Help! Considering a Carnival cruise for the first time

[beachbum53]

As you've probably noticed by now, no two people have exactly the same likes and dislikes concerning cruising and cruise ships. Before deciding for yourself, make a list of everything you've liked so far on your cruises. Size of ship, on board amenities and activities, dining options, entertainment, etc. Also, make a list of what you didn't like. Along with that, you apparently have an itinerary that you'd like to do. Now look to see which Carnival ship comes closest to matching your likes. While the itinerary is important, keep in mind that you'll probably only be in port for approximately 6 - 8 hours at each stop. The majority of your cruise time will be on the ship. It's your home away from home. Those of us that have cruised on Carnival multiple times all have our own favorite and not favorite ships. My favorite (so far) is the Liberty, and I would sail on her again in a heartbeat. My least favorite that I have absolutely no desire to cruise on ever again is the Vista. On a side note, if you're thinking about cruising out of San Juan, keep in mind that the airport is very very busy on Debarkation Day. There can easily be 5, 6, 7 or 8 ships all in port at about the same time with debarking passengers. That will mean really long lines at the airport for departing flights. Something we should have done, had we known ahead of time, was to stay overnight in a hotel and fly back home the following day. That's what several others do. Or, take a late same-day flight and find something to do for a few hours.

[Joebucks]

I've only ever been on Carnival. It's a great, affordable, accessible, cruise line that is hard to beat. I really want to become a platinum vifp.

 

I've wanted to try RCI, but I've heard a lot of the same themes. Best things I've heard is that the ships are the nicest and the entertainment is the best. The biggest cons I've heard is the food isn't as good, and it lacks that "atmosphere". Plus it's more money.

[joeyjpaul]

We are about to go on our third cruise with Carnival. So far we have done the Freedom and the Pride. This time we are on an older ship, the Carnival Ecstasy out of Charleston that does Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk as ports of call. Getting to Charleston is a lot easier for us (only 17 hour drive) as compared to Florida. The Pride sails out of Baltimore which is nice if you are in the North East.

 

We like the food, the activities and the shows. The kids programming is also great.

[beachbum53]

We are about to go on our third cruise with Carnival. So far we have done the Freedom and the Pride. This time we are on an older ship, the Carnival Ecstasy out of Charleston that does Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk as ports of call. Getting to Charleston is a lot easier for us (only 17 hour drive) as compared to Florida. The Pride sails out of Baltimore which is nice if you are in the North East.

 

We like the food, the activities and the shows. The kids programming is also great.

 

"Only a 17 hour drive"? Yikes! That makes my butt hurt just thinking about it. And if there's kids, being in a car with them for 17 hours would probably make my head explode.:eek:

[ProgRockCruiser]

I consider Carnival more family friendly with kids, more loud. Royal is for the older crowd and a little more quiet. All depends on what you are seeking.

I had to reply to this, not because of Carnival or any particular line per se, but my personal experience in deciding major life choices, and perhaps how that plays into liking Carnival so much.

 

I was in a relationship a bunch of years back, and it seemed like the kind of relationship that made sense as I got older. I was middle aged, so was she, our (her) circle of friends was an older crowd, especially as there was a lot of overlap with her mother. They were all quite happy to be in their final phase of life, going to art galleries, lavish dinners, mingling with the rest of the movers and shakers, most of them very well off, and now I was part of their crowd too. Not sure if any of the typical cruise lines would have been even quiet enough for them - not quite upscale enough.

 

I had a different circle of friends through work, not well off folks in general, younger, but they loved a good night out, footloose and carefree, as it were. I come from a working class background I suppose, got a good education and worked hard to get a good job, so I got along very well with all of them. I realized I was a lot happier with my work friends.

 

Yeah, kids on cruises can be loud obnoxious brats sometimes, but hey, they are usually having fun, so why not feed off that energy instead of being annoyed by it? And those barely-college-aged kids whooping it up at Blue Iguana Bar mid-afternoon on their third drink-of-the-day? ("Oh man, this is soooo strong compared to the Mic Ultra I usually drink!") As long as they aren't getting in my face I am quite happy to enjoy their shenanigans vicariously!

 

Carnival is definitely more my style, I guess. Huh, kinda just had that realization.

 

Oh, and I ended up bailing out of the older-generation relationship, and married a fun co-worker!

[Crazy4Camping]

As you've probably noticed by now, no two people have exactly the same likes and dislikes concerning cruising and cruise ships. Before deciding for yourself, make a list of everything you've liked so far on your cruises. Size of ship, on board amenities and activities, dining options, entertainment, etc. Also, make a list of what you didn't like. Along with that, you apparently have an itinerary that you'd like to do. Now look to see which Carnival ship comes closest to matching your likes. While the itinerary is important, keep in mind that you'll probably only be in port for approximately 6 - 8 hours at each stop. The majority of your cruise time will be on the ship. It's your home away from home. Those of us that have cruised on Carnival multiple times all have our own favorite and not favorite ships. My favorite (so far) is the Liberty, and I would sail on her again in a heartbeat. My least favorite that I have absolutely no desire to cruise on ever again is the Vista. On a side note, if you're thinking about cruising out of San Juan, keep in mind that the airport is very very busy on Debarkation Day. There can easily be 5, 6, 7 or 8 ships all in port at about the same time with debarking passengers. That will mean really long lines at the airport for departing flights. Something we should have done, had we known ahead of time, was to stay overnight in a hotel and fly back home the following day. That's what several others do. Or, take a late same-day flight and find something to do for a few hours.

 

 

So if we are arriving in San Juan in the afternoon we should be ok? Or will it still be a zoo??

[Crazy4Camping]

So we are going on our first cruise and using advice/opinions of friends that we are going with that have gone on several. We are sailing on Carnival. I'm just wondering, are there ALOT of kids? This is a worry now that I read some of these comments. I work with kids 60 hours a week and looking forward to a little less chaos!

[famof4togo]

So we are going on our first cruise and using advice/opinions of friends that we are going with that have gone on several. We are sailing on Carnival. I'm just wondering, are there ALOT of kids? This is a worry now that I read some of these comments. I work with kids 60 hours a week and looking forward to a little less chaos!

 

That of course can depend on which time of year you cruise...summer time, Christmas, Spring Break will have a ton of kids....mid February during the week...not so many kids...etc.....I travel with my child but even still on a boat with a ton of kids, there are plenty of places to go that have no kids....an adult only area, your own balcony, and the library, chapel etc...what I love most about a cruise is you can go go go 24/7 or do absolutely nothing in total peace and quiet both options are there.....

[beachbum53]

So if we are arriving in San Juan in the afternoon we should be ok? Or will it still be a zoo??

 

I'm not sure what it's like mid afternoon at the San Juan airport. Just in the morning, when there are about 8,000 to 10,000 people all lined up waiting to go through security.

 

So we are going on our first cruise and using advice/opinions of friends that we are going with that have gone on several. We are sailing on Carnival. I'm just wondering, are there ALOT of kids? This is a worry now that I read some of these comments. I work with kids 60 hours a week and looking forward to a little less chaos!

 

We have found early to mid May is the perfect time for a cruise. Spring Break is usually over for pretty much everyone by the end of April, and schools are usually still in session up until about Memorial Weekend. So, there's a two to three week period when you won't have a lot of kids on board. Maybe just a few pre-schoolers. Plus, the weather in the Caribbean is about as perfect as you could ask for. This is also an "off-peak period", so prices are a little cheaper during that time. After Labor Day weekend, after school has started back up is a possibility too. However, the weather can be "iffy". You might get lucky and have great weather, or there might be a tropical storm or hurricane that would cause one (or more) of your stops to be cancelled.

[ProgRockCruiser]

So we are going on our first cruise and using advice/opinions of friends that we are going with that have gone on several. We are sailing on Carnival. I'm just wondering, are there ALOT of kids? This is a worry now that I read some of these comments. I work with kids 60 hours a week and looking forward to a little less chaos!

When are you sailing? If you sail when kids are in school, you generally won't encounter as many of the on-board.

 

That being said, even in the "off-season" there will still be kids on board, maybe 20% of the total pax. Unfortunately for you, I suppose, cruises are a great way to take kids on vacation, and Carnival, being one of the most affordable cruiselines, attracts a lot of families.

 

Oh, and don't worry about chaos from kids, the adults on board are quite capable of generating some of that themselves...

 

:eek:

[Crazy4Camping]

Okay we are sailing early February, which I set up in my signature but doesn't seem to be coming up. So you're right, prob less kids. It seems like it would be a great vacation for families that can afford it so I can see the draw. We're using our life's savings to go on this one so trying to make sure we have fun and take advantage of everything!

[cruziJenn]

Another 'YES TRY IT!' opinion :)

 

In our experience Carnival is more lively and friendly than RC for sure.

 

As others have said, if you don't want tons of kids under foot then sail only during the school year....and DO NOT sail during Spring Break week!! Just for example :)

[famof4togo]

I think Carnival and RC are very similar in general with both having some plus's and some minus's over the other...but one major difference is the FUN....The Royal boat we were on last year was dead by midnight....crickets....but the last Carnival ship I took we partied till the wee hours....so that to me is the most significant difference between the lines....

[beachbum53]

Okay we are sailing early February, which I set up in my signature but doesn't seem to be coming up. So you're right, prob less kids. It seems like it would be a great vacation for families that can afford it so I can see the draw. We're using our life's savings to go on this one so trying to make sure we have fun and take advantage of everything!

 

We've cruised in February before to coincide with our anniversary. On one previous cruise, on RCCL's Explorer of the Seas, a school district on the East Coast (can't remember if it was New York or New Jersey) had an early Spring Break. Kids everywhere they weren't supposed to be. In the casino, In the Solarium pool. Running around under foot. It was a zoo on that cruise. While it's nice to get away from winter weather for a week and soak up some sun in the Caribbean, it sucks to have to go back home to snow and ice. Talk about a mood killer. :eek:

[voyager89]

Thank you all so much for your kind input and all the info provided.

 

Will definitely start doing my homework on the Carnival website now

[Crazy4Camping]

Oh my! I hope that won't be the case for us! Usually the break is later in the month so since we are sailing on Feb 3rd, I'm crossing my fingers there aren't a million kids! Of course I expect some, but want to enjoy my first and probably only cruise without tripping over kids and people. That's why we've chosen a smaller ship(Fascination). There is so much great info on these boards I'm reading everything!! Thanks for all the great input!!

[Tre_220]

Oh my! I hope that won't be the case for us! Usually the break is later in the month so since we are sailing on Feb 3rd, I'm crossing my fingers there aren't a million kids! Of course I expect some, but want to enjoy my first and probably only cruise without tripping over kids and people. That's why we've chosen a smaller ship(Fascination). There is so much great info on these boards I'm reading everything!! Thanks for all the great input!!

 

 

 

I think you will be fine. Most schools are in session during your cruise.

 

 

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