Carnival itineraries getting a little tired

[wickedhangover]

Am I alone in thinking that the itineraries are getting a little tired for Carnival?

 

We always book back to back and can no longer book 16 days, only 14 and I really dislike that it amounts to one 8 day and then one 6 day, or two 7 days. And even at that we end up at Grand Turk two weeks in a row.

 

We also prefer the eastern/southern Caribbean destinations, but the selection in those areas is the same regardless of the ship chosen.

 

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry. I really wish they would transfer our status to one of their other lines. I'd easily switch to Princess which has much better itineraries than Carnival.

 

We've been sailing on Carnival since 1998, maybe it is time to change. But I'm wondering if we're the only ones that dislike the past couple years of itineraries. But I just looked at the options for booking our 2015 cruises and there really isn't anything good. I wish they would bring back the Miracle and run the 8 day east/south on alternate weeks, that was the absolute best combination of ship and itineraries.

[KPfromCT]

I kind of understand where you are coming from......Maybe try mixing up ships on your B2B? For instance, do a 6 night on the Breeze, and a 7 night on the Liberty? If you can do two different ships from the same port, maybe you can mix up the itinerary? Just a suggestion. Seems like the ships are getting too big to get to the more exotic islands:mad::mad:

[Tapi]

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry.

 

As a fellow Platinum cruiser, don't let some bags of laundry worth $50 and priority embarkation stop you from experiencing other cruise lines and itineraries. Even if you sailed on the same exact itinerary but on a different cruise line, the experience will feel new, refreshing, and just different.

 

And yes, other cruise lines' loyalty programs offer more tiers and perks than Carnival, and they are truly worth your loyalty and with less effort. For example, I also became Platinum on Royal Caribbean after only 30 credits. Not only that, but that automatically gave me Select status on Celebrity, and Explorer status on Azamara Club.

 

There's really no reason to keep taking the same exact cruises over and over because of some limited perks.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Tapi

[jonbgd]

Try another cruiseline

RCCL has the best perks for loyalty

If you arnt cruising a certain week their prices are a lot of the time close to or cheaper

Edited December 10, 2013 by jonbgd

[cjknox]

Am I alone in thinking that the itineraries are getting a little tired for Carnival?

 

We always book back to back and can no longer book 16 days, only 14 and I really dislike that it amounts to one 8 day and then one 6 day, or two 7 days. And even at that we end up at Grand Turk two weeks in a row.

 

We also prefer the eastern/southern Caribbean destinations, but the selection in those areas is the same regardless of the ship chosen.

 

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry. I really wish they would transfer our status to one of their other lines. I'd easily switch to Princess which has much better itineraries than Carnival.

 

We've been sailing on Carnival since 1998, maybe it is time to change. But I'm wondering if we're the only ones that dislike the past couple years of itineraries. But I just looked at the options for booking our 2015 cruises and there really isn't anything good. I wish they would bring back the Miracle and run the 8 day east/south on alternate weeks, that was the absolute best combination of ship and itineraries.

 

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying a new cruise line! Its not like you're not cheating on your spouse.:rolleyes:

 

In all honesty you've been sailing exclusively on Carnival for about 15 years, and after 15 years of doing something it'll eventually get repetitive. I'm actually surprised you haven't ventured out before now. It sounds like you'd be a good fit for a line like Princess which has a wide array of diverse global itineraries.

 

The bottom line is this; regardless of the cruise line, if you sail with one exclusively, after awhile things will start to get repetitive. Whether that be on Carnival or any other.

[Cruizinman]

Am I alone in thinking that the itineraries are getting a little tired for Carnival?

 

We always book back to back and can no longer book 16 days, only 14 and I really dislike that it amounts to one 8 day and then one 6 day, or two 7 days. And even at that we end up at Grand Turk two weeks in a row.

 

We also prefer the eastern/southern Caribbean destinations, but the selection in those areas is the same regardless of the ship chosen.

 

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry. I really wish they would transfer our status to one of their other lines. I'd easily switch to Princess which has much better itineraries than Carnival.

 

We've been sailing on Carnival since 1998, maybe it is time to change. But I'm wondering if we're the only ones that dislike the past couple years of itineraries. But I just looked at the options for booking our 2015 cruises and there really isn't anything good. I wish they would bring back the Miracle and run the 8 day east/south on alternate weeks, that was the absolute best combination of ship and itineraries.

 

Welcome to CC, where they leave a light on for ya ;)

[Sargent_Schultz]

Choose a different embarkation port.

 

There are only so many ports of call and they are shared and competed for - at least the public ones - by all cruise lines.

 

Try finding a Western Caribbean cruise, on any cruise line, that doesn't stop in Cozumel.

 

Carnival visits lots of ports if you relax some of your restrictions.

[SadieN]

We are going on a 15 day Hawaii cruise on Carnival out of Long Beach next year. The 'problem' for every HI cruise from the West Coast is the 4 sea days going and 4 coming back. Personally we love sea days.

 

IMHO pax complaining of lack of variety in the Carribbean have no right to complain. Come check the limited ports (embarkation and visiting) we have over here to choose from. Hopefully we will get Mazatlan back soon.

 

We did have a 7 Mexican Riviera cruise booked with 2 days in Puerta Vallarta. We are now going on a 10 day Princess cruise that includes La Paz and Loreto. (It also helped that Princess was running an unbelievable special where the total 3&4 day cruise fares were used to pay down your future cruises.)

Last time we booked an itin with La Paz Carnival exchanged it for another day in Cabo.:mad:

We do prefer the vibrancy of a Carnival cruise. Princess is a bit too sedate for our tastes.

[Lerin]

Seriously? You've been everywhere Carnival goes?

Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Fiji, Panama...

 

If that is the case and you are bored, it is time to try a new line. Since the Caribbean is your favorite spot I'd suggest a smaller ship as they can get into ports the larger boats can't. Try Windstar.

[v3cruiser]

Am I alone in thinking that the itineraries are getting a little tired for Carnival?

 

We always book back to back and can no longer book 16 days, only 14 and I really dislike that it amounts to one 8 day and then one 6 day, or two 7 days. And even at that we end up at Grand Turk two weeks in a row.

 

We also prefer the eastern/southern Caribbean destinations, but the selection in those areas is the same regardless of the ship chosen.

 

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry. I really wish they would transfer our status to one of their other lines. I'd easily switch to Princess which has much better itineraries than Carnival.

 

We've been sailing on Carnival since 1998, maybe it is time to change. But I'm wondering if we're the only ones that dislike the past couple years of itineraries. But I just looked at the options for booking our 2015 cruises and there really isn't anything good. I wish they would bring back the Miracle and run the 8 day east/south on alternate weeks, that was the absolute best combination of ship and itineraries.

 

After we do Alaska, its highly probable we will try other cruise lines. It is what it is. We cant do anything longer than a 7 day cruise with limited vacation time and i dont think i can leave my business for more than a week or panama cruise would be in consideration. Other lines i have been looking at have exciting 7 day itineraries to haiti, domincan republic, martinique, etc . id like to experience some day. Im not one to cruise for "points" as it seems to cruise lines dont mind moving the goal line from time to time. Certainly disapointing carnival cannot expand itineraries because of pricing or other influences.

Edited December 10, 2013 by v3cruiser

[Oh away I go!]

I love Carnival, but I also love exploring other lines as well :rolleyes:

 

I will continue to return to Carnival, but I love Norwegian.

 

Liking different ports, food, and adventures.

[golfadj]

Exactly why we will be doing our first Princess next year.

[cruizinisthebest]

I don't have nearly as many cruises under my belt with Carnival, but also find the itineraries redundant. That said, I've checked out RCI and Norwegian and don't see anything that different with their itineraries either. At least not for the time of year we travel. They do go to Bermuda, which I've already been to twice on land. Try other lines OP for the ship experience if nothing else. I plan to.

[RWolver672]

Even though you may have visited some of the islands many times, have you seen and done everything on those islands that is available? We've been to San Juan and St. Thomas several times and each time, we find something different that we haven't seen or done before.

[Tapi]

Try finding a Western Caribbean cruise, on any cruise line, that doesn't stop in Cozumel.

 

There's a wonderful 7 night Western itinerary out of Tampa that sails to Key West, Trujillo (Banana Coast), Honduras, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala and Costa Maya, Mexico.

 

I have my eyes on that itinerary, and the fact that it sails from a port that I can drive to is an added perk! :D

Edited December 10, 2013 by Tapi

[cruzeluver]

Tapi - that itinerary sounds fantastic! Do you mind sharing which cruise line and when, or is it a regular route? Thanks.

[Tapi]

Tapi - that itinerary sounds fantastic! Do you mind sharing which cruise line and when, or is it a regular route? Thanks.

 

It's a regular route on Holland America's Ryndam, sailing weekly from November to April. We just sailed on Holland for the 1st time this summer and had a wonderful cruise. In all fairness, the ships are smaller, more traditional and not as glitzy and modern as Carnival, but they wow you with the details (like white gloved service, fresh flowers throughout, full menu in cabin, use of china for room service, laundry delivered in tissue and a gold seal in a wicker basket, limited announcements, blissfully quiet pool deck, etc).

[MarriedInStThomas1807]

Even though you may have visited some of the islands many times, have you seen and done everything on those islands that is available? We've been to San Juan and St. Thomas several times and each time, we find something different that we haven't seen or done before.

 

We're doing a B2B on the Valor and this will be our 5th and 6th time in San Juan and St. Thomas. We decided to do things we've never experienced there and can't wait! There are always new things to do/learn. :)

[wickedhangover]

ah, Valor is my favorite ship.

 

Oh and yes, I've sailed other cruise lines, we like Carnival best for some silly reasons I failed to mention. Most is the extended aft balconies. I'm trying to find other ships that have similar without charging presidential suite prices (well almost literally).

 

I did not care for Norwegian, but in fairness we sailed on the Norway which I believe is part of a reef now.

 

Yes, small ships are wonderful, we sailed on Windjammer a few times and really enjoyed the itineraries.

 

I also prefer not to fly, so we drive to either miami or ft lauderdale. Few things against flying but the #1 is about packing enough clothes for 2 weeks. Sorry, unlike many, I like a variety of clothes and enjoy dressing up.

 

So given the range of comments, I think the problem is really that we've outgrown Carnival. The dining room changes and just overall direction they are headed doesn't match our style. So I appreciate the posts since it really pointed out the issues at hand is less about the itinerary.

 

I have to admit the dining changes was disappointing to read. When I go away, I don't want to go out to eat at Ruby Tuesday's every night. While I'm not one to graze at the buffet, I do like good food and usually take a couple trips to the steakhouse. So maybe next year I'll book the Freedom for the southern carib and then try princess for the second week. It seems like the logical step up for what we enjoy. I'm mostly watching the dining changes though, I really don't want to eat junk food in the dining room and that seems to be the direction they are headed. I miss the days of duck breast, goat cheese tartlets and prime rib that doesn't take like something Arby's serves on a roll.

 

As for those saying the variety is not lacking, I think you're not reading all the itineraries. I went so far as to create an excel spreadsheet of start/end dates with the islands visited so I could see what lines up for back to back. It's dismal. Nearly every cruise goes to Grand Turk or Nassau. I like grand turk, don't get me wrong. But I like Anguilla, Barbados, Grenada, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, St Kitts, Nevis, St Maarten, Dominica and Tortuga.

[Aplmac]

And yes, other cruise lines' loyalty programs offer more tiers and perks than Carnival,

and they are truly worth your loyalty and with less effort.

 

For example, I also became Platinum on Royal Caribbean after only 30 credits.

Not only that,

but that automatically gave me Select status on Celebrity, and Explorer status on Azamara Club.

 

There's really no reason to keep taking the same exact cruises over and over because of some limited perks.

The Carnival Corporation needs to snap to attention re. this!

 

-while Royal Caribbean surges ahead

on several small matters that make a difference to the cruiser! :cool:

 

All eleven cruises I've done have been on Carnival Corporation ships (8 of them Carnival Cruises)

-yet I get no credit for sticking with one cruise corporation!

 

Not good enough.

Soon time to switch to another cruise corporation where they appreciate your overall loyalty!

 

.

[NCTribeFan]

You appear to be new here. If you'd done some reading, you might've found that there was a very recent thread about this.

 

What people don't seem to take into consideration is that it's only possible to get to certain ports given the length of the cruise. I imagine that port berths book up very far in advance, so just "changing" them isn't such a simple thing to do.

 

Some ships are too large to call at many ports.

 

There are so many factors that go into which ports are part of the itinerary. I can't even imagine how complex the logistics might be when putting together itineraries three years in the future for a fleet of 20+ ships.

 

So, yeah, if you're bored, try looking at other cruiselines. I know HAL has some smaller ships that call at different ports yet is still a mainstream line.

[wickedhangover]

new but been lurking for years. finally had to post while looking at planning for 2015. Sorry I missed the similar post, i tried some searching but that just brings up 4 million unrelated topics.

 

I should mention that I'm thinking more about the itineraries Carnival used to offer that no longer exist. I understand some issues, like not going to ST Kitts for a little while because too many people get held up by masked gunman, I'm not looking for that type of action on a vacation. But in general, you cannot go on a Carnival ship without going to St Thomas, Cozumel and Grand Turk.

[Aplmac]

.

Carnival docking at Barbados...

 

What people don't seem to take into consideration is that

it's only possible to get to certain ports, given the length of the cruise.

If Carnival would home-port a ship out of Barbados

where services and availability are quite reasonable

they could do a truly-Southern route

including Tobago, Grenada, Isla Margarita and maybe the Dutch ABC Islands as well.

 

.

[ibcnusoon]

We are changing it up next year. Last year we chose Carnival, this year we cruised with NCL.

 

Next year we were looking for Islands we have not visited before (why spend money on the same old itinerary??)

 

We had a specific week and found a wonderful itinerary that stops in Grenada, St. Croix, and Domenica!

[Warm Breezes]

Am I alone in thinking that the itineraries are getting a little tired for Carnival?

 

We always book back to back and can no longer book 16 days, only 14 and I really dislike that it amounts to one 8 day and then one 6 day, or two 7 days. And even at that we end up at Grand Turk two weeks in a row.

 

We also prefer the eastern/southern Caribbean destinations, but the selection in those areas is the same regardless of the ship chosen.

 

I really don't want to change cruise lines, we're platinum guests and enjoy the few extra things, mostly the VIP check-in and laundry. I really wish they would transfer our status to one of their other lines. I'd easily switch to Princess which has much better itineraries than Carnival.

 

We've been sailing on Carnival since 1998, maybe it is time to change. But I'm wondering if we're the only ones that dislike the past couple years of itineraries. But I just looked at the options for booking our 2015 cruises and there really isn't anything good. I wish they would bring back the Miracle and run the 8 day east/south on alternate weeks, that was the absolute best combination of ship and itineraries.

I absolutely don't get brand loyalty....especially for the few benefits platinum gets. If I wanted a certain itinerary then I would look for the ships that sail it regardless of cruiseline and choose the best option for us from those ships. I certainly wouldn't make platinum benefits my number one priority when choosing where I want to vacation. I hate to break it to you, but I highly doubt Carnival will change it's itineraries to cater to your wants. If you want a certain itinerary then your best bet is to change your priorities and choose a ship that goes where you want to go.