Talk me into Carnival, guys...

[WorkerBee74]

Hello lovely folks...

 

I'm a first time cruiser, married, no children, 41 yrs old. Husband is 38.

 

I had my heart set on a 7-day Princess Cruise to Baja, and it fell through now because it was in conjunction with a convention I was going to - just found out the dates and it's later than I expected. It is at the end of May so Princess is gone to Alaska at that point, but I'm now eying up the itinerary for May 13-20 on Carnival.

 

Am I too old/young for Carnival? What's the 40-something dynamic on a 7 day cruise to Baja? Is it a wild 24-7 frat party or loaded with screaming children? That's my non-educated stereotypical view of Carnival.

 

We do like to drink so we would be OK tying one on, but we don't stay up until all hours like we used to, but we do expect *some* peace and quiet away from screaming children and 20-something party-animals. We've never been to Mexico but we do a lot of travelling around the US, Canada and England so we're definitely seasoned as far as regular travel goes.

 

We would be interested in excursions and things like that as well, what say you, seasoned cruisers? Will we hate this or will it be a great first time?? Is my view of Carnival skewed and do I need to smarten up and do it? :cool:

Edited August 18, 2016 by WorkerBee74
Random dots in spelling "Princess" - haha

[rae.holmes]

My mom will be 60 in December and in 18 days she we will be going on her 15th carnival cruise.

We like it because there is a place for everyone. I'm 27, and I go from wanting the "wild party" time to the quite secluded reading time.

[maldenmusic]

I have only cruised Carnival so can't compare to others. I am a 50 something public school music teacher who mostly cruises with my 20 something public school librarian daughter or my 60 something husband. We aren't party people and were first attracted to Carnival because we live close enough to drive to either New Orleans or Mobile. We have been on cruises when there were tons of kids, teens, etc and some when they weren't so obvious. For the most part, we have been very pleased with our cruise experiences and have a December 2016 and May 2017 cruise already booked.

[4myfam]

I say just do it!:D

 

Hubby and I are in our 40's. We find things to do that we enjoy, such as the casino for me while Hubby watches over me;), Comedy club in the evening, Shows in the evenings, and strolls around the ship whenever we like. There is always something to do or something to eat. :D

 

We napped in the afternoon if the notion struck, and we went to bed anywhere from 10p to 1am, depending on what we did that night. We were never bothered by noise during naps or night time hours. We did have an aft balcony cabin so we spent some quiet hours sitting out there. Plus hubby sat along windows seats different places around the ship to read, while I was either in casino, or shopping in the shops on the ship.:cool:

 

Our last cruise there were a lot of kids but then it was in the summer. We spoke to several people on our cruise and most were our age or older.

 

Just book it, and enjoy!!

Edited August 18, 2016 by 4myfam

[The4Cruisers]

You need to just go and find out for yourself. Carnival didn't get to be the #1 cruiseline by sailing empty ships. Not saying CCL is 100% puppies and rainbows, but they do deliver a great experience for the price.

 

I think you'll find a lot of support on here for sailing CCL, but you will also hear tales of doom and gloom from other people who didn't get sunshine puffed up their posteriors on their last cruise or they're non-CCL cruisers that are just repeating stuff they've heard from other sources. And, there will always be the certain posters on this forum that are obligated to badmouth CCL at every chance they can.

 

Take the cruise. See for yourself. Odds are, you'll have a great time. And if you like the cruise or not, you will have a valid experience to base future cruise decisions on.

[Frank12]

I think you will like it. Give it a shot.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Since you have no other choice for the timeframe & itinerary you want, you could give it a try to see for yourself. ;)

[FloridaGram]

We are 60's and have sailed Carnival over 10 times. We are not partiers, maybe a couple of drinks a day. During the day we mostly are on the deck with a view of the action on the Lido or at the rear of the ship if it has an all adult pool. We see the shows in the evening or go to the piano bar and leave for it gets to rowdy.

 

Occasionally we hear someone going down the hall loudly but not enough to ruin our cruise! There may be times things are raunchy at other places but we never see it. I would give it a try. Many have the same perception of Carnival that you do but we have not found it to be that way. Also I think the time of year you are going should be OK. That week of May most kids should still be in school so not too many kids. The ship is big enough that you should find a place that suits your needs!

[WorkerBee74]

Thanks so much everyone - the Mr. and I just watched a 17-minute ship overview video from YouTube and well, we're kind of excited now. I think we are going to do it... we really like the looks of the Red Frog and Alchemy Bar, and get a kick out of the Disney-esque theming, it really is quite cool. There's also an adult-only Sanctuary which is right up our alley, and we're looking at a Balcony room as well...

 

Now to research everything that I knew about Princess, now Carnival style :)

 

Thanks again, this board is amazing.

[tea4ular]

True story... Several years ago my brother-in-law contacted me about helping him to pick a cruise. For nearly 15 years before that he and his wife had always told me "we hear Carnival is awful - The Walmart of the seas"

 

They have never cruised before.

 

I helped them pick a trip and off they went - when they came back they said they had never had such a wonderful relaxing time ever on vacation!

 

They have since been on five more cruises.

 

They are in their late 40s, both public-school teachers, and travel with their 10-year-old son and 70-year-old mother-in-law. All of them are hooked!

 

The truth is that without trying it you won't know.

 

I will say this - you won't pay through the nose to find out if you hate it!

[poz222]

As a mid 40s I personally find the Princess cruises nice but a much older demographic with the schedule and entertainment geared towards this demographic ... That being said, On a 7 night cruise, you will find less or none of the young frat party vibe. There are plenty of places to relax and enjoy the ocean and ship. There is a serenity area to catch rays, the decks under the lifeboats usually provide a shaded,meaning spot. I think the production shows are ho-hum, but there is PLEANTLY to do including bands, casino, comedy or just people watching... We are past the disco going days and find so much other stuff to do without ever setting foot in them!

 

Don't let a generic stereotype dissuade you. You can do as much or as little as you want... Just enjoy!

[riclop]

Hello lovely folks...

 

I'm a first time cruiser, married, no children, 41 yrs old. Husband is 38.

 

I had my heart set on a 7-day Princess Cruise to Baja, and it fell through now because it was in conjunction with a convention I was going to - just found out the dates and it's later than I expected. It is at the end of May so Princess is gone to Alaska at that point, but I'm now eying up the itinerary for May 13-20 on Carnival.

 

Am I too old/young for Carnival? What's the 40-something dynamic on a 7 day cruise to Baja? Is it a wild 24-7 frat party or loaded with screaming children? That's my non-educated stereotypical view of Carnival.

 

We do like to drink so we would be OK tying one on, but we don't stay up until all hours like we used to, but we do expect *some* peace and quiet away from screaming children and 20-something party-animals. We've never been to Mexico but we do a lot of travelling around the US, Canada and England so we're definitely seasoned as far as regular travel goes.

 

We would be interested in excursions and things like that as well, what say you, seasoned cruisers? Will we hate this or will it be a great first time?? Is my view of Carnival skewed and do I need to smarten up and do it? :cool:

 

Start with the low end and work yourself upward.

[loxley]

For God's sake. How many THOUSANDS of people cruise with carnival every week?

 

I think you would be safe to assume every age range is represented.

[bigdawgmatty]

Mid-40's here. At that point in May the kids should still be in school right? I personally think that our age range is ideal. Like someone else mentioned, the rowdy bunch tends to stick to shorter cruises. I've been on 6 cruises and love every second of a cruise vacation. Take the plunge. Have a blast!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited August 18, 2016 by bigdawgmatty

[k2excursion]

I think Carnival is a nice mix of the young, middle-aged, and not-as-young people. Carnival seems to usually have a nice, fun atmosphere, without it turning into a wild frat party. If you do some of those short 3 or 4 day cruises, then you might find more of that scene, but not as much on the 7-day & longer cruises. I have never really seen that wild "party boat" atmosphere that they talk about. But it's also not dead either. Only one ship (a Spirit class ship) felt like it was somewhat dead to me. But if you do want that peace & quiet feeling, there are spots on the ship that you can find that.

 

I'm not too happy with a lot of the recent changes with Carnival, which is why I haven't cruised in awhile & I don't really miss it. I have found land-based vacations that are cheaper & offer more than what the cruises do. However, cruises are still fun, and since you haven't cruised before, I would certainly recommend going for it. Carnival might be a more lively atmosphere than Princess, but I think you'll fit right in.

[Namelocg]

Almost 60 and have Carnival cruises #38, 39, 40 and 41 booked with a transatlantic on Royal Caribbean thrown in for good measure (Carnival doesn't do transatlantics unless they are bringing a new ship over from Europe). Enough said. Go and have a great time.

[RWolver672]

Our first cruise was in 1999. A friend of my wife's ask us to join their group. It turned out to be on the then Carnival Destiny. I had heard the name Carnival but that was about it. I had not heard about it being a party ship or wild crowds, etc. I did all kinds of research on the ship but never heard anything about it being a party barge.

 

From the moment we stepped onboard, I knew I was hooked. We never saw rowdy drunks, noisy kids, or anything negative. One night we sat in a hot tub with a couple that were in their 80's. It was real interesting talking with them. They cruise several times a year and all on Carnival. Later that evening, we saw them dancing up a storm on the Lido deck.

 

We tried Royal Caribbean once and didn't like it. It wasn't the fun ship that Carnival is. Yes, they have made some cutbacks over the years but nothing that would prevent us from cruising with them. We still try to cruise every other year. As you can see in my signature, we like Carnival and DW is 67 and I'm 68. You can have fun, relax, sight-see, or do whatever you like. A vacation is what you make it.

 

I do suggest that you carefully read your cruise contract. The company has the right to change the itinerary if need be. So many people get upset if they miss a port for some reason or another. (Could be bad weather, med-evac, propulsion problems, etc.)

 

Go with an open mind and don't listen to the people that have never cruised on Carnival. If you hear someone bad mouthing Carnival, ask them if they've ever cruised on Carnival. Changes are, they haven't.

[Havingfun2010]

One of the things I learned in life, is that money talks and also clouds an opinion. For example, Carnival is the cheapest cruise line sailing, so many people choose it. But other cruise lines also fill their ships, and often times in peak periods, you can't find exactly what you want if you wait too late to book. So although Carnival fills ships, it is not the best.

 

Money also pays for services. The less you pay, the less you get. If you take away money, and tell people they can choose any ship they want, and spell out what each ship has to offer, I doubt Carnival would ever come out on top. (There are Carnival Cheerleaders that will argue this point, but you could ignore them).

 

I also believe for some people, it's good to start on the bottom, and work you way to a better experience later.

 

Ask yourself this question. When you stay in a hotel, what hotel do you stay in? If you are willing to pay a little more, you get a better place. Same with a cruise line.

[KevInPitt]

From what you've said, you likely won't hate a Carnival cruise. There's a pretty good chance you'll enjoy it.

 

Your acknowledged stereotypes are just that - stereotypes. I did not find my Carnival cruises to be filled with screaming children or partying drunks. Could some sailings have such? Maybe. But not in my (admittedly limited) experience.

 

It's true that other lines can provide a "better" experience balanced by a different price point. It would be myopic to state otherwise.

 

For a new cruiser, there is a lot more I would want to know about their preferences and budget before making a recommendation. However, to most of my new-cruiser friends, I recommend Carnival as a place to get their feet wet (no pun intended) and go from there.

[jimbo5544]

Op, or you can ask yourself why someone would tell you to ignore posts for people with arguments other than his.....:confused:

 

Carnival is the Fun ships, they are the largest cruise line in the world and their best factor is their employees, who do everything in their power to make your cruise vacation the best that it can be. Fun ships does not mean drunken parties, it means fun. They do it everywhere on the ships, from boarding to dining to activities, throughout the cruise, like no other cruise line. Carnival is the value proposition in cruising, they strive to give you the best vacation for your money. We have sailed on 33 Carnival cruises and sill have the excitement when we board a Carnival Fun ship like we did the first time. My best advice is try it for yourself and make up your own mind.

[SMSACE6]

Workerbee74, it sounds like you have already decided to give it a go. I started cruising with Carnival when I was in my 40's, and am still cruising with them and just turned 60. I also now, cruise mostly solo. I echo what Jimbo said about the crew. They are genuinely sincere and caring that you have a great vacation. As for hordes of children running around, I think you said May was when you were going? Should not be that many then. There are always some, and in my experience they have not been disruptive, but that also because I don't cruise in peak times/school is out times.

 

Party atmosphere, there will be some of that, but again it is more of just people having a fun time. I think some short 3 day over the weekend cruises may attract some heavy drinkers/partiers, but a 7 cruise will be more sedate.

 

I hope you enjoy. I think Carnival is a good cruise line. I have tried a couple of others too, but like Carnival best, and that is just my opinion. There is a cruise line to suit everyone. Just go and enjoy it:)

[SadieN]

Shouldn't be too many kids as the earliest school gets out is Memorial Day weekend. Might get some college kids if finals were the week before.

Even if there were tons of kids the Carnival Miracle has a huge, free Adult area aft. Princess has an adult pool and a Sanctuary ($)

Our wildest cruise to date has been a three day on Princess. Wilder than our four day Carnival Spring Break cruise.

 

We've sailed many Mexican Riviera cruises on both Princess and Carnival from LA and San Diego. 2-13 day cruises. Sailing both Princess (10 day) and Carnival (6 day) MR cruises in the next few months.

Both lines have their strong and weak points.

Carnival has a fun vibe, Princess can be a bit too stuffy for our taste.

 

Carnival us our first choice but won't hesitate sailing Princess.

 

Here's a thread from the Princess point of view

Differences between Carnival and Princess?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2390303

Edited August 18, 2016 by SadieN

[RWolver672]

So although Carnival fills ships, it is not the best.

Money also pays for services. The less you pay, the less you get. If you take away money, and tell people they can choose any ship they want, and spell out what each ship has to offer, I doubt Carnival would ever come out on top. (There are Carnival Cheerleaders that will argue this point, but you could ignore them).

 

Ask yourself this question. When you stay in a hotel, what hotel do you stay in? If you are willing to pay a little more, you get a better place. Same with a cruise line.

 

I think it all has to do with what you want out of a cruise. Yes, I could pay top dollar for a Captain's suite with butler service and private dining. Is that what I want out of a cruise. Not in the least. Just because people cruise on a specific line to me means that they are happy with what they are getting. Not everybody likes or wants all of the extras that you pay for when you cruise on the other lines. Call me a Carnival Cheerleader if you want but we are perfectly happy with what Carnival has to offer...fun and less frills!

 

And I don't consider Carnival the bottom either. There are a lot of other cruise lines that are cheaper and give you less.

[Cushing985]

My wife and I are in our mid sixties and have been on 6 Carnival cruises ranging from 7 days to 15. If you want to relax there are plenty of places onboard to do just that. If you want to party all night there are also places to do it. As far as we're concerned, Carnival seems to be able to satisfy any cruiser's desires.

 

We've never done any 2-4 day cruises during Spring Break and I think that's where Carnival gets it's reputation for a "partying line." We've found the 7 day cruises or longer are perfect (for us). We've never had any problems with the kids onboard and I've never seen any fights between drunks except on You Tube.

[Port of Tampa]

We have only cruised on Carnival and have never felt like we were too old. Started in our forties and now are in our fifties. Give it a try...we love it.

 

Cheers and happy cruising!