If you couldn't cruise Carnival, who would you cruise with?

[famof4togo]

I have cruised Carnival with no complaints and just got off a Royal ship last earlier this month...I would def agree that Carnival is a more fun ship....when we cruised Carnival we had fun till like 4am most nights, on Royal last month....the boat is dead by 1am....a few randoms in the casino and that was about it....so Carnival boats are def more "kickin" but I do like the Royal ships better....the promenade is really nice, but I found Carnival's food better....and yet Royals productions shows better.

[Tananda]

Well....that happened to us last August

 

Wife and I have booked Carnival up until now but last August we booked HAL for our anniversary cruise this coming September. We are sailing to Alaska. Limited itineraries and Tuesday to Tuesday cruises were not keen for us.....

I just got off HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam which is now heading to Alaska. This was a trip with my mother. At 46 and during spring break, I was among the 50 youngest people on the ship. The service was impeccable, but there were not a lot of activities. We enjoyed the shows, sun, and sea.

 

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[NCteacherlovescruising]

We've cruised Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean and Princess. Our favorites are NCL and Royal. Princess seemed a bit stuffy, although I think we'll like it better in a few years, when we're a bit older. We really enjoyed the freestyle cruising experience with NCL.

 

 

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[Herfnerd]

I just got off HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam which is now heading to Alaska. This was a trip with my mother. At 46 and during spring break, I was among the 50 youngest people on the ship. The service was impeccable, but there were not a lot of activities. We enjoyed the shows, sun, and sea.

 

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We're in our fifties and fully expect to be on the younger side of the demographics!

 

 

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[beshears]

In my over 26 years of cruising on Holland American, Carnival (more of these), RCCL, Princess,and Norweigan, they all have something good to give, if you are not too picky.:)

 

I prefer Carnial at this time for the price, as to me RCCL is a tad more. I have checked out most of the "inner rooms", and it is not much, but Carnival is a "tad" larger.

 

I seen several people have liked Norwegian, and "maybe" it has changed.:confused: The reason I say this, my friend and I did Norwegian many years ago on a brand new ship. Not only us, but MANY people were complaining about this ship, as well as on our airplane fight back too. I like to have a ship that has LOTS of things to do, if we are at sea. At the time we were on this ship (I called it the lazy ship, and some people would like this), and they offered very little to do on the brand new ship. Makes a person wonder, so don't know if I will ever try this cruise line out again or not.

[Warm Breezes]

I've been on 6 cruises all with Carnival and have never had anything bad to say. (I refuse to be a victim) I am curious as to what other cruise line would have the same style and vibe as CCL so I can branch out. This is the place to ask all the experienced cruisers after all. I mainly cruise the Caribbean as I live in Vermont and need the warm blue ocean.

 

We have been on 15 cruises - 9 Carnival, 3 NCL, 2 Disney, and 1 Princess. Out of those, the ships the closest to the style and vibe of CCL were our NCL Jewel cruises (sailed Jewel 2x). The NCL mega ships are a different experience in entertainment as you need to reserve the shows and they have many more fee restaurant choices. Our Ruby Princess cruise had a much older demographic (65+) with entertainment that catered to that older demographic. Disney was a very expensive Disney experience on the sea....great if you have kids at the age to get the most out of it but definitely not the Carnival style and vibe.

[cruisemom67]

I would sail any line I could afford!

 

We have sailed NCL and liked them, some things better, some worse than Carnival. I prefer Carnival but I cruise more on Itinerary and dates I can go. We are going on RCCL in January because it fits our schedule.

I think most budget brands of cruise ships are pretty similar. We will have fun on any ship.

[firemanbobswife]

Celebrity. Did 5 cruises on the Solstice Class ships and loved it. I'm actually looking to do another one within the next year. I have an Open Passages Certificate that I need to use and my mom really wants to go back to St Maarten.

 

I love their ships, their food, the atmosphere. Plus they have 3 sea days which I really miss on Carnival. They used to have it that way when we first started sailing, then they went to 4 ports on a 7 day trip. I don't like that as much.

[LaFrimaire]

I'd like to try Princess for Alaska. Would like to try NCL or MSC Splendida because it looks so different.

 

 

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[Cruisegirl6]

Definitely the Oasis Class ships on RC and Princess newer ships. We hate NCL newer ships for too many reasons, rather go on Carnival over NCL...Celebrity haven't gone yet but considering the AMAZING Celebrity Edge in 2019 check her out she is not like your normal ships.

[Markmom18]

We enjoy Carnival cruise style, I can't see why we'd stop. I do wish they'd really put great perks in their Loyalty Program. But, I don't see that happening, still would be nice but not a deal breaker for us.

 

My husband and I love RCCL too, especially the ships with a Promenade. We are Diamond, and the perks are fine enough. On my wish list for Royal ...... bring in some ships to California. We miss you, come back!

[MMastell]

NCL, Celebrity, Azamara, Princess, MSC, Royal Caribbean. Oh yes, all the other cruise lines. :)

 

I have no real loyalty. I love cruising Carnival for a Caribbean getaway but for itinerary I will take Celebrity, NCL or Azamara. They have far more itinerary options.

 

Take care,

Mike

[sid_9169]

I was a loyal Carnival cruiser until I tried out NCL (*with included Ultimate Beverage Package) Now, I almost always go NCL. For the price of a inside on Carnival plus Cheers, I'm paying way more than a solo cabin with included beverage package...

[Tapi]

Royal Caribbean is often the "next step" for many Carnival cruisers who wish to try something different.

 

 

 

 

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[Neotericisis]

Since we are fun loving 30-somethings with kids 8 & 9, NCL or RCI. Disney seems ok, but honestly it costs so much compared to other cruises. I want to cruise affordably AND be able to do extra fun (and expensive) excursions such as swimming with the dolphins (a $200/pp excursion for our family of 4 is $800! This makes a huge difference if the cruise is very expensive to begin with AND we have to consider doing something fun at each port so port heavy itinerary can make a big difference in how much I want to pay for the cruise to begin with). Plus, we went to Disney World last year and it was great, but I can see the magic is starting to dwindle (luckily they still believe in Santa!). My son is a HUGE Super Mario fan and is counting down the clock to when Universal finishes their Nintendo Land so I know he for one would rather skip Disney.

[LaFrimaire]

Would like to try Msc Seaside, and Celebrity if kids were older.

 

 

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[Neotericisis]

Definitely the Oasis Class ships on RC and Princess newer ships. We hate NCL newer ships for too many reasons, rather go on Carnival over NCL...Celebrity haven't gone yet but considering the AMAZING Celebrity Edge in 2019 check her out she is not like your normal ships.

 

I was looking at Celebrity Edge for a cruise with just DH and I- talk about modern luxury! YES PLEASE! I'm trying to convince him!

[ksmcdonald]

I am another one who will go to NCL. Will still some day cruise on Carnival again perhaps, but at this time NCL is looking good to me. Reasons for me, are the solo studios on the newer ships, prices including beverage package, or wifi, or specialty dining. I also like their Freestyle, ie; go eat whenever you want, and there is a choice of restaurant, not always the same. I am also checking out Celebrity, but so far their prices are not quite getting me. So NCL for me, most likely Epic, Breakaway, Getaway or Escape.

 

 

My thoughts exactly! Word for word you described my opinion! We just got off the Breakaway a couple weeks ago. Before that we sailed the Breakaway nine months earlier. Loved every minute of both cruises. Usually we sail Carnival but our opinions are changing. We do have the Vista booked in June, I booked that a year ago, but now I'm wishing I could go back on NCL but already paid in full for the Vista cruise. NCL has much better entertainment too. I love the free style and not having to pack any dress clothes. Also the drink package included and no limit on how many drinks a day (not that I hit my 15 drink limit), just the point. I think we've found our new "go to" cruise line in NCL.

Edited April 13, 2017 by ksmcdonald

[firemanbobswife]

Would like to try Msc Seaside, and Celebrity if kids were older.

 

 

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How old are the kids? Mine were 11 and 9 when we first went and they actually preferred Celebrity. They said the kids were more well behaved than on Carnival. Honest to God truth. Their words, not mine. My nieces were even younger.

[nhsails]

I was looking at Celebrity Edge for a cruise with just DH and I- talk about modern luxury! YES PLEASE! I'm trying to convince him!

We're booked for Spring. Can not wait. B2B AQUA for first week, Sky Suite for second week.

[nhsails]

We do a family cruise every two years with kids and grandkids. They really are at the point they prefer Oasis class on Royal or S class on Celebrity. They've been on Carnival to Disney to Azamara and these are their favorites. Youngest is now 7 oldest 19

[KPfromCT]

Royal would definitely be our next choice. We cruised on Oasis (first RCCL cruise) last year, and LOVED it.

 

Yes, at the end of the day, we missed Carnival, but those ships are amazing.

 

Most everything is comparable between the two lines, with the biggest exception being the entertainment. On CCL, we don't go to the shows, because they are a tad bit "cheesy", but since RCCL is KNOWN for their entertainment, we made it a point to go, and they were PHENOMENAL!

[Smithkids5521]

NCL. So far, we've cruised Carnival because of price and proximity to ports NY, Boston, & Baltimore. Now the prices have gone up, and no cruises out of Boston, and limited NYC cruises and same old same old Baltimore cruises. NCl has better prices right from our home port and interesting itineraries for us. 2018 & 2019 NCL.

 

100% agree! Maybe when my kids were younger it may have been Disney (if I could have afforded it- those rates- YIKES!!), but now for us it will be NCL. It was a difficult decision when I chose Carnival over NCL for our August cruise to Alaska, but it came down to cost.

As Carnival's prices continue to rise and the cost difference between NCL and Carnival shrinks, I will probably be more inclined to choose NCL next cruise just to have some new ports to visit (my home port is Baltimore).

[Warm Breezes]

If I want the same vibe, I'll stay with Carnival. We enjoy the little 3-day cruises for that wild party vibe so try to do a couple of those per year. Other than that, I prefer the longer Carnival cruises because there are fewer kids and a more sedate yet fun atmosphere. I really loved our 11-day Vista repositioning cruise in November. The Miracle to Hawaii in January of last year was also memorable (though I don't really like that ship).

 

I've considered NCL but can't see switching lines for the same experience. I've cruised Princess who's demographic is a little bit more white collar. I also cruised on the Jewel of the Seas for a California Coastal that was spectacular. It might have been the ship or itinerary (or cost), but the passengers were middle-aged and up and I didn't notice a hint of the family-friendly energy I've heard RCCL is known for. The energy was much more quiet and I didn't mind at all. The ship was beautiful!

 

The next line we'll try for the first time is Celebrity. I'm expecting it to be very quiet and maybe even dull, but I'm hoping the food will make the whole experience exactly what I'm looking for.

 

I wish I could find a line that has good energy, lots of fun things to do, but still has those classy and upscale touches. Too often I'll visit other CC boards and the loyal passengers will say things like, "I love the quiet of the ship. I can sit and read for hours. I don't need water slides and flow riders to enjoy cruising." To me, it just sounds boring and I don't want to pay 50% more for less things to do.

 

The new Breakaway and Breakaway Plus Mega NCL ships are not the same experience as CCL if you are looking for different. The Jewel and older ships are the ones where the experience is most similar to CCL.

[candigirl41]

I have sailed on Carnival 15 times, RCCL 3 times, Princess 4 times and NCl 1 time. I have one Carnival booked for later this year and two with NCL next year. I have to say I love them all. NCL was exceptional. That was on the Jewel. Great crew and the entertainment was better than Princess of CCL or RCCl.

 

Candi