just been completely transformed with the same color scheme as the Breeze and has a few innovative areas around the ship as well, like a three tiered adults only Serenity area with a waterfall, a Cuban inspired bar and another area that serves liquor infused milkshakes.

[Gig103]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a question that I hope one of you can answer. I'm thinking about booking a Concierge Class stateroom. Is there a Concierge and a Concierge Lounge on the ship?

 

Thanks!

 

There is no lounge area (except an area during disembarkation set aside), and there is no dedicated Concierge. The concierge cabins are larger on the Summit, include a different boarding line, some sparkling wine, daily canapés, and upgraded linens. Standard verandah cabins on Summit are smaller than Carnival balcony cabins which is why we chose Aqua last time and CC for our next. Aqua also has a different dining room (that we didn't think was so great, but did not have dancing waiters).

[Gig103]

Ok, let me pose the original question in reverse. I've only sailed Celebrity, and only twice. Those of you who've done both Carnival and Celebrity - do you like both? How would you advise if I were to want to consider Carnival?

 

And, those of you who've been mainly one or the other, or are switching, ... Why?

 

- Joel

 

Not having been on an S class ship yet, I'd say Carnival offers More free food venues if you choose a "Fun Ship 2.0' upgraded ship. Smoking in more areas, excellent food, but from our experience less personalized and top notch service. If you like comedians, Carnival is a great option, they have nightly comedy!

[SNJCruisers]

If you like comedians, Carnival is a great option, they have nightly comedy!

Sorry Mike, but I need to correct you here. The most number of nights that you can see comedy on a Carnival ship is 5. Some of the sailings will have 2 comedians that will start on the cruise and have two others do a fly in on one of the port stops. Each group of two will perform for two nights in the comedy club and possibly the first two will participate in the main show on embarkation night. Even if you want to count the 5 minute comedy sections at the top of the hour during those Punchliner Brunchs that are on some of the ships, I can unequivocally state that there is not a Carnival ship afloat that has comedy all 7 nights during a 7 night cruise.

[Spudder]

IMHO, both these area's will be just like what you are used to on Carnival. We do not see difference in these area from RCCL, Princess, to Celebrity. There is the nukle head on every ship that wants to do it 'his way' cause he is on 'his' vacation. Put them on ignore like you always do. 7 diff line, Celebrity's overall product is our cruise of choice.

 

Thank you

[Cruise a holic]

I have been lucky enough to have been on over 20 cruises over the past 25+ years, primarily on Carnival and only once on Celebrity, 18 years ago on the Horizon. Cruising was much different then, but I do remember that the food was a major upgrade from what we had experienced previously. Our next two cruises are booked on X, and the reason is the 123 Go Promo. I perceive that as having value, which is the main reason that I have enjoyed my many Carnival cruises over the years. On our last Carnival cruise, which was in January on the Breeze, we participated in the Cheers program, which is their drinks package. It was a very nice program, but not nearly as all inclusive as the premium package on X.

 

Since you're accustomed to Celebrity and you want to try Carnival, I would recommend the following. Try the Breeze, the decor is the most similar to what a Celebrity ship is like with it's Caribbean colors and non glitzy neon style. The Breeze also has many 8 day sailings that visit the Southern Caribbean visiting Curacao and Aruba leaving out of Miami. Or two, try the Sunshine, which has just been completely transformed with the same color scheme as the Breeze and has a few innovative areas around the ship as well, like a three tiered adults only Serenity area with a waterfall, a Cuban inspired bar and another area that serves liquor infused milkshakes.

 

We have been on both Carnival and Celebrity, and others. IMO Celebrity, the Solstice class is a much better choice for those who want a more reserved, yet fun vacation. The food is better and you have more choices. For example you can have Spa food served at the adult pool area, if Aqua class dine in BLU, which is a private restaurant, the MDR and the grill for barbecued items. You also have at least three to five, speciality additional charge restaurants. The Martini Bar as well as the Molecular bar cannot be beat. They also have a cova cafe- extra charge for cappicinio and other fancy coffee and tea drinks that serves free delicious pastries all day.

 

I haven't sailed on the Breeze, but have had some negative experience on other Carnival Ships. The Legend about 10 years ago, sailed from NY to the Bahamas, but on our sailing an engine failed and we only went to Bermuda, which we enjoyed but some other guests with plans in Nassau almost had a mutiny- one couple was supposed to get married in Nassau so they really had a problem. What I have read and heard on the News lately demonstrates that Carnival continues to have maintance issues with it's ships so our experience wasn't an isolated incident.

 

The no announment policy blasting all day isn't done on Celebrity- Smoking areas are limited, so for those who do not smoke, a great plus. I also recall on another Carnival Ship- they had people celebrating a bachlor party- they were very loud and drunk up until 3 AM and prevented many in our hallway from sleeping at night.

 

On a positive note, the Carnival Cabins are a good size and the staff was great. The food mediocre, but the steak house specialty restaurant excellent. The buffet was also pretty good. The ships that we were on were glitzy, like a Vegas hotel- but that was ok. The entertainment was also as good as any other ship- except the Oasis and Allure of the Seas- which no other shipline can top. And of course, the cost for the cruise was much cheaper then most of the others for similar accomadations.

 

Perhaps those who want a more reserved vacation would do better on Celebrity- Those who want to party day and night- Carnival might be a better fit.

 

The reason so many cruiselines are successful, is that they have something for everyone at any budget. Enjoy

[wallie5446]

What is this 123 go booking you are talking about? Is it still in place or something that has ended?quote]

 

123 was a booking special that has ended. It was mainly to fill the Ships doing the Europe/Med routes, where you got all 3 options. The rest of the sailings got to chose one of the 3, OBC, Tips, or a drink pkg.

[Cruise a holic]

What is this 123 go booking you are talking about? Is it still in place or something that has ended?quote]

 

123 was a booking special that has ended. It was mainly to fill the Ships doing the Europe/Med routes, where you got all 3 options. The rest of the sailings got to chose one of the 3, OBC, Tips, or a drink pkg.

 

We got the 123 (only one of the three) for bookings to the Caribbean in January 2014 and March 2014. I am not sure if still available. However, watch the website as they might offer it again. The "free" drink package was a wonderful savings for us. We upgraded to the premium package, and were able to enjoy all of the drinks at the Martini Bar and Molecular bar in addition to all of the ship. We enjoyed the Cova Cafe coffee drinks and all of the premium H2o"s. Waiting for them to offer again and I might change my NCL Breakway 8/14 cruise to the Celebrity Summit.

[stratixman]

We are also Carnival cruisers that want a change.

We have been eyeballing the Med in 2014, and we expect we will have a wonderful cruise.

 

You might want to check the news. Carnival says it will be pulling its ships out of Europe for 2014.

 

"We have decided not to deploy a Carnival ship to Europe in 2014," Perez wrote, adding, "Carnival continues to be committed to the UK and Irish markets."

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5350

[Gig103]

Sorry Mike, but I need to correct you here. ... I can unequivocally state that there is not a Carnival ship afloat that has comedy all 7 nights during a 7 night cruise.

 

Interesting, because I did the west coast cruise on the Splendor and there each comedian did two nights of shows, and they brought comedians on in Puerto Vallarta. But even if I was wrong about two of the nights, even 5 nights of comedy is better than I experienced the Millennium though (who had one comedian do a show in the main theater, compared to the semi-dedicated Punchliners Comedy Club)

[Spudder]

You might want to check the news. Carnival says it will be pulling its ships out of Europe for 2014.

 

"We have decided not to deploy a Carnival ship to Europe in 2014," Perez wrote, adding, "Carnival continues to be committed to the UK and Irish markets."

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5350

 

 

That's why I posted this on the Celebrity forum. Looking for a change from Carnival and looking at the Med in 2014...

[cl.klink]

I have been lucky enough to have been on over 20 cruises over the past 25+ years, primarily on Carnival and only once on Celebrity, 18 years ago on the Horizon. Cruising was much different then, but I do remember that the food was a major upgrade from what we had experienced previously. Our next two cruises are booked on X, and the reason is the 123 Go Promo. I perceive that as having value, which is the main reason that I have enjoyed my many Carnival cruises over the years. On our last Carnival cruise, which was in January on the Breeze, we participated in the Cheers program, which is their drinks package. It was a very nice program, but not nearly as all inclusive as the premium package on X.

 

Since you're accustomed to Celebrity and you want to try Carnival, I would recommend the following. Try the Breeze, the decor is the most similar to what a Celebrity ship is like with it's Caribbean colors and non glitzy neon style. The Breeze also has many 8 day sailings that visit the Southern Caribbean visiting Curacao and Aruba leaving out of Miami. Or two, try the Sunshine, which has just been completely transformed with the same color scheme as the Breeze and has a few innovative areas around the ship as well, like a three tiered adults only Serenity area with a waterfall, a Cuban inspired bar and another area that serves liquor infused milkshakes.

 

 

Appreciate.

- Joel

[cazzi]

We too were Carnival cruisers. We went on our first cruise on the Equinox this past march and absolutely loved it. The service and the food were good. We also had our tips and gratuities paid for and 100 obc. We loved it so much we booked again for next march right in the ship. Celebrity has some great promotions. I really like the fact that there were not a million kids running around. We love kids , but not on cruises anymore lol. The atmosphere is really relaxing and laid back. Carnival is more of a party atmosphere and is running later in the evening while celebrity the ship shuts down earlier . Go for it you will love it. Good luck:)

[hamburgerbabe]

We typically dine in Blu- or speciality restaurants- no singing an or dancing waiters- so if you like the dancing waiters typically the last night of the cruise, you will like the MDR. If not consider one of the great speciality restaurants that evening.

 

We are new to X and cruising.....what is Blu??? Sorry if that is a silly question:rolleyes:

[jrmende63]

I think that we will go on X ...I am really getting excited about seeing a different cruiseline!

Thanks for all the posts!They are appreciated.

Now does anyone know where X docks in SJ ? I am looking to book the Numero Uno Best Guest house in SJ. Has anyone stayed there? I will ask on the SJ boards as well, but thought I would ask here too.