Getting worries reading this websight. 1st cruise in a few weeks

[sargejenn]

2. Don't sail out of Miami if possible At least not on short trips.

 

 

Why do you say this?

[Rowan555]

I've been on 24 Carnival cruises, and I have very rarely seen any of the problems you mention. When I did see them, it had NO impact on my day at all. We have our next cruise in 3 days, and I know it will be a phenomenal experience just like every other Carnival cruise we've taken.

 

Stop worrying and get ready for a wonderful time!

[Sargent_Schultz]

Hi:

 

We are taking our 1st cruise ever in a few weeks (Carnival Imagination to the Western Caribbean). This is our first real vacation of our entire life and I'm getting very worried reading this websight. Brawls, alcohol smuggling, people with warrants for their arrest, badly behaved adults, out of control children, diapers being changed in the restarant. This is supposed to be a trip of a lifetime We been saving for a long time for this trip. I'm getting ready to cry.

 

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. Think I've done 38 Carnival cruises and never a problem on any of them. Have another one coming up in 9 days. :)

[cruisegrammy49]

Going on our 12th cruise (11th CCL) on Tuesday and have never seen any of the things the OP is worried about. Many people will get on CC and trash Carnival for the 'fun' of it. Just ignore them. If that makes me a walmart cruiser so be it. How I see it is I have gone to the same ports, been on beautiful vessels, have had an enormous amount of good times and paid less than the snobs who think they are too 'good' to sail Carnival. We have made some lasting friendships via the roll calls on CC. And we have 4 more CCL cruises booked after the one next week. :D

[MariaNSteve]

I only started cruising last year and now I am going on my 4th (all carnival) and am planning my 5th. I LOVE to cruise. There are times that there are irritating people, but you see that anywhere you go. I just ignore them and continue to have the time of my life. I can't wait until the next cruise. Eventually, I want to try to fit 3 cruises a year in. I have talked to many people who have tried to convince me not to cruise with Carnival and to try other cruise lines (people that I work with and such) but as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I will continue as I have. Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!

[yancycruiser]

Tammy and Wayne, I urge you to take these post with a grain of salt. We have been on 14 cruises and I read all reviews before cruising. I have rarely seen any situation like you mentioned. Will it happen, perhaps; however, it is what you make of it.

 

My philosophy is: Soak in the good reviews and ignore the bad ones. It works for me.

 

You will have a wonderful cruise experience.

 

Best regards,

[pauleydm]

Hi:

 

We are taking our 1st cruise ever in a few weeks (Carnival Imagination to the Western Caribbean). This is our first real vacation of our entire life and I'm getting very worried reading this websight.

Brawls...Never seen any brawls on board.

Alcohol smuggling...yes it happens, but this takes place on all cruise lines and will not affect your cruise.

People with warrants for their arrest...yes it can happen, since the manifest is given to port authority upon embarkation.

Badly behaved adults...I have not witnessed this...nothing more than you would see in any other public place.

Out of control children, diapers being changed in the restaurant...I have not witnessed this.

 

This is supposed to be a trip of a lifetime We been saving for a long time for this trip. I'm getting ready to cry.

 

Have a great time. The best advice I got before my first cruise was that you control your enjoyment. Don't sweat the small stuff:)

[FireEater]

Sing along with me.....Don't Worry, Be Happy....

 

Disregard 50% and ignore the rest. How does that song go again...Don't Worry....Be Happy...

[swscruiser]

Only ever saw 1 fight (no punches only words) on a cruise ship. And that was on the Disney Magic, man and women going at it on the steps. The F word was flying and poor Mickey stood there not knowing what to do, funniest thing I ever saw. Never seen anything else close to what some have. Go and have fun.

 

Poor Mickey Now That's Funny

[MomPic]

We are waiting on cruise #3.....395 days!! This site has lots of great info and lots of whining and complaining too. But you get that everywhere....no one is happy all the time.

Go have a great time!! Relax, eat, drink and catch some sunshine! Enjoy being away from work and being together!

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[RuthlessBoss]

2. Don't sail out of Miami if possible At least not on short trips.

 

 

Why do you say this?

I'm only guessing here, but first of all, Miami puts out some good deals. The weekend ones are the shortest and most likely to attract a younger crowd that tries to cram everything into a short time. I would think it would be fine when schools are in session. Again, just guessing.

[beachbum6264]

I have seen drunken fights, people arrested, out of control children and adults, but all those happened on dry land!!

If you see a situation you don't like, walk away, go somewhere else. I've witnessed a couple of 'disagreements' on ships (one husband and really drunk wife, it was a great show!!!), but there is always someplace else you can go. Little annoyances will not keep me from sailing Carnival again.

[Raring to go]

We have sailed on a variety of cruise lines, and in my opinion, the biggest difference is the itinerary. The food is never going to be four star dining, but I have sat next to drinks in four star restaurants. I have never sat next to a drunk in the MDR of any cruise line. Go, enjoy yourself, and have a great time!

[Lerin]

Yes, this site seems to bring out the critics in cruising. ;)

 

Everything they write is the same stuff you could also find at your local movie theater, playground, grocery store or mall. But do you usually see that stuff? Probably not. Somewhere right now, possibly in the nicest of neighborhoods, some woman is changing a diaper in the middle of a picnic table.

 

This message board would be horribly boring if people only wrote about all the fun they had. :cool:

[littlesnit]

My first cruise was in '97 on Royal Caribbean. I read a number of reviews beforehand and some of them were not very complimentary. I, too, was afraid of what we were getting into, expecting the food to be slop and the ship filthy. Well, turned out the dining experience was more than fine. The carpeting in the hallways outside the cabins were a bit shabby and water stained (moreso than any Carnival ship I've been on), but it didn't affect our having a good time at all. We're still cruising after all these years and presently we prefer Carnival. Relax and have a happy experience.

[mrsd912]

I was in the same boat as you were just about 1 year ago. I was really starting to get worried, that our vacation was going to be awful, that the food would be gross, that everyone on the ship would be rude and ignorant, etc. But we went, and we did have the time of our lives! Our vacation was so fantastic that we started planning our next cruise while waiting at the airport for our flight home. :D

Honestly, the only thing you have to worry about is becoming a cruise addict, but I hear that's pretty common!

[dolphin2012]

we have been on five carnival cruises and have never seen any of the things mentioned.. sometimes the kids do run in the hallways at nite but its not crazy.. just kids.... there are so many areas to get away from the crowds... we enjoy the dining and sportsdeck and stay away from the crowded pool areas... except of course to watch the ice carving and hairy man contest.... its fun .. dont worry...

[keywest1]

My first cruise was in May 2013 on the Ecstasy with my hubby and adult daughter. I was sure this would be a one and done for me, since I have gotten seasick every time I set foot on a boat. I am a very private person and I do not care at all for the glitz and glamour of formal night. We do not drink or gamble, but I am guilty of the cardinal of smoking. There is no way I am cut out for cruising, right?

Uhm, hubby and I sail again on Monday:D We had the time of our lives, and cruising is the perfect vacation for us. I started taking Bonine before boarding, and never felt the least bit queasy. It's amazing how you can find peace and privacy in the midst of so many people. I enjoyed having great times with others, and I even got onstage for a game show :eek:!!!! (My team won). But when the activities were over, I wasn't required to be BFF's with anyone and I could go back to being my private self. Lido buffet was awesome for us on formal night. I prefer to have limited smoking areas onboard (I will say there were some who chose to walk through the area with their children, hacking and sniffing as they went. I choose not to smoke indoors or near any nonsmokers ever, so I refuse to apologize to those who choose to walk near my smoke). No balcony smoking for me either. I have seen far worse sights at Walmart than I saw on the cruise. We did some of our best people-watching ever!! There were some who overindulged in alcohol, but it was more entertaining than offensive. There were parents who let their kids behave as they pleased, but that's no different from any other public place.

I had an awesome time even after going with a gloom and doom attitude. Staff was amazing, food was great, and there were so many nice people that I have to think hard to remember anyone who was rude. I hope our fellow passengers remember us as being nice people, too :)

You will have an awesome time, so don't let a few negative comments ruin your anticipation, cause that's half the fun.

[RWolver672]

I have been a member of this board for thirteen years. When I first joined it was all about answering questions from past cruisers. As the years passed, it has become more and more about people complaining and how do I get away with something.

 

You should look at it this way - Each ship carries 2-3000 people. There are over 1,000,000 Cruise Critic members yet that is only a small percentage of the amount of people that are cruising. Carnival has 20+ ships sailing full non-stop week after week. Multiply that by the amount of passengers and you will see that it adds up. Now look at the few postings that complain as opposed to the amount of non-complaint postings.

 

We have been on six Carnival cruises. Only once did we see someone that too much to drink but he wasn't a drunk. He was just a little foolish acting. Never saw any fights or diaper changing in the MDR. For that matter, I've never seen anyone smuggle in alcohol. Half of the people are walking around with a drink in their hands and I don't know for sure if they bought it or made it themselves.

 

Go on your cruise with an open mind and don't look for things that you've seen people complain about on here and over the years, I've seen people complain about just about everything right down to someone taking a picture and posting it on here of rust. I guess they didn't realize that the ship is made of steel and steel and salt water doesn't mix well.

 

Just enjoy your cruise and come back and tell us how it went.

[richstowe]

I have been a member of this board for thirteen years. When I first joined it was all about answering questions from past cruisers. As the years passed, it has become more and more about people complaining and how do I get away with something.

 

Just enjoy your cruise and come back and tell us how it went.

I'm sorry I missed the CC of the past although CC is very entertaining today. I really enjoy it.

What is sad is when those like the OP get scared off. It's unfortunate that there are multiple posts stating that it would be better

not to discover CC until after your first cruise. The people who could best use the information of CC are being advised to stay away. Pity.:(

[anp25]

Hmmmm, went on my first cruise last October. Had a great relaxing time and did not see or experience any of the things mentioned.

 

I enjoyed myself do much on that first cruise because of the adult atmosphere, one week after greeting home, I booked my next cruise (I'm hooked) for this October.

 

Anytime you read anything from other, take it with a grain of salt. Some people have a bone to pick because one little thing didn't go the way THEY wanted it to go. But as you have been reading, the majority of pus posters really enjoy CCL and are return customers.

 

Enjoy yourself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Express Man]

Take what negative you read on here and throw 99% that away. Most the BS negative post or Drama Queens and Kings (Didn't get personally pampered) or just haters that cruise another line.

 

Enjoy your cruise, We a family of 4 enjoyed our past cruises and are hooked, WE feel every time we get more than what we paid for...;)

[Express Man]

i was in the same boat as you were just about 1 year ago. I was really starting to get worried, that our vacation was going to be awful, that the food would be gross, that everyone on the ship would be rude and ignorant, etc. But we went, and we did have the time of our lives! Our vacation was so fantastic that we started planning our next cruise while waiting at the airport for our flight home. :d

honestly, the only thing you have to worry about is becoming a cruise addict, but i hear that's pretty common!

 

 

bingo!!!

[Manny13840]

Just go and have fun no vacations is perfect... When i took my first cruise I was nervous i was about to cancel but I ended up going and guess what I'm addicted now and I have gone 4 in total and going to my 5th this October... 3rd of this year!

[Blk_Amish]

U in

I'm sorry I missed the CC of the past although CC is very entertaining today. I really enjoy it.

What is sad is when those like the OP get scared off. It's unfortunate that there are multiple posts stating that it would be better

not to discover CC until after your first cruise. The people who could best use the information of CC are being advised to stay away. Pity.:(

 

IMOP, these boards have a greater potential to hurt than help many cruisers if they don't have good filters. People often post opinions as facts and experience. Others treat a particular line as if it's spouse or child. After this you have to deal with those who want everything for nothing. Yeah, in life getting what you pay for is a good thing.

 

I just read, you will not allowed to board if you are pregnant. Who is ever going to ask any woman with belly fat when she is due?????

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Forums mobile app