General Opinions of Carnival

[first2travel]

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of traveling via the cruise industry on several occasions. My cruise experience has been with:Royal, Holland, and my preferred line NCL. Everything from transatlantic repositioning, Alaska, Medaterriaan, and various Caribbean Islands, and both Bahamas, and Bermuda. This will be my eleventh cruise and my first adventure with Carnival. After I confirmed my reservation, I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am only in my 50's so age and families are not a concern. My concern is the quality of service, food, entertainment, and stateroom accommodations. I ask those who have utilized other lines and has been on Carnival your thoughts please. I thank you in advance.

[sjcruiser]

We are in our mid 40's with family members spanning the age spectrum from toddlers to pushing into their 70's. All enjoy sailing on Carnival for the family and relaxed atmosphere. Our upcoming cruise will make my 8th with Carnival, and two with Royal, while others are Platinum or Diamond, on one of the other, or both lines. We have never been on either cruise line where others refer to it/them as party lines/cruises. The accommodations and food are about the same, Royal has a leg up on the entertainment, especially their shows and ice ring. I'm not into rock climbing or flow riders, so that doesn't excite me. Around the pool in the day, and the bar atmosphere at night is about the same for both. Some will rave about one, and put down the other, but I love both lines equally. I haven't been on the Oasis, Allure or Quantum yet, which are on my list probably once I believe the Oasis or Allure comes to Port Carnival.

[loxley]

I bet friends and famiy have never been on carnival. How do I know? Because they do not know what they are taking about.

[justusfour2014]

When we first cruised Carnival last March, I got unbelievable comments from people. When I asked when they cruised Carnival, they never had. A cruise is what YOU make of it.

[AlycLiz]

We have never been on other cruise lines so I'm unsure how much value my opinion holds. Having said that, my husband and I are in our late 20's-early 30's so we fall in the age range you were speaking of and we often cruise with our kids furthering the type. However, my parents (late 40s) and grandparents (69 and 82) prefer Carnival for their laid back atmosphere. They are very much laid back - chill by the pool people. We all enjoy the comedy club and my parents and grandparents enjoy the production shows (it's not my and my husband's thing though my daughter thoroughly enjoys them). As far as the food goes, I believe it's good. The service has always been very good and attentive for us (room stewards have always known our names by the end of the first day and we have seen some previous stewards and bar runners from past cruises on new ships and they still remembered us! Also, the staterooms are always clean and nice (in our experience). I think if you go into the cruise with the understanding that it is laid back and go in with a positive attitude you will enjoy it. Might you enjoy other lines more? Sure. Much the same as we have ship preferences...but I don't believe you will have a bad cruise!

[dbrucern]

While the list under my name only shows Carnival and Princess lines, we have done others as well but keep returning to Carnival. It has never been about the ships for us but rather the ports, relaxation and just taking time off from our busy work schedules at a great price. We think that Carnival delivers where we want our money spent and I can not complain about one Carnival cruise that I have taken even when we broke down on the Pride in the Pacific Ocean, we still had a great time. We will continue to cruise Carnival as long as God is willing and the Sun keeps shining. We cruise with couples that absolutely loved Disney and probably would never have expanded to another line if we had not pushed them to join us but they too have loved every cruise we have taken. In other words I am a very happy Carnival cruiser and a true believer that a vacation is what you make it the good and the bad, just another adventure.

[tea4ular]

I'm not being facetious when I say this...where do people get their "knowledge" that Carnival is like a second class citizen? I've sailed on all the majors except Princess & Disney - I've found them more alike than dissimilar - except the demographics on Holland (for our sailing it was really mostly senior citizens). Food has been (mostly) comparable (although Celebrity makes their own ice cream!) - amenities vary by SHIP not necessarily by line - staff on every ship I have been on (except Norwegian) have been gracious and helpful. I have been very happy with every stateroom on every ship.

 

I just don't get it. I really don't. And you see my next trip is on Carnival. Why? Because for THIS date, itinerary, and amenities offered, Carnival's price was by far the best...that's it. Simple. What is the offering and how much does it cost. Done.

[Velvetwater]

I have only sailed Carnival but I have been happy with almost all aspects of the company.

 

Service- Good and friendly with a smile

Food - Tasty and many say most lines are similar

staterooms - Carnival does indeed seem to have very spacious staterooms and room service is free (a few surcharge items too) and you get robes in every cabin

 

Entertainment- This is the only part of Carnival that is just ok. The Comedy at night is excellent and the Trivia is good and plentiful. However the main lounge night shows are generally bad and the day is a little lackluster...we would like to see a bit more.

 

We are definitely not Carnival's target market (Young late 20s couple from the UK) and we love Carnival and the passenger base has always been great for the most part.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Cushing985]

My experience with other lines is somewhat limited...I've just been on Celebrity and Carnival. We've never had any problems with Carnival and found the service from the room attendants, bar keepers, dining room waiters and the people wandering around the decks to sell you drinks by the pools superior. The cabins are large (we typically get balconies or outside cabins), everything works and kept clean by the stewards. I've always found the food good but not 5 Star...maybe 4. You won't starve with all of the food venues available including 24 hour room service and pizza. If you want a 5 Star dining experience you can go to the Steak House onboard for $30-35 extra but well worth it.

 

We've always taken 7 day or more cruises. Our longest was 15 days to Hawaii roundtrip from San Diego on the Spirit. Loved it!

 

Ask your friends if they have ever been on Carnival. More likely than not, they are probably repeating what others (who also have probably never been on Carnival) have said. I've never cruised during the summer so avoid the kids and I will never take a cruise during Spring Break. Also, I would never take a 3-4 day booze cruise. Bottom line...a 7 day or longer cruise will have the same type passengers as a Celebrity cruise.

 

A note...we had a family reunion a few years back onboard the Splendor and one of my brothers sails exclusively Cunard. Yet, he loved the cruise. His only complaint was the lack of a small, intimate and quiet bar. He felt Carnival's food was on par with Cunard. That should tell you something!

 

We're not married to Carnival and expect to go on RCCL and Princess in the future to see how they are (interested in some of the ports Carnival doesn't get to). Enjoy your cruise and enjoy the savings!

 

BTW...I'm 65 and my wife is 59. We're both active and enjoy ziplining in at least one port on our cruises!

Edited May 1, 2015 by Cushing985

[stargate fan]

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of traveling via the cruise industry on several occasions. My cruise experience has been with:Royal, Holland, and my preferred line NCL. Everything from transatlantic repositioning, Alaska, Medaterriaan, and various Caribbean Islands, and both Bahamas, and Bermuda. This will be my eleventh cruise and my first adventure with Carnival. After I confirmed my reservation, I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am only in my 50's so age and families are not a concern. My concern is the quality of service, food, entertainment, and stateroom accommodations. I ask those who have utilized other lines and has been on Carnival your thoughts please. I thank you in advance.

 

We are in our mid-50's and enjoy Carnival cruises very much.

 

As to your concerns:

*service is always top notch. We feel like crew members bend over backwards to make our cruises wonderful. No matter who we see, from those that sanitize the railings to officers, every crew member always greets us with a smile and a hello.

 

*food is subjective, but I never have difficulty finding yummy selections.

Breakfast-Lido offers made to order omelets, hot foods like scrambles eggs, sausage, bacon, eggs Benedict, cereal, cream of wheat, oatmeal, pastries galore, fresh fruit, etc.

Lunch-The Lido buffet has a made-to-order deli, where we ask for extra thick sandwiches, 24-hour pizza, 24-hour soft serve ice cream and fro yo, salad bar with lots of veggie and dressing choices, fresh fruit, yogurt, dessert, etc. Some ships have Guys Burger Joint, Blue Iguana burrito bar, Tandoor (Indian), my favorite, Fish and Chips, Italian (free at lunch but a $12 fee at dinner), and more.

Dinner-we always eat in the Main Dining Room and enjoy our meals.

Room service-Breakfast is a continental breakfast. There are hanging order forms in the cabins. There is also a room service menu that offers hot and cold sandwiches, salads, desserts and is available 24 hours and is complimentary.

 

*Entertainment-this is where I feel Carnival dropped the ball. The main shows we find boring, with canned music and dancers who dance in front of backlit screens. Punchliner Club hosts comedians, who we do enjoy. There are a lot of live performers in different venues around the ship as well as a Piano Bar. During the day days, there are lots of activities listed in the Fun Times. (We are partial to trivia.) Some ships have a Red Frog Bar, which is where we spend our evening listening to live music.

 

*Stateroom-We book balcony cabins. The balcony has two chairs and a small table. The balcony door swings out towards the balcony. There are two beds that can be pushed to make one larger, bathroom with shower, toilet, sink. The shower has body wash and shampoo dispensers. Our cabins have three large closets, one of which has shelves. There is also a desk area plus three drawers. We always have plenty of room for our clothing and belongings. There is a tv, but we only watch the map channel. (We are geeks. :eek:)

 

Hope this helps. :D

Which ship are you considering?

[Native Floridian 26]

You can see by my signature that I've sailed most cruise lines. We keep coming back to Carnival because they deliver a very good product for the price. Cruising can be very expensive, but on Carnival it doesn't have to be and you can have a thoroughly enjoyable fun filled vacation.

[Isasprings]

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of traveling via the cruise industry on several occasions. My cruise experience has been with:Royal, Holland, and my preferred line NCL. Everything from transatlantic repositioning, Alaska, Medaterriaan, and various Caribbean Islands, and both Bahamas, and Bermuda. This will be my eleventh cruise and my first adventure with Carnival. After I confirmed my reservation, I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am only in my 50's so age and families are not a concern. My concern is the quality of service, food, entertainment, and stateroom accommodations. I ask those who have utilized other lines and has been on Carnival your thoughts please. I thank you in advance.

 

Hi,

I just came back from MSC Divina this ship is stunning the shows are great

In MSC they charge for almost everything room service,serenity deck,sauna,

if you want ATD you have to pay $$$ ...The food in the MDR is not good the buffet was better.

I am also in my 50's and I think Carnival is better.

[Sparky2]

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of traveling via the cruise industry on several occasions. My cruise experience has been with:Royal, Holland, and my preferred line NCL. Everything from transatlantic repositioning, Alaska, Medaterriaan, and various Caribbean Islands, and both Bahamas, and Bermuda. This will be my eleventh cruise and my first adventure with Carnival. After I confirmed my reservation, I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am only in my 50's so age and families are not a concern. My concern is the quality of service, food, entertainment, and stateroom accommodations. I ask those who have utilized other lines and has been on Carnival your thoughts please. I thank you in advance.

 

We're in our early 70s and are happy with Carnival's service. Ask these people you know who are negative on Carnival if they've ever sailed Carnival. I bet the answer is "no".

[hawaiideb]

I am platinum with NCL and booked on my 4th cruise with Carnival in October. When I think "party cruise" I think of 3 or 4 night cruises on ANY line. We love Carnival for some of the same reasons as NCL and a few completely different reasons than NCL. We decided to be loyal to NCL when we can, but when we can't Carnival has had good options too!

 

We chose not to try another line (RCCL or Princess) because we have always had good vacations on Carnival as well! Enjoy your trip!

[riffatsea]

We have sailed NCL , RCCL and Carnival.

We are in our 60s(me) and 70s(dh).

We like RCCL very much but have been sailing on Carnival and enjoying it even more because of the more relaxed dress code and value pricing. We book only balcony cabins(our first suite coming up soon) and they are larger than most other lines.

We think the MDR food is equal to RCCL and so is the buffet during the day. For evening we think that Carnival has fewer buffet choices than RCCL.

I thought the food on NCL was terrible unless you paid for the specialty restaurants!

I agree that production shows and live music during the day is better on RCCL but at night I am happy with the entertainment options. We love the comedy club and the fact that there is live music in different venues starting early in the evening. I also enjoyed the new Playlist show we saw on our last Carnival cruise.

I agree that folks who have not cruised on Carnival wrinkle their noses when they hear we are using them but we don't care since we have had wonderful times on all of our cruises!

[funat55]

I am 64 and just came back from my third cruise in a row with NCL. But my next one will be with Carnival. My first cruise with Carnival was way back in the late 80's. In that timeframe I had also cruised with HAL and RCCL. In my opinion, Carnival was not up to par. But that was 26 years ago!! Over the years I have seen Carnival strive to improve the quality of their ships and their food. Today, my opinion is that Carnival is up to par with Royal, NCL and even Princess.

 

Carnival has the most generous sized cabins of all the major lines that I have cruised on and lets not forget the chocolate melting cake. There are a few ships that have décor that does not appeal to everyone, but what one person finds gaudy, I find whimsical.

 

I bet you will be surprised at how much you are going to enjoy your experience with Carnival.

[Tapi]

I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd..

 

 

Carnival and NCL target a very similar clientele with their pricing, so since you consider NCL to be your favorite cruise line, you may find yourself right at home on Carnival. While it's true that you will find a younger crowd on the short, cheapie cruises (whether on Carnival, Royal or NCL), longer cruises will have a much more balanced demographic. Expect to find a little bit of everything.

 

My opinion is that Carnival delivers the basic pleasures of cruising at a great price. You can count on a comfortable stateroom, plenty of dining options, entertainment and great destinations. Whether you will enjoy what Carnival offers or not will depend mostly on you and what your tastes are. If you need white gloved service, fine china, daily freshly cut flowers, a multi-million dollar art collection, award winning cuisine, celebrity lecturers, innovative entertainment, or elegant decor, Carnival may not be for you. But if your cruise vacation won't be spoiled if any of these details are missing, Carnival may become your next favorite cruise line. [emoji41]

Edited May 1, 2015 by Tapi

[Gardeneroflove]

Carnival is the cheapest, you get what you pay for, it's still better than a day at work/home but not the best cruiseline, imo, depending on what you want, of course!

 

We've done ncl and we wasted our money on RCL. If we can't do Disney and get greatness might as well save our money and do Carnival. Clean sheets, towels, endless hot water, room service, decent food. someone else bringing me food and cleaning up the messes. yep. it'll do! I'd rather do carnival than RCL or NCL, both cost more and the cruise isn't really that great. If I'm paying more, then I want Disney service, warm cc cookies and mickey bars.

 

It's ok. not great, you get what you pay for. it's like taco bell, better than having to cook dinner and clean at home, there's something for everyone, it's basically clean, service is ok, and you don't really have any complaints. But you don't rave about it or run calling your family/friends about it's greatness.

 

Dh calls it our trailer on water. :eek:

 

for us in our 20's, as a couple, yeah perfect, I was too buzzed to really care anyway. :eek:

[dave_k58]

I"m 66 and my cruise partners are wife(younger) and 16 year old grandson. I guess I don't fit Carnival's demographic either. We have a great time, pretty much enjoy the food and the general atmosphere. The balcony cabins we book are fine and the crew and staff, in my opinion is excellent. I sometimes wish more people would dress for elegant night, but that is not going to make or break a vacation. I didn't see any references to Seabourne, Oceana, Cunard or the other real luxury liners

Edited May 2, 2015 by dave_k58

[OCruisers]

While no Carnival Bashing here ... Carnival is not our favorite cruise line BUT Charleston is a very convenient port for us. :rolleyes:

 

LuLu

[Lerin]

I bet friends and famiy have never been on carnival. How do I know? Because they do not know what they are taking about.

 

Agreed.

Rather than questioning us, question your friends.

For starters, maybe look at some of the photo reviews on Carnival ships. You will clearly see a wide range of ages of passengers in the pictures.

We're nearing our 50s and have cruised all the same lines you have, Carnival and 3 luxury lines. The mainstream lines are more alike than different. When doing family cruises(multigenerational, ages 0-75) we prefer Carnival because it has a lower price with the same or better product.

[cruznjan]

We've mostly cruised on Celebrity, but we'll be cruising on Carnival to Hawaii in November. We chose this because of my husband's insane schedule. If Carnival was as bad as the stories, I don't believe they would still be in business.

[muggo11]

In our 60s. I have gone on 17 Carnival cruises, 4 on Princess 1 each on NCL and Disney. We have only wonderful things to say about Carnival. Got married on a cruise 3 years ago. I am easily pleased (in general a good quality). I love the food, the cabins (get an aft balcony), the trivia contests, chef's Table, the spa and the friendly atmosphere. Go for it. . .

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[CJHAN]

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of traveling via the cruise industry on several occasions. My cruise experience has been with:Royal, Holland, and my preferred line NCL. Everything from transatlantic repositioning, Alaska, Medaterriaan, and various Caribbean Islands, and both Bahamas, and Bermuda. This will be my eleventh cruise and my first adventure with Carnival. After I confirmed my reservation, I have been warned by several friends and family that since this line is less expensive than other lines it caters to the family and 20-30 crowd. Don't misunderstand my concern. I am only in my 50's so age and families are not a concern. My concern is the quality of service, food, entertainment, and stateroom accommodations. I ask those who have utilized other lines and has been on Carnival your thoughts please. I thank you in advance.

 

For some people the difference in price is a status thing if that is not the case for you I don't see any reason you would not love it as you do the other lines. Have fun!

[theriac]

I've been on Carnival, NCL, and RCI and I will almost always choose Carnival If the dates and itinerary are what I'm looking for. I wasn't really fond of my cruise on RCI as I found the food not that great, and staff was kinda rude. It was an older ship both times so that may be why I felt bored as well. I really like NCL but lately Carnival has had itineraries that were of more interest when picking a cruise. My last 3 cruises have been on Carnival and I have 3 more booked with them now. I've found the food fantastic, I love the comedy clubs, and they have a lot of activities during the day. I'm not one for stage shows so even if they don't have the best it doesn't affect me at all. Its great Carnival has such a good price point too for the Caribbean. If they spread their ships out around the world more like RCI and NCL, Carnivals price would rise in the Caribbean to be more comparable to those 2 lines. That's what is great about Carnival, they stick to what they know and can offer value because of that. Having a few ships in different oceans and seas is great keeping people's comfort levels where they should be for vacation and can introduce Carnival to other markets as well to entice them to try them at where they excel. I'm currently booked on The Vista but may switch since the Med is Carnivals specialty, but they've also always offered top notch cruises that keep me coming back again and again so I may not. I'm not loyal to any line, but I will always choose Carnival for the time being if they continue to offer me value and can bring me to new places while also keeping the quality I've come to love and expect from them.

 

Have fun, as long as there's no disaster I'm sure you will have a great time. Keep an open mind and at worst you learn Carnival isn't for you.