Carnival vs Celebrity: A comparison

[Velvetwater]

I will end up posting this on both boards as well as continuing my review on the Celebrity board of my recent sailing.

 

Before I get any cheerleaders having a go I will say that as a whole we choose the best price for our cruises on lines that appeal to us as a young married couple. We are Carnival fans yet were into trying another line and the opportunity arose.Celebrity offered up a 13 day on the Equinox for less than our 12 day Vista cruise next year with different ports so we went for it as Celebrity was in our minds as being a foodies line and were do go a bit Gourmet/Gourmand on the seas so there we go.

 

Disclaimer: I do realise that with 2 Carnival cruises done (both sides of the pond on a mid sized ship) and 1 Celebrity done (on a big ship) this may affect our view but here it goes:

 

 

Cabins:

We have stayed in a 4k 'inside' with Carnival with an actual view and fresh air due to French doors we have always loved the spacious Carnival cabins with lots of storage and inoffensive decor. The stateroom television had a variety of channels and was interactive. Our cabin was always quiet and located near the atrium and its bathroom was the normal fare We stayed in a oceanview right next to the atrium and the cabin was even more spacious with a finer finish and better linen although its spacious feel was down to lack of storage possibly as I did not have enough. The stateroom television was even more interactive but had very wierd channels and the bathroom had better storage and a real shower. There was good soundproofing from the atrium next door but not from the slamming of doors next to us and kids running on decks surrounding us. As a random note the beds were firm on both lines which is great but Carnival had better fluffier robes.

 

Winner: Tie (Celebrity on decor and Carnival on storage/soundproofing)

 

 

Food

My husband remarked as we left last week that the food was comparable on both lines although I found bigger differences. We found that the buffet on Celebrity was very big and had added extra such as ice cream varieties, sushi, protein cooked to order etc and the quality was higher than Carnival although not as varied. On both our cruises on Carnival the buffet food was different every day in all the usual stations but with Celebrity 'Chef's daily special' was always Mexican and the asian station had the same dishes on rotate. Celebrity has some really good dessert choices but they were the same frozen stock as Carnival and I fell in love with Salt honey pies! The breakfast buffet was better on Celebrity but again, it was the same each day whereas Carnival had new items appearing. One thing I adored about the Celebrity breakfast was the curry station which was rarely visited except by me and a few other Brits.

 

The MDR was presented similarly for both lines with the usual 90's flair. Celebrity had a bigger choice of seafood and ingredients throughout the cruise and the Veggie menu was great too. Carnival's MDR had more of choice (old menus) but had the same base proteins each night. Quality wise Celebrity had the edge as our meals were excellent each time with no misses. On Carnival although it was good we had a few meals we didn't want to finish.

 

We haven't really done specialty restaurants on either lines.

 

Winner: Celebrity

 

Drinks

 

We found that the drinks on Celebrity were overpriced for what they were and aside from the special bars there was a limited selection too that could only be made it certain bars. We went to passport/molecular/Martini bars and sampled the drinks and they were very good with bartenders making us cocktails to our tastes. We also were looking forward to the Gastrobar with all its craft beers and although they had a decent selection (all we had drank beforehand though) they were overpriced for Brits like us who can get say a Delerium Beer for £4.50 ($6)at our local and would not pay $16 for it on a ship. Carnival does have a Alchemy bar which although we haven't been to we noted they used the same top end spirits so we will have to see next year. Carnival had a better range of normal cocktails available everywhere on the ship and as far as wines go they had similar offerings on both lines for similar prices so its a dead heat there. We were happy that Celebrity had a larger range of free soft drinks and gave us sparkling wine upon embarkation whereas Carnival did free cocktails on Captains night.

Winner: Carnival (Celebrity could have had it with better pricing)

 

 

Coming up!

 

Service, Ship decor, Customer care, entertainment, Public spaces, Staff, Port/excursion stuff, Fellow cruisers, Atmosphere....

Edited August 22, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Blondie008]

Hmm curry for breakfast? Fab!!

Have to say - I haven't tried Celebrity's curry but Carnival's Indian station is hard to beat - I love it! We did two back to backs on Carnival - 16 days and I ate from the Indian every lunchtime. In fact one night at dinner - didn't fancy the menu - I asked could I have a plate of anything Indian from the crew menu - I was brought an amazing platter it was curry heaven!

If there is curry on the breakfast menu I could be sorely tempted to give BLU a miss.

We Scots like a Ruby Murray with a hangover ;)

(need the Irn Bru though :D )

[Mynki]

Never been a fan of the buffet and MDR on Celebrity. I thought the quality was lacking when compared to HAL or Blu etc.

 

If it beats Carnival, I can safely say I'll never be cruising with that line!

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate your details and comparisons with your posting. Keep posting and sharing. Very beneficial to others in doing such planning. To spur people to think clearly about what they most need, rate as priorities, etc. Clearly each person has to figure out what best fits their style, needs, budget, etc. For us, it is more about the ports and parts of the world where we want the convenience of a nice ship to aid our adventure/exploring.

 

While we have not sailed with Carnival (and probably will not), Celebrity during two cruises with them has worked out very well for our needs. Really love the Solstice-class ships with their style, class and offerings.

 

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on this ship with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these early 2014 updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 32,641 views for this posting.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 203,160 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Edited August 22, 2015 by TLCOhio

[Velvetwater]

We are ports first (try not to repeat ports) then budget.

 

Btw in case people cannot see signatures I have done 2 Carnival cruises on the Legend. One 12 day Baltic and the other a 13 day Panama Canal. Our Celebrity Cruise was 13 days Med on the Equinox.

 

All in the month of August. :)

[Blondie008]

Appreciate your details and comparisons with your posting. Keep posting and share. Very beneficial to others in doing such planning. Clearly each person has to figure out what best fits their style, needs, budget, etc. For us, it is more about the ports and parts of the world where we want the convenience of a nice ship to aid our adventure/exploring.

 

While we have not sailed with Carnival (and probably will not), Celebrity during two cruises with them has worked out very well for our needs. Really love the Solstice-class ships with their style, class and offerings.

 

Did a “Solstice: Visuals, Highlights Shared!” summary from two different adventures on this ship with many pictures and other details on its many options. This includes our recent Australia to New Zealand sailing. Check it out, including these early 2014 updates, at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

Now at 32,641 views for this posting.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 203,160 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Thanks for the link - we are cruising Equinox this year but have Solstice booked for our 20th wedding anniversary (Alaska) 2016 - fabulous pics!!

[Velvetwater]

Service

 

I will start off by saying we have had amazing waiters on both lines that were always attentive, polite and at times wonderfully sarcastic. We have always praised the fact how waiters on ships seem to deal with high drama cruisers with a quiet smile. As far as room stewards go we had the most amazing steward on our first cruise on Carnival and an awful one on our second which involving a trip to guest services but our cruise friends had lovely stewards. On Celebrity our stewards were less visable which I liked but he introduced himself on the first day and always cleaned our wine glasses ready for use. He did forget to put things in our cabin like a tote bag,robes and paper menus. All of our stewards were friendly on our cruises. We found bar staff on both lines to be efficient but much friendlier on Carnival and around the ships the crew on both lines were great including a very friendly guest services guy on Celebrity and wonderful, knowledgeable sommeliers and Buffet staff on both lines.

 

Winner: tie (hardly a difference)

 

Ship Decor/layout

 

When we first sailed with Carnival we always fondly laughed about the gaudy interiors and the cute little whale tail on top...thinking about it now its a certain fondness even if its as subtle as neon lights. Although I will say the Spirit class ships particularly have a better space ratio than Solstice class as we could find loungers and the layout was great with the Pool at the back just for adults and the ship never felt crowded. The Equinox safe to say was more understated, elegant and a pleasure to look at although some parts looked a little dated or had weird carpets. I really liked the way there was lots of shade on the lido deck and the drinkings areas on the aft too but the ship felt very crowded at times. The best thing about the Equinox was the Lawn as we spent many sailaways and nights just sitting on it and not worrying about the chairhogs.

 

Winner: Celebrity

 

 

Customer Care

 

If you look at my post history you will see me having lots of problems with the Celebrity website, Celebrity phone reps promising things then going on holiday, the dining team putting J and I on different dining times as well as the website being useless. Everything was sorted by the time we boarded but we noticed guest services always have a long queue (our cabin was next to it) and general information when things like the gastro measures happened and other instances was not too great. Carnival on the other hand gave us 8 drink vouchers and such for a tiny wet patch on our carpet from the air con although maybe went down the wrong route for my lost item. Also Carnival's phone reps and website are much more organised and use friendly where you can pay your balance online and it actually tells you you have paid. Carnival do have quite a few announcements on board but it is worth noting some of these tell you about sanitation, beautiful sights you pass and so forth which is always welcome.

 

Winner: Carnival

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for the link - we are cruising Equinox this year but have Solstice booked for our 20th wedding anniversary (Alaska) 2016 - fabulous pics!!

 

Congratulations on the your upcoming 20th anniversary. Appreciate your nice comment on the pictures. If any added questions, just post on the below Solstice NZ-Australia live/blog and I will be happy to respond. For those considering the Celebrity Solstice-class ships, below is one of my top favorite pieces of "evidence" to prove why these ships are nice and classy.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 116,592 views for this posting.

 

 

The Solarium was one of our most favorite areas. Food and drinks were nearby and it was very relaxed and sophisticated. Quieter, too, as it is an adults-only area. Two hot tubs here. Not crowded, especially in the evenings. Nice art and design with this facility. Wonderful setting for relaxing and watching the outside water/shore views, enjoying subtle inside action, etc.:

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

I'm platinum on carnival and been on two celebrity cruises with another of each coming up. They both have their pros and cons but for us the edge goes to celebrity. We will stick to celebrity for just us but do carnival with our young kids. Still can't wait to be on the constellation in January!

[Mummble]

This has been a great read, thanks! It is just perfect for us. We, too, are a young couple with no kids and have only cruised Carnival in the past (3 times). October is our first on Celebrity and we are so excited. We've always had a great experience on Carnival and ended up with Celebrity for the itinerary. Hoping for a different 'feel' and really appreciate your timely comparisons!

[Velvetwater]

Entertainment

 

We have always said that the main show entertainment on Carnival left a lot to be desired (both before and after the main band went) and the dancing/singing was a rushed job. But always enjoyed the countless trivia and audience participation shows as well as the large scale illusion shows we saw both times (Justin illusion). It always seemed there was a lot to do in the day although we hate the hairy chest contest et al as its just a bit cheesy. On Celebrity we were impressed they had more guest acts who happened to be from the UK. Most of these acts in the main theatre were average to good and worth going to although I think some folk did not enjoy the 'insult the audience for a bit' style of humour. The Dancing/singing shows were better (especially the main Equinox show which was excellent) thanks to the gymnast performers but the singers/dancers were often 'off'. We also found that there was nothing to do after 9.30 most nights and the theme parties seemed to die down after midnight. Celebrity had a lot of things to do in the day and we really enjoyed the Guest/officer element and the Top Chef cook off. Although I have to admit that growing up with so many theatrical/drama friends and family I am spoilt when I see small production shows and I am not the biggest fan of cruise ship shows.

 

Winner: Celebrity (although both lines often missed the mark)

 

 

Public spaces

 

We hate to gamble but noticed the no smoking rule on Celebrity made the casino a better place to be near. The shops on both lines had usual gimmick mementos and overpriced items with countless sales that still made items overpriced. Carnival had much better shop prices and better shops as a whole (I am not into brands). We found the Lido deck on the Legend a lot easier to get a lounger and less crowded with staff actually stickering chairhogged loungers which helped. The lido deck on the Equinox always felt crowded and no-one did anything about chair hogs or kids jumping into both pools on deck which was awful. I am a huge pool person and because of all the problems I only went in the pools twice which says something. On the Equinox we really loved the sky lounge for great forward views although generally felt that it had no atmosphere in the day for trivia and livened up for theme parties. Carnival's nightclub again was often empty until 11 but its small space helped keep the party going. We were very surprised to see the Qsar nightclub on the Equinox never used as a club but as a constant Karaoke spot so we hardly went in. On Celebrity we really loved how the open atrium was overlooked by the cafes and drinking spots and felt there was a nice open feel on all of them but the Legend had a more cosy continuous feel in its open bar spaces.

 

Winner: Carnival (Pool areas are so important to me)

 

Staff

 

We have found the Cruise directors comparable on both lines. We had Brent Mitchell (meh) and Eli Sharplin (OK) on Carnival and Eddy Jenkins (Meh to OK) on Celebrity. We are not too bothered about CDs but noted that all the ones we have had are relatively new to their respective lines. I have to give a big mention here to Asst CD Calvin on Carnival who was fantastically camp and gives the edge to Carnival for its host staff although Asst CD Laura on our other cruise belonged behind a Sainsbury's till with her manner. Eddy on Celebrity was amusingly awkward although at times he did seem overwhelmed with it all. Patrick and Ellie were in charge of entertainment on Celebrity and they were polished and friendly enough to remember me and my home city. We have found officers and the Captain friendly on both lines although Kudos to Celebrity for the officers vs Guest which helped this along.

 

Winner: Celebrity by a hair

[Velvetwater]

Port information and care/Excursions

 

We don't do a lot of excursions (1 per 12 day cruise) but have booked 1 on each line. We booked online easily with Carnival and got our tickets on the first day for snorkelling and the excursion was well planned and easy. We also booked another snorkelling excursion on board with Carnival and unfortunately missed it due to wrong timing. Carnival immediately refunded us not problem. Carnival did not really provide port information on paper but Guest excursions would always give stuff if asked. We booked a volcano excursion with Celebrity on board for Etna and my husband did not realise the tickets said 8.15 meet point so we missed it...I will admit timekeeping is not our strong point. At the excursion desk Celebrity said that we could not have a refund or even change it to a tour for the next day (Mount Vesuvius) and it took us a drawn out conversation to get them to change the tour to the volcano for the next day. Unfortunately for us the Vesuvius tour got cancelled due to lack of interest and we got refunded anyway. We liked the Celebrity port information sheets and the cold towels when you boarded (they even provided hot big towels for a rainy Messina). However Celebrity often completely booked out private companies (like Kayaks in Kotor) the inflated the price so your only option was to pay a premium. They also charged 15 euros for the Toulon boat shuttle when they usual price was 10...this left a bit of bad taste.

 

Winner: Carnival

 

Fellow Cruisers

 

Oddly enough staff told us the ship was 2/3 Europeans (mainly Brits) which is different for us as we are used to sailing with a Majority of US folk. It seemed that overall the Celebrity cruisers had a bit more money than Carnival cruisers and spent more but as we did unusual, longer Carnival cruises this was not too noticeable. The Celebrity cruisers and Carnival cruisers were as friendly as each other and conversations flowed freely at dinner and other venues. Unfortunately both lines had a handful of cruisers that we saw being rude to others/staff and chair hogging was ridiculous on Celebrity as was parents keeping an eye on their unruly kids. As much as everyone seemed to get on on Celebrity we noticed that hardly any 'groups' seemed to form and there was less of a community feel. On Carnival people were forming close bonds and becoming firm cruise friends and hanging out all the time but it seemed everyone stuck to their own on Celebrity. Now this could be due to the ship size or my fellow countrymen being a little shy....who knows. I will say though that we met wonderful folk on all our cruises.

 

Winner: Carnival

 

Atmosphere

 

Following on from what I have said previously and in my review I felt Celebrity was more sedate as a whole. Things like sailaway parties and themed parties and the final dance show in the lobby always started with a grand hurrah but faded quite quickly. Dancefloors emptied quite quickly on Celebrity and they seemed to have trouble getting participants for some shows. I dont think the scheduling of activities helped as things seemed to end around 10pm apart from the late show and even though I am a night owl I felt it was easier to turn in some nights. I did like the feel when up on the lawn club with its special events and the pool atmosphere when something was put on too. On Carnival the ship often felt alive and bustling with Trivia going on as you walked past or a magician floating around the lounges. The night club seemed to have people dancing til 2 and the Lido deck had lots going on with QUIETER music than the Celebrity Equinox. After all the gentle stuff on Celebrity it was a surprise to have very loud music on lido a good amount of the time. Carnival had music but it always seemed quieter and it was easy to just go with the flow.

 

Winner: Carnival

 

Final scores: Carnival 8 points Celebrity 6 points

 

Carnival wins!

 

As you can see it was quite close but Carnival seems a better fit for us and we both agreed that even though we loved the ship and the food we would rather book Carnival than Celebrity especially with the overall atmosphere of the cruises. We are both young, like to stay up and cruise for ports so I guess we already knew before we sailed especially when you consider Carnival's great prices. However we are still very keen to sail RCL and NCL as they seem to fit our personality too. I think we would sail Celebrity again for the right price but would choose other lines before them. If only Carnival bought the Equinox with its chefs and food we would be laughing! We would love to see the Officers vs Guests on Carnival too. The main thing we learnt that there was so many similarities between the lines that good marketing doesn't want you to know. Now we have sailed the supposedly 'low end' and 'top end' of the major lines we can happily choose things in between with a possible view to even consider Princess one day.

 

So...there it is. Sorry for the off grammar/spelling mistakes I am dyslexic and when I speed type things happen. :)

 

I am happy to answer any questions.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Velvetwater

[meatloafsfan]

Thank you for your comparison. And basically I agree with you. Carnival is a better fit for my family due to the "fun ship" atmosphere. Good food, good times, good service.

 

I like Celebrity but find it overall too sedate for my tastes. We're still sailing on the Summit to Bermuda because we want to go to Bermuda and I'm not ready to take the leap to NCL.

 

I feel that Celebrity shines in their drink packages (including the non-alcoholic offerings), Café Al Bacio, and their adult pool area (love the steps into the pool versus the pool ladder and the fact that its covered).

[Bruin Steve]

Final scores: Carnival 8 points Celebrity 6 points

 

Carnival wins!

 

As you can see it was quite close but Carnival seems a better fit for us...

 

Ahhhhh...But here is the "rub"...

Everyone has their own criteria and standards and expectations...

If you are the typical Carnival cruiser, you are handing out points for cheap drinks, cheap prices and late night noise...hardly everyone's criteria...

In fact, for some of us, many of the things you look at as plusses for Carnival would be extreme negatives for us...

 

And, you neglect many of what, for me, are overriding important criteria...

For example--CROWDING...

The typical Carnival ship stuffs FAR more people into a smaller ship...whereas Celebrity has ships with among the best space-per-passenger ratios in the business. The end result is that you can't get a decent seat at a show on Carnival without showing up an hour before show time...Everywhere you go on Carnival, seats are hard to find. In the dining room on Carnival, tables are way too close together--not only not leaving room for people to walk through, but also not sufficient space for the servers to serve correctly...and many Carnival tables are replaced with booths--in order to jam more people in...On Carnival, there are lines and waits for everything...

 

The crew per passenger ratios are also much better on Celebrity...In fact, we once went on back-to-back Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises and actually counted the number of passengers our dinner servers were serving at each single meal--and found the wait staff on Carnival was serving 1.5 times the number of passengers as the RCCL wait staff! So, where you might have thought the service was better on Carnival, I think you might have missed the larger picture entirely!

 

And, I am not someone who always cruises on Celebrity and tried a single Carnival cruise. I have been on several Carnival cruises...and several on Celebrity...and on Royal Caribbean...and on Princess...and on Oceania...

 

I guess, if I wanted to, I could set up a "point system" with selected criteria and arbitrary judgments on "better" or "worse" based on my particular set of values...and prove that McDonalds is a better restaurant than Spago...or that a 10 year old Hyundai is a better car than a new Lexus...

 

And I am guessing most very loyal Carnival fans will likely enjoy your comparison and look at it as a justification for their preferences as well...

 

But, in my book, it holds very little water...

Edited August 23, 2015 by Bruin Steve

[Velvetwater]

Ahhhhh...But here is the "rub"...

Everyone has their own criteria and standards and expectations...

If you are the typical Carnival cruiser, you are handing out points for cheap drinks, cheap prices and late night noise...hardly everyone's criteria...

In fact, for some of us, many of the things you look at as plusses for Carnival would be extreme negatives for us...

 

And, you neglect many of what, for me, are overriding important criteria...

For example--CROWDING...

The typical Carnival ship stuffs FAR more people into a smaller ship...whereas Celebrity has ships with among the best space-per-passenger ratios in the business. The end result is that you can't get a decent seat at a show on Carnival without showing up an hour before show time...Everywhere you go on Carnival, seats are hard to find. In the dining room on Carnival, tables are way too close together--not only not leaving room for people to walk through, but also not sufficient space for the servers to serve correctly...and many Carnival tables are replaced with booths--in order to jam more people in...On Carnival, there are lines and waits for everything...

 

The crew per passenger ratios are also much better on Celebrity...In fact, we once went on back-to-back Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises and actually counted the number of passengers our dinner servers were serving at each single meal--and found the wait staff on Carnival was serving 1.5 times the number of passengers as the RCCL wait staff! So, where you might have thought the service was better on Carnival, I think you might have missed the larger picture entirely!

 

And, I am not someone who always cruises on Celebrity and tried a single Carnival cruise. I have been on several Carnival cruises...and several on Celebrity...and on Royal Caribbean...and on Princess...and on Oceania...

 

I guess, if I wanted to, I could set up a "point system" with selected criteria and arbitrary judgments on "better" or "worse" based on my particular set of values...and prove that McDonalds is a better restaurant than Spago...or that a 10 year old Hyundai is a better car than a new Lexus...

 

And I am guessing most very loyal Carnival fans will likely enjoy your comparison and look at it as a justification for their preferences as well...

 

But, in my book, it holds very little water...

 

All your points I have already covered before starting the comparison since I know cruisers from both lines get precious about a line for whatever reason...but I see it happened anyway. This was my opinion which should have been obvious.

 

By the way I said service was a tie and there was over crowding on the lido deck?

 

I wrote it as a light-hearted comparison for people who are moving between 2 lines/deciding on what to do. Possibly with a particular slant on cruisers my age who lets be honest will be the cruisers of the future anyway. NCL,Royal and Carnival are heading in the right direction it seems. The point system just makes an easy read but Carnival would win without it anyway and we have been very lucky to sail on quite special and unusual Carnival cruises.As I said above I do think that 'clever marketing' makes a product seem better/different when basics are very similar. This also works for the reputation of a certain brand before you even board.

 

On the overcrowding issue we actually had to wait for anytime dining tables half of the time on Celebrity (never on Carnival) with beepers and our tables were even closer together than Carnival. Our service time in the dining room and service speed was similar on both lines so that suggests to me that either Celebrity was down on staff or Carnival waiters had learnt to be more efficient...either way the waiters were very friendly on both. So your talk about overcrowding/staff ratios being better on Celebrity does not wash with me.

 

 

For the record we like Celebrity but Carnival just suits us more and if I am totally honest I just love cruising and with a few exceptions (HAL/Viking/Saga et al ) I am still pretty much game for most lines still.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Velvetwater

[mafig]

Actually Carnival Legend is not a typical Carnival ship. It is smaller, with less people. We were on her several years ago (and she was not new then). I'm glad to hear she's still sailing and in good condition.

 

Food and service on her were very good.

 

However, after that we were on larger Carnival ships. And, I'm sorry, never again. Fights, screaming in the halls at 3 am, our next door neighbor smoking non stop and spitting over the balcony.:o

[Jane2357]

I have only ever sailed on Carnival or on Celebrity - and had great times on both but for different reasons. On Carnival I was either with my daughter, sisters or part of a bigger group. Under those situations Carnival was perfect. Fun, fun, fun, lively with much to do. Excellent service, good food and cheaper fares. A more diverse group of cruisers. The downside is the one suite that we had on Carnival - which was HUGE - came with zero perks unlike Celebrity's suites. Also Carnival can attract large groups (family reunions, etc) - and at times it can get a bit loud. At the time of our last Carnival cruise - smoking was still permitted on the balconies which we hated - that has now been banned so no longer an issue for us. Many of the best times I've EVER had cruising have been on a Carnival cruise.

 

When DH and I cruise we go on Celebrity - quieter, reserved and romantic. Better food but not a huge difference. Service levels the same on both lines. Love the limited smoking. Suites are an enhanced experience.

 

Celebrity is our line of choice but I would not hesitate to book Carnival again if it meant sailing with friends.

 

Thank you for sharing your review. Please be prepared for the Celebrity cheer-leaders to rip you - they simply cannot fathom that Carnival is not the junky line that they like to think it is. Most here who refer to Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines - have NEVER been on a Carnival cruise.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Jane2357

[Velvetwater]

 

Thank you for sharing your review. Please be prepared for the Celebrity cheer-leaders to rip you - they simply cannot fathom that Carnival is not the junky line that they like to think it is. Most here who refer to Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines - have NEVER been on a Carnival cruise. [/color][/size][/font]

 

Yeah...I did a disclaimer but ah well. :)

 

Interesting thought about the Legend as we were wondering about it too when we hear people discuss the crowding and the Sunshine/Breeze etc issues. We are booked on the Vista next year and do have 'big ship worries' which appeared during our Equinox cruise and I kept wondering if I am just not a big ship person as the Vista holds a 1000 more than her.

 

I am open to see what happens especially as our next cruise after is very likely to be NCL/RCL. Theres also a very good possibility that we will sail Celebrity again as they have the best price for our ultimate exotic cruise...Antarctica.

[Bruin Steve]

...your talk about overcrowding/staff ratios being better on Celebrity does not wash with me.

 

Only "doesn't wash" if you completely ignore the actual verifiable numbers...

Take the gross tonnage--a measure of volume/space and divide it by the number of passengers (also figure in that, due to marketing, the typical Celebrity ship sails with right around the double occupancy number--as many solo travelers as 3rd and 4th berths filled--while the typical Carnival cruise usually sails with close to full capacity---all 3rd and 4th berths filled due to greater marketing toward families with young kids and budget conscious folks sailing four to a cabin)...

 

So, the typical Celebrity M-Class ship will sail with 1,950 passengers in 91,000 gross tons (a space per passenger ratio of 46.67 gross tons per passenger), the typical S-Class with 2,850 passengers in 122,000 gross tons (42.8)...

 

As a comparison, the Carnival Imagination sails with 2594 passengers in 70,000 gross tons (26.98)...The Carnival Conquest sails with 3700 passengers in 110,000 gross tons (29.76)...The Carnival Dream with 4310 passengers in 130,000 gross tons (30.16)...

 

The numbers aren't even close...

 

You are choosing to be blind to the crowding and other issues based on your own feelings...but totally blind to the facts...

 

If you really think the dining rooms on Celebrity are more crowded, there is probably no hope for you...

 

Whether the "waiters are friendlier" is completely subjective...

 

Look, if you want to ignore facts, let's just make it straight out blunt opinion. I tried being nice...and using only supportable arguments...but...gloves are off...here it goes:

 

Carnival is the bottom feeder of cruise lines. They cut corners everywhere in order to achieve higher profits on lower fares. The service is the worst in the industry. The ships are the most crowded in the industry. The constant marketing onboard is horrific. The decor is two tones worse than a Tijuana bordello. I've cruised on four of them. My wife refuses to EVER let me book another. She says they could give it to us for FREE and she'd refuse to go.

 

Comparing them to Celebrity is a joke...Determining them to be superior to Celebrity is beyond a joke...

 

Even my 30 year old nephew who regularly cruises Carnival with his buddies so they can drink a lot and pick up girls knows that Carnival sucks...

[Bruin Steve]

Please be prepared for the Celebrity cheer-leaders to rip you - they simply cannot fathom that Carnival is not the junky line that they like to think it is. Most here who refer to Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines - have NEVER been on a Carnival cruise.

 

Jane...

I HAVE been on a Carnival cruise...I have been on several of them...

I am arguing here with someone who claims to have been on ONE Celebrity cruise...

I have tried to couch my arguments in terms of quantifiable data.

As far as not being able to "fathom that Carnival is not the junky line I like to think it is", on the contrary...IT IS...It is EXACTLY what I think it is...and I've been on it enough...and on several other lines enough...to know exactly what IT is and what others are.

 

Carnival is the Carnival Corp's "entry level" line. They market to people looking for "low prices" and "Fun". They market to those poor folks who just want to get on a ship, go places, get entertained and eat and drink...and don't pay much attention to much past that.

 

Is it the "Walmart of Cruise Lines"? It certainly is...

Both Carnival and Walmart are designed to appeal to the masses...and both are very good at and very successful at doing that. They sell a lot of cruises to a lot of people...And Walmart sells a lot of merchandise...and McDonalds sells a lot of meals...It's not bad business...But it is also not necessarily high quality. Most people make trade-offs. Money means something...and they are willing to settle for a lot of things...And wise retailers know that you can make a lot more money selling to the 99% for low prices than to the 1% for high prices--Your target audience is bigger...

 

So, really, I DO get it...

 

But I think a comparison should be a fair comparison...

And, having ACTUALLY CRUISED on Carnival several times, I think I am, unlike what you put forth in your post, highly qualified to challenge the OP here on this one.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Bruin Steve

[Velvetwater]

Only "doesn't wash" if you completely ignore the actual verifiable numbers...

Take the gross tonnage--a measure of volume/space and divide it by the number of passengers (also figure in that, due to marketing, the typical Celebrity ship sails with right around the double occupancy number--as many solo travelers as 3rd and 4th berths filled--while the typical Carnival cruise usually sails with close to full capacity---all 3rd and 4th berths filled due to greater marketing toward families with young kids and budget conscious folks sailing four to a cabin)...

 

So, the typical Celebrity M-Class ship will sail with 1,950 passengers in 91,000 gross tons (a space per passenger ratio of 46.67 gross tons per passenger), the typical S-Class with 2,850 passengers in 122,000 gross tons (42.8)...

 

As a comparison, the Carnival Imagination sails with 2594 passengers in 70,000 gross tons (26.98)...The Carnival Conquest sails with 3700 passengers in 110,000 gross tons (29.76)...The Carnival Dream with 4310 passengers in 130,000 gross tons (30.16)...

 

The numbers aren't even close...

 

You are choosing to be blind to the crowding and other issues based on your own feelings...but totally blind to the facts...

 

If you really think the dining rooms on Celebrity are more crowded, there is probably no hope for you...

 

Whether the "waiters are friendlier" is completely subjective...

 

Look, if you want to ignore facts, let's just make it straight out blunt opinion. I tried being nice...and using only supportable arguments...but...gloves are off...here it goes:

 

Carnival is the bottom feeder of cruise lines. They cut corners everywhere in order to achieve higher profits on lower fares. The service is the worst in the industry. The ships are the most crowded in the industry. The constant marketing onboard is horrific. The decor is two tones worse than a Tijuana bordello. I've cruised on four of them. My wife refuses to EVER let me book another. She says they could give it to us for FREE and she'd refuse to go.

 

Comparing them to Celebrity is a joke...Determining them to be superior to Celebrity is beyond a joke...

 

Even my 30 year old nephew who regularly cruises Carnival with his buddies so they can drink a lot and pick up girls knows that Carnival sucks...

 

You called you first post being nice? Okie doke.

 

Yes I do indeed want to 'get on a ship, go places, get entertained and eat and drink' isn't thats what a cruise is and all lines do? I love the ocean and the ports...thats why I cruise.

 

My whole opinion is just that...an opinion. What I have experienced on both lines is what I have experienced and thats that.

 

I see the facts on tonnage/passenger ratio and I do not argue with them and actually expected a great experience of space when I boarded the Equinox. But my main point was what I have seen and experienced.When my husband and I sat at a table on the Equinox we had maybe a 12 inch gap between us and the next 2 table. On Carnival there was possibly twice this amount in space between us and the next table...not to mention the constant buffet lines and pagers for tables on Celebrity. My comment about friendly waiters is relevant as an overworked one may show cracks in their smile.Did I strike lucky with Carnival Spirit class and get a raw deal with a crowded Equinox? Who knows but this is what I experienced and that is the casing point. I couldn't give a flying donkey about ship decor...I stop noticing it after the first evening.

 

Older/ more traditional cruise minds need to accept the way the industry is changing to suit different tastes and styles. I am an independent traveller who has seen the world in different ways both in luxury hotels and in a tent and love it either way. I will glady swap cold towels/better quality steak for a more fun/lively experience any time...and thats why for me Carnival is better not to mention the price point. I am willing to bet I prefer RCL/NCL as well for similar reasons but I will judge that when I board. If another Celebrity cruise happens then I open to changing my view if they impress me.

 

As they say here in the UK....horses for courses.

 

Lets leave it at that and get back to the subject at hand.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Velvetwater

[TLCOhio]

My whole opinion is just that...an opinion. What I have experienced on both lines is what I have experienced and thats that.

 

Everyone has their own criteria and standards and expectations... If you are the typical Carnival cruiser, you are handing out points for cheap drinks, cheap prices and late night noise...hardly everyone's criteria... In fact, for some of us, many of the things you look at as plusses for Carnival would be extreme negatives for us... And, you neglect many of what, for me, are overriding important criteria... For example--CROWDING...

 

Velvetwater: As you can see it was quite close but Carnival seems a better fit for us and we both agreed that even though we loved the ship and the food we would rather book Carnival than Celebrity especially with the overall atmosphere of the cruises.

 

As noted by the original poster' date=' the final evaluations are based on[b'] "a better fit for us"[/b]. There's an old saying about "different strokes for different folks." Being a little calmer and mature is a little better for me personally. My top priority in cruising is about the ports and places to be visited. Having too hip of a night "scene" is not my "thing". It is all about what fits your personal needs and budget. Velvetwater did a great job in reflecting their personal interests and desires.

 

Great, helpful sharing of opinions by all.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 184,191 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Jane2357]

Jane...

I HAVE been on a Carnival cruise...I have been on several of them...

I am arguing here with someone who claims to have been on ONE Celebrity cruise...

I have tried to couch my arguments in terms of quantifiable data.

As far as not being able to "fathom that Carnival is not the junky line I like to think it is", on the contrary...IT IS...It is EXACTLY what I think it is...and I've been on it enough...and on several other lines enough...to know exactly what IT is and what others are.

 

Carnival is the Carnival Corp's "entry level" line. They market to people looking for "low prices" and "Fun". They market to those poor folks who just want to get on a ship, go places, get entertained and eat and drink...and don't pay much attention to much past that.

 

Is it the "Walmart of Cruise Lines"? It certainly is...

Both Carnival and Walmart are designed to appeal to the masses...and both are very good at and very successful at doing that. They sell a lot of cruises to a lot of people...And Walmart sells a lot of merchandise...and McDonalds sells a lot of meals...It's not bad business...But it is also not necessarily high quality. Most people make trade-offs. Money means something...and they are willing to settle for a lot of things...And wise retailers know that you can make a lot more money selling to the 99% for low prices than to the 1% for high prices--Your target audience is bigger...

 

So, really, I DO get it...

 

But I think a comparison should be a fair comparison...

And, having ACTUALLY CRUISED on Carnival several times, I think I am, unlike what you put forth in your post, highly qualified to challenge the OP here on this one.

 

I wasn't really implicating you in the cheer-leader comment and I do realize that you are one of the FEW here who has some credibility because you've been on both lines. My point was that most that will pitch a fit over this comparison will not have every cruised on Carnival.

 

I do think the o.p. was clear that this was her opinion - and let's face it - you and I could be on the exact same cruise and come away with very differing opinions - it happens on CC every day.

 

I've cruise more than a few but less than many. I base my comments about Carnival based on my experience. My food was good, the service was every bit as good as on Celebrity. Is it noisier - yes but the worst drunks I've ever seen were on a Celebrity cruise. :eek: Carnival is a cheaper product but it is IMHO - not a bad product at all. :)

[Cruising89143]

Have to agree with Steve on a lot if his comments. I have cruised with Carnival 16 times but eventually decided to try something else. After having cruised on NCL, HAL, RCI and X, Carnival ranks at the bottom on my list and it has to do more with ship design than anything else. Other than the Spirit class the ships are crowded and the Destiny/ Conquest class have to be the worst designed ships that I have cruised in almost thirty years of cruising.

 

The strongest point that I could give Carnival was their quality of food in the MDR. Their buffet ranks only above NCL in my book which is not saying much. Service could never match what we have received on X. Suite options for those that like them are poor on Carnival. In the end it's nice that everyone has a choice and for many Carnival offers a good product but that is one line that I gave no desire to try again. For me personally there are far better options. Thanks to the OP fir their review.

[meatloafsfan]

Only "doesn't wash" if you completely ignore the actual verifiable numbers...

Take the gross tonnage--a measure of volume/space and divide it by the number of passengers (also figure in that, due to marketing, the typical Celebrity ship sails with right around the double occupancy number--as many solo travelers as 3rd and 4th berths filled--while the typical Carnival cruise usually sails with close to full capacity---all 3rd and 4th berths filled due to greater marketing toward families with young kids and budget conscious folks sailing four to a cabin)...

 

So, the typical Celebrity M-Class ship will sail with 1,950 passengers in 91,000 gross tons (a space per passenger ratio of 46.67 gross tons per passenger), the typical S-Class with 2,850 passengers in 122,000 gross tons (42.8)...

 

As a comparison, the Carnival Imagination sails with 2594 passengers in 70,000 gross tons (26.98)...The Carnival Conquest sails with 3700 passengers in 110,000 gross tons (29.76)...The Carnival Dream with 4310 passengers in 130,000 gross tons (30.16)...

 

The numbers aren't even close...

 

You are choosing to be blind to the crowding and other issues based on your own feelings...but totally blind to the facts...

 

If you really think the dining rooms on Celebrity are more crowded, there is probably no hope for you...

 

Whether the "waiters are friendlier" is completely subjective...

 

Look, if you want to ignore facts, let's just make it straight out blunt opinion. I tried being nice...and using only supportable arguments...but...gloves are off...here it goes:

 

Carnival is the bottom feeder of cruise lines. They cut corners everywhere in order to achieve higher profits on lower fares. The service is the worst in the industry. The ships are the most crowded in the industry. The constant marketing onboard is horrific. The decor is two tones worse than a Tijuana bordello. I've cruised on four of them. My wife refuses to EVER let me book another. She says they could give it to us for FREE and she'd refuse to go.

 

Comparing them to Celebrity is a joke...Determining them to be superior to Celebrity is beyond a joke...

 

Even my 30 year old nephew who regularly cruises Carnival with his buddies so they can drink a lot and pick up girls knows that Carnival sucks...

 

And Celebrity cruises are full of snobs who think they are better than others, only concerned about a class system and what's included in their drink package. That's their "negative" reputation (similar to Carnival's "drunk ship" reputation). Everything has two sides.

 

While there may be more dining room staff aboard the Celebrity ships, they are also distributed among the various dining rooms - Staffing in Luminae and Blu is at a higher level than the MDR (fewer tables per server), which can mean that the MDR service level is lower than on other lines.

 

I found that on the Summit there was much more wasted space than on other ships. There was a larger area assigned to the shops and the photo gallery than I see on other lines. Also, it seemed that there was only 1 event happening at a time which meant that a large number of people all tried to cram into a space meant for a lot fewer people (this meant that most events felt crowded).

 

It's not always about gross tonnage versus number of passengers, its about how well that space is used, how spread out activities are and how cruiselines get people to flow from one area to another.