Carnival.... some questions re- cancel/name changes.

[Hsmama]

Ok I am a new cruiser-took an Alaska Holland America cruise last year and loved it- looking to cruise again- this time to caribbean somewhere in the winter. I'm drawn to Carnival for their itineraries,and good prices. I'm also attracted b/c of their somewhat liberal cancel policies without penalty.also the name change policy seems fair and easy,I like that (incase one of our fam swaps out last minute) ...what do you think.... can I find happiness on such a different line than our only other cruise? from what I read,each cruise line is different,and I liked the quieter vibe on the Alaska,HA cruise. (I love the food,etc too) but for the reasons above,I'm thinking of trying Carnival...I'd like to hear your pros and cons please!

[BookDragon]

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Edited March 12, 2018 by BookDragon
Wrong thread

[dan4182]

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Your post doesn’t seem to match the OP’s questions.

 

 

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[Essiesmom]

As a new cruiser, you need to try a variety of cruise lines before you settle on a favorite. Carnival will not be the quiet time you had on HAL, but you won't be on deck looking for wildlife, either. The food is good, the company is good. If you want a little bit older crowd - but not as old as HAL - book one of the longer itineraries, 8 days or more. Try one of the itineraries that does a partial transit of the Panama Canal. If you think you might have to change people around, DO NOT BOOK THE EARLY SAVER fare category. EM

[TigerGalCruiser]

I've only sailed on Royal Caribbean and Carnival, so I'm not the most varied cruiser. But, I can tell you what I love about Carnival - the activities! It's a high energy cruise with plenty to do for my kiddos (one 7 and the other 15). I love the variety of on board entertainment - bingo, karaoke, art auctions, trivia - etc. There's just a lot to do. When I sailed RC Majesty of the Seas, I didn't find as much as the Carnival ships. RC felt a little more laid back, and that would have been ok, but I'm used to the line-up that Carnival has.

 

Carnival has good options too for those who want to find some quiet. Serenity is the place if you don't want to be bothered with kids and there's also the library if you want to escape and go read. The downside to Carnival is that because it's cheaper, you will find a very different dynamic of cruisers. But, overall, I tend to prefer Carnival. It really will depend on if you miss the quiet of your previous experiences.

[winddawn]

Ok I am a new cruiser-took an Alaska Holland America cruise last year and loved it- looking to cruise again- this time to caribbean somewhere in the winter. I'm drawn to Carnival for their itineraries,and good prices. I'm also attracted b/c of their somewhat liberal cancel policies without penalty.also the name change policy seems fair and easy,I like that (incase one of our fam swaps out last minute) ...what do you think.... can I find happiness on such a different line than our only other cruise? from what I read,each cruise line is different,and I liked the quieter vibe on the Alaska,HA cruise. (I love the food,etc too) but for the reasons above,I'm thinking of trying Carnival...I'd like to hear your pros and cons please!

 

Carnival tends to have more kids on board, and the activities are different too. The more kids on the ship, the louder it tends to be. A good strategy if you'd prefer to avoid that is cruising when school is in session and booking longer cruises. Carnival used to have one swimming pool onboard that was adults only, but the last year or so, during peak family times, Carnival has allowed kids in all the pools. Most, but not all, Carnival ships have an adult serenity area though where no one under 21 is permitted.

 

Where you might attend a cooking demonstration on HAL, you'll find activities like trivia and hairy chest contests on Carnival.

 

HAL offers hot food for room service where Carnival does not. For example on HAL, I was able to request a dinner dining room menu be delivered to my cabin and I selected my dining room food to be delivered to my cabin at an arranged time to enjoy on my cabin balcony. Carnival only offers cold continental breakfast for room service, and mostly sandwiches the rest of the day along with a few "for a fee" choices, such as wings and French fries.

 

Carnival's entertainment tends to be lacking; however, their comedy clubs are pretty popular. Most people advise to arrive early to the comedy club or it can be difficult to find a seat. Where you might enjoy a string quartet on HAL, you'll find DJs on Carnival.

 

Carnival's dining rooms are more casual than HALs IMO. Carnival is adopting what they call American Table and American Feast in their dining rooms. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2337

 

Holland America offers a couple ships in the Caribbean with non-smoking casinos. All Carnival casinos allow smoking and the entire casino, bar, and promenade tend to be very smoky, especially during peak times.

 

HALs prices for in-cabin liquor costs me about half of what I pay on Carnival for in-cabin liquor.

 

Be sure to compare apples to apples fares on Carnival and HAL before you decide on your ship/sail date. I just booked a fall eastern Caribbean cruise on HAL, and the fare was considerably cheaper the fares I was seeing on Carnival for similar itineraries.

 

That being said, I think Carnival offers very good service for their price point. Overall, Carnival staff are exceptional and genuinely seem to care about passengers.

 

I hope you find a great cruise! Be sure to pay attention to Carnival's fare rules associated with their various fare types before booking. Early saver fares are the most restrictive and ES does not allow name changes at all.

Edited March 13, 2018 by winddawn