Just returned from Magic. Time for break from Carnival?

[olivertexas]

3 hours ago, LPYRCRUISER said:

 

 

Entertainment  -- This is where Carnival seemed to falter.  We had four different shows but with the same cast.  The Carnival singers and dancers were OK, but seemed to be trying too hard.  A lot of screaming instead of singing.  The quality is just not up to the standards of other cruise lines we have sailed.  The Comedy club was good!  

 

I could not agree more - the last several years (especially with the Playlist Productions - ugh) this has been the case.  It's gotten so bad we don't even go to the theater.  We may end up shopping for something near the theater - so I'll wander over to hear what is going on and  then I am reminded why we don't go.  When karaoke competes favorably...eek...

 

And lately - the comedy club is not publicized much.  I don't know if it's because they don't want it to succeed - or that's the venue that is killing it on the ship and they don't want to overtax it!

Edited March 5, 2020 by olivertexas

[choppe]

7 minutes ago, amyotravel said:

The early debarkation for those with early flights would be a different scenario than just general self assist debarkation. I was the one who said by deck number. We had a late flight and were not out of the terminal until 11 because we happened to be one of two last decks called and it was a cluster at customs. That said, I suppose you could not tell the truth about your flight, but since we did not need to rush, we followed the rules and did as instructed. I purposely never book early flights because it's stressful. And, arrival could be delayed for any number of reasons, such as is common with Galveston, fog. You never know.

 

OH and as an added bonus, it was much easier to get a rideshare out of Galveston later from Ubers/Lyfts that were dropping later arrivals to the port. No surge charges due to heavy volume going back either! 🙂

Thanks for the clarification.  We have 2 carnival cruises this year...one out of FLL next month where we are driving home and one out of Galveston in December where we are flying home.

[PhillyFan33579]

9 minutes ago, scpirate said:

They didn't say it was bad.they just felt it could have been better.i know how they feel .my third carnival Cruise made me go in a different direction even though I come back and forth.carnival serves a purpose but it's not "the one" to everyone.

I can relate to going in a different direction. My wife and I have over 30 cruises on Carnival but right now we both agree we prefer Royal Caribbean, so our next 5 cruises are booked with them. Right now I don’t see us going back to Carnival anytime soon, but that could change depending on what we hear about Mardi Gras. I don’t have anything bad to say about Carnival, which is why I still enjoy this message board  

Edited March 5, 2020 by PhillyFan33579

[Lem_On_Ade]

2 hours ago, grandmarnnurse said:

As someone who tried to branch out and try different lines, I can tell you I’m very happy to return to Carnival. I cruised two RCCL ships, the Indy and the Oasis. Let just say they lived up to their motto of WOW. They were gorgeous. But anytime you need to reserve your shows before your cruise even sets sail, was not appealing to me. And then to sit through CATS was pure torture. And they were the biggest culprits of nickel and dimeing you onboard. No thanks. We left RCCL, and decided to try NCL. We found Freestyle Cruising absolutely fabulous! We loved the more casual atmosphere and the ability to eat wherever and whenever we wanted. And their Broadway show, Million Dollar Quartet, was awesome! But there was something lacking that we missed, and that was the “fun factor”. We returned to Carnival last year, and were so glad we did. The food was better, and there was always some activity and music everywhere! Their shows are just the right length—30 minutes (endured CATS on RCCL for THREE HOURS!!), but I admit, some were just terrible. The shows and performers on my Breeze cruise last year were awful, but the shows and performers on my February Glory cruise were excellent, and we really enjoyed them. I will be cruising the Magic in April for a B2B, and if I find the shows or performers to not be so good, I just won’t go to another show on another night. There is plenty of other entertainment to keep us busy. And we love how the price point of everything Carnival fits our retirement budget. RCCL has gotten way too pricey, and NCL’s price point is creeping up to cover their Free At Sea promotions. So, for now, I am more than happy with Carnival, but everyone has their own expectations and needs in a cruise, and they need to go wherever t makes them happy. It’s worth it to try. Who knows, you may coming running back, as I did.

 

@grandmarnnurse I'm with you. After 10 years of sailing with Carnival, my husband and I thought we may be getting bored with them so we decided to try NCL in January. Within the first couple hours I was missing the Carnival "fun ships". Don't get me wrong, the NCL ship was beautiful (10 times more gorgeous than any Carnival ship I've been on) and the food was excellent. But who wants to schedule everything they do before the even get on board? We found that to be very aggravating. If I want to see one of Carnivals playlist productions or comedy I can just walk in, not on NCL. We weren't able to get reservations for the comedy the entire week. What was even more frustrating was the lack of open deck space, you can forget laying somewhere in peace. You'll spend an hour trying to find two spots together and by then you'll be so aggravated that you'll need a drink but you can forget seeing a roaming waiter, they are nowhere to be found. Ahhh, sorry for venting, I'm just ready to get back to Carnival lol

[thesmiths]

For us, we enjoy going to the shows. Playlist, Comedy.

We have seen a few bad ones, it would not make us move on from Carnival.

 

After any (bad ) show my wife would look at me and I would look at her would say that sucked or was great and that would be the end if it.

There is so much more while on a cruise to enjoy then a bad 1.5 hours, that would not dampen our spirits and sure as heck wouldn't even think of changing lines over it.  It is on to the next Venue or port of call!

 

 

Edited March 5, 2020 by thesmiths

[grandmarnnurse]

36 minutes ago, Lem_On_Ade said:

@grandmarnnurse I'm with you. After 10 years of sailing with Carnival, my husband and I thought we may be getting bored with them so we decided to try NCL in January. Within the first couple hours I was missing the Carnival "fun ships". Don't get me wrong, the NCL ship was beautiful (10 times more gorgeous than any Carnival ship I've been on) and the food was excellent. But who wants to schedule everything they do before the even get on board? We found that to be very aggravating. If I want to see one of Carnivals playlist productions or comedy I can just walk in, not on NCL. We weren't able to get reservations for the comedy the entire week. What was even more frustrating was the lack of open deck space, you can forget laying somewhere in peace. You'll spend an hour trying to find two spots together and by then you'll be so aggravated that you'll need a drink but you can forget seeing a roaming waiter, they are nowhere to be found. Ahhh, sorry for venting, I'm just ready to get back to Carnival lol

Same here—- we never saw one single comedy show, because we found out that you needed to reserve those shows as soon as your boarded in the Box Office. And forget about ever trying to get in to the Escape Room! We said, “hell with this” and went running back to Carnival! 

[wolft927]

4 hours ago, LPYRCRUISER said:

We just returned on Saturday from a 6 day on Magic.  There were some things that Carnival did really well and others, not so much.

 

Embarkation  - We had the 12:00 to 12:30 check in time.  Our shuttle from our hotel only had the 10AM slot open, so we took that.  Arrived at the port and it was crazy with passengers just getting off the ship.  We went to check in and it went very quickly and efficiently.  I believe we were aboard around 11AM.

 

Dining - We immediately went to the barbeque on deck 5.  there was no line and plenty of seating.  the food was good. We ate our breakfasts in the main dining room.  Food and service were always good. Went to the Italian place one day for lunch.  Very good!  We did Guy's for lunch one day.  Good burgers and fries.  The rest of the days we were in port.  Never did eat at the buffet except for the chocolate extravaganza.  What's not to like?  We ate dinner in the Northern Lights dining room.  We had assigned early seating.  This normally takes place in the Southern Lights dining room, but I emailed the maitre'd and asked to be seated as mid ship as possible as we have some in our group who are sensitive to movement.  I was very pleased he placed us in the mid ship dining room.  However, the meals were very hit or miss.  Some nights the food was excellent and others just average. Our waiter Joseph and his assistants were excellent!

 

Room  -- We had a mid-ship balcony.  Our steward asked if we wanted morning or evening service.  I asked for both and he accommodated us with stellar service and attitude!

 

Entertainment  -- This is where Carnival seemed to falter.  We had four different shows but with the same cast.  The Carnival singers and dancers were OK, but seemed to be trying too hard.  A lot of screaming instead of singing.  The quality is just not up to the standards of other cruise lines we have sailed.  The Comedy club was good!  Saw two different comediennes and enjoyed them both.  The Love and Marriage show is always a hoot!

 

Ports  -  LOVE Half Moon Cay. Grand Turk was good, although we didn't get a chair at the beach. The locals were charging $50 for 2 chairs with umbrellas.  We found spots at the pool and enjoyed that.  We stayed on the ship at Amber Cove.  Just felt that lounging on the ship would be less hassle and more relaxing.

 

Disembarkation  -- Did self assist. We were at the airport by taxi at 7:30.

 

Overall thoughts. -  I can't say I didn't enjoy our cruise.  I just think we're more in tuned for a more upscale experience in dining and entertainment.  I still think Carnival gives you the biggest bang for your buck, but you do get what you pay for.  I'm ready to try Princess and see how it compares.  if there's something I didn't mention and anyone has questions, I'd be happy to answer.

So, I have worked on board NCL, Cruised RCCL, Princess, Carnival, Premier and also Dolphin Cruise lines when they were around. Reading your post i think you would absolutely like Princess. Much more elegant, Entertainment i would say is not much better then Carnival as far as the production shows. Food, hands down Princess. Regal Princess was an amazing ship but i will say that by 11pm,  everyone has gone to bed lol. I cruise Carnival now more often simply because I do not need to fly to my port and because i still enjoy the laid back atmosphere. Best of luck with future cruises

[sprint180]

We cruised on the Magic in the beginning of January.  We were also disappointed with the entertainment and  I would say I agree with the rest of  your review also.   My husband really likes Princess and so do I.  I also really like NCL when my husband stays home and I go with my adult children.    Enjoy your next trip!

[Lottacruises]

5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Bingo

And it was validated to be honest.

[AquarianCruiser]

3 hours ago, grandmarnnurse said:

Same here—- we never saw one single comedy show, because we found out that you needed to reserve those shows as soon as your boarded in the Box Office. And forget about ever trying to get in to the Escape Room! We said, “hell with this” and went running back to Carnival! 

Yes, reserving those seats takes all of about 2 whole minutes.  What a serious inconvenience!🙄 

[1GaPeach]

I honestly can’t remember the entertainment on princess...but based on your comments, Royal may be more to your liking related to entertainment and food. You definitely pay more but then certain levels of show quality cost more. 
 

For me, the entertainment on carnival on my 2020 Horizon trip surpassed the 2018 Conquest trip by leaps and bounds but definitely didn’t compare to the previous Royal who had a broadway production of Cats. 
 

take each adventure for what it is and if looking for something more specific, adjust accordingly.

 

im glad the overall experience was enjoyable for you.

[Sagittarius traveler]

I always tell people to make sure you fill out the survey they send via email and explain how they need to do better with entertainment on the ship. 

 

Trust me when resorts /hotels/ theme parks / cruises get bad reviews and if they get a lot in a particular area they usually try to improve .

[Midwestgal]

8 hours ago, LPYRCRUISER said:

We just returned on Saturday from a 6 day on Magic.  There were some things that Carnival did really well and others, not so much.

 

Embarkation  - We had the 12:00 to 12:30 check in time.  Our shuttle from our hotel only had the 10AM slot open, so we took that.  Arrived at the port and it was crazy with passengers just getting off the ship.  We went to check in and it went very quickly and efficiently.  I believe we were aboard around 11AM.

 

Dining - We immediately went to the barbeque on deck 5.  there was no line and plenty of seating.  the food was good. We ate our breakfasts in the main dining room.  Food and service were always good. Went to the Italian place one day for lunch.  Very good!  We did Guy's for lunch one day.  Good burgers and fries.  The rest of the days we were in port.  Never did eat at the buffet except for the chocolate extravaganza.  What's not to like?  We ate dinner in the Northern Lights dining room.  We had assigned early seating.  This normally takes place in the Southern Lights dining room, but I emailed the maitre'd and asked to be seated as mid ship as possible as we have some in our group who are sensitive to movement.  I was very pleased he placed us in the mid ship dining room.  However, the meals were very hit or miss.  Some nights the food was excellent and others just average. Our waiter Joseph and his assistants were excellent!

 

Room  -- We had a mid-ship balcony.  Our steward asked if we wanted morning or evening service.  I asked for both and he accommodated us with stellar service and attitude!

 

Entertainment  -- This is where Carnival seemed to falter.  We had four different shows but with the same cast.  The Carnival singers and dancers were OK, but seemed to be trying too hard.  A lot of screaming instead of singing.  The quality is just not up to the standards of other cruise lines we have sailed.  The Comedy club was good!  Saw two different comediennes and enjoyed them both.  The Love and Marriage show is always a hoot!

 

Ports  -  LOVE Half Moon Cay. Grand Turk was good, although we didn't get a chair at the beach. The locals were charging $50 for 2 chairs with umbrellas.  We found spots at the pool and enjoyed that.  We stayed on the ship at Amber Cove.  Just felt that lounging on the ship would be less hassle and more relaxing.

 

Disembarkation  -- Did self assist. We were at the airport by taxi at 7:30.

 

Overall thoughts. -  I can't say I didn't enjoy our cruise.  I just think we're more in tuned for a more upscale experience in dining and entertainment.  I still think Carnival gives you the biggest bang for your buck, but you do get what you pay for.  I'm ready to try Princess and see how it compares.  if there's something I didn't mention and anyone has questions, I'd be happy to answer.

I felt this way after my last carnival cruise and jumped to Royal new ships. I won’t say that its so upscale but in my opinions it’s a step up and as far as entertaining and things to do on the ship there is no comparison.

I don’t regret my choice at all. I’m in love with the oasis class ships, it’s what fits me at this time in life

Edited March 6, 2020 by Midwestgal

[Drinal01]

I know it is generalizations but I thought it was RCCL and Disney with the best "entertainment" / production shows.   Carnival = best comedy.

 

Princess while more laid back and very arguably better food (I think its fairly evenly distributed 50/50 as to if the food is better on Princess) is not generally rated as having better entertainment?

 

NCL would (in general) come before Princess as far as entertainment / shows...   Just want I have read have only been on Disney before and thought their productions were top notch.  This was 10 years ago before the cost of Disney is 2.5x what other similar lines charge.

[evandbob]

Princess, Celebrity, MSC, NCL, and recently Royal's Symphony were lines and ships we tried once we felt we needed a respite from Carnival 

 

Subtle differences between all the ships, it's nice to experience them and even be surprised by some of the unexpected aspects - like the ship with the highest # of passengers (6,300) feeling less crowded than a mid sized carnival ship with 3,000 pax.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, Lottacruises said:

And it was validated to be honest.

See it men’s so much more than those dishonest ones

[jimbo5544]

38 minutes ago, evandbob said:

Princess, Celebrity, MSC, NCL, and recently Royal's Symphony were lines and ships we tried once we felt we needed a respite from Carnival 

 

Subtle differences between all the ships, it's nice to experience them and even be surprised by some of the unexpected aspects - like the ship with the highest # of passengers (6,300) feeling less crowded than a mid sized carnival ship with 3,000 pax.

Just goes to show you how wrong your feelings can be.  

[SunriseCoffee]

6 hours ago, TakeMeAway1001 said:

After 15 Carnival cruises we were looking to try another line and my boss raved about Princess. We cruised with them in November and we weren't impressed, nothing too crazy, it just wasn't what we envisioned after my boss repeatedly referred to Princess as an upscale and classy line. It was ok, but we wouldn't cruise with them again. We are heading out on the Miracle on the 22nd and are looking forward to going back. 

 

We are in about the same situation as you are. 14 Carnival cruises and our first Princess schedule in June. Which Princess ship did you sail on?

 

The Best Sale ever and the desire to try something new is what got us to book Princess. We are back on Carnival for Thanksgiving. 

[joeyancho]

We just booked MSC for the first time. The value was terrific. So it will interesting to see how we like it. I don't know why people stick with the same cruise line all the time.  In December we cruised NCL for the first time and loved it.   Try another line. How bad can it be? You're on a cruise!  Besides, it's fun to sleep around .

[VitaLuna]

If it’s getting boring, try something new! No one says you have to be brand/line loyal for all eternity. Maybe you’ll find a new line you love, or maybe you’ll think that the entertainment and food wasn’t all that disappointing after all. Don’t know until you try. 

[QBanQT22]

We're supposed to be sailing on 3/22 on the Magic and same itinerary. Did you notice any extra precautions being taken due to the Coronavirus? We're a party of 12 going and half the group is freaking out and talking about canceling. I have a 7 and 12 y.o. going and am not sure what to do 😣

[CanWeGoYet?]

2 hours ago, QBanQT22 said:

We're supposed to be sailing on 3/22 on the Magic and same itinerary. Did you notice any extra precautions being taken due to the Coronavirus? We're a party of 12 going and half the group is freaking out and talking about canceling. I have a 7 and 12 y.o. going and am not sure what to do 😣

Hand washing is so important, and more effective against viruses than hand gel.  It isn't easy though, getting from a sink to the MDR / seated & having your food with clean hands.  I know it is advised to not touch a hand  rail, but if seas are rocking I'd rather grab the hand rail & get sick  than have a broken leg, wrist or pelvis.  And then you need to pull your chair out, and pick up & read the menu.  Unless they are going to paper / disposed of after each use - avoiding the hand rail may be of limited value.  If I were about to go on a cruise in the midst of this, I'd wash my hands thoroughly in the cabin.   Then put on disposable gloves until after I'm seated, after I have set down the menu for good.  Remove inside out, taking care not to touch outside the gloves as you are removing them (I'm a nurse, this is how you need to remove gloves to keep from contaminating your hands anyway) discard in a paper bag that you can toss out after you  are done eating.  It may sound laughable but it's what you need to do to have clean hands at meal time.  Hoping at the buffet they have crew dishing up the food for the passengers.  Otherwise you grab a serving spoon & it may have been handled by 50 other people, with hands that may not be clean.  That's just to keep from touching germs that may sicken you, I don't know what to do about airborne viruses & the "stay 6 feet away from others" rule.  I don't think that's even possible on a ship.  

Edited March 6, 2020 by CanWeGoYet?

[Tapi]

15 hours ago, LPYRCRUISER said:

I've always wondered if the lines where you pay more, Princess, HAL  & Celebrity, were worth the extra. I'm very frugal, and Carnival has always delivered.

We just returned last Sunday from a cruise aboard HAL’s Niew Statendam, similar itinerary to yours (Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove plus Key West). We are not in HAL’s traditional, more senior demographics (we are parents in our 40’s raising 8 and 10 year old kids). You would’ve thought that Carnival would’ve been a more appropriate choice for us,  but we decided to give HAL a try because we’d never been to these ports, it was a new ship, but most importantly, because the cruise fare was substantially cheaper than all other cruise lines. Our cruise on HAL was actually $1.3K cheaper than Carnival for the same dates!

 

After booking this cruise, I questioned the decision, A LOT, thinking that it was a bad choice for my young family. I thought that we would all be bored to tears aboard an “old folks” ship. Long story short, we had an absolutely fantastic cruise. Easily one of the best cruises we’ve taken in recent memory as a family. Everything was “just nicer”. We came home craving another cruise on Holland America. Even my kids, who I thought would’ve had the hardest time with HAL’s calmer and more adult atmosphere, came home raving about it. 
 

It’s definitely NOT for everybody though. HAL excels in many regards specially in their impeccable service and culinary council cuisine, but I wouldn’t recommend it blindly to anybody, specially cruisers who do enjoy the more energetic and entertainment driven atmosphere found on other cruise lines. They may consider this cruise line a snooze fest.
 

What I’m trying to say is that I recommend trying other cruise lines. See what they have to offer, and if it’s something that will be appealing to you. Like we experienced, you won’t really know if they are for you until you actually try them for yourself. 

 

Feel free to read my photo review, posted on the HAL board. I hope it gives you a good source of comparison and helps you determine if you’re ready to try something different. Click here: Our Cruise aboard the Niew Statendam

Edited March 6, 2020 by Tapi

[grandmarnnurse]

4 hours ago, CanWeGoYet? said:

Hand washing is so important, and more effective against viruses than hand gel.  It isn't easy though, getting from a sink to the MDR / seated & having your food with clean hands.  I know it is advised to not touch a hand  rail, but if seas are rocking I'd rather grab the hand rail & get sick  than have a broken leg, wrist or pelvis.  And then you need to pull your chair out, and pick up & read the menu.  Unless they are going to paper / disposed of after each use - avoiding the hand rail may be of limited value.  If I were about to go on a cruise in the midst of this, I'd wash my hands thoroughly in the cabin.   Then put on disposable gloves until after I'm seated, after I have set down the menu for good.  Remove inside out, taking care not to touch outside the gloves as you are removing them (I'm a nurse, this is how you need to remove gloves to keep from contaminating your hands anyway) discard in a paper bag that you can toss out after you  are done eating.  It may sound laughable but it's what you need to do to have clean hands at meal time.  Hoping at the buffet they have crew dishing up the food for the passengers.  Otherwise you grab a serving spoon & it may have been handled by 50 other people, with hands that may not be clean.  That's just to keep from touching germs that may sicken you, I don't know what to do about airborne viruses & the "stay 6 feet away from others" rule.  I don't think that's even possible on a ship.  

I, too, am a nurse. A retired RN. And there is no way in hell that I’d bring disposable gloves on a cruise. That’s about as silly as seeing all these people wearing masks that aren’t going to do them any good, since only a fit tested N-95 would work. I just carry my bottle of hand sanitizer that I use, after I have washed in cabin, but used hand rails to prevent falls. Alcohol based hand sanitizer are effective against Coronavirus. But make sure your bottles of hand sanitizer are new, not expired, as the alcohol in them evaporates over time, and makes the bottle useless. I also use Zoono, a 24 hour foam hand sanitizer that works differently in how it kills the germs. It is the only OTC hand sanitizer that is effective against Norovirus.  I order that from Amazon, and the small bottles are about $7 each. But right now, I’ve noticed a lot of price gauging, even on Amazon. Bottles of hand sanitizer are going for $45! Crazy! Yes, we all need to protect ourselves, but let’s not get hysterical about it. Use the same precautions you’d always use against influenza. As for bringing children onboard. Only you can decide what is best, and whether you’d spend your vacation worrying, but statistics are showing that this virus doesn’t seem to bother the young. Or anyone under the age of 35, without existing health conditions. It actually is hardest on my age group, senior citizens. But since my hubby and I are both healthy individuals that do not smoke (if a smoker, no matter your age, your lungs are compromised, and are high risk), we will be leaving for our Magic B2B on April 5, unless cruise lines start cancelling. And I do not see that happening. The virus is already leveling off in China. I expect it to run its course here, like influenza, and then we can all move on without all this hysteria. BTW—I’m also boarding a train for a 2 day train ride out west from Buffalo. Now there is a real virus incubator! 

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

We just returned last Sunday from a cruise aboard HAL’s Niew Statendam, similar itinerary to yours (Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove plus Key West). We are not in HAL’s traditional, more senior demographics (we are parents in our 40’s raising 8 and 10 year old kids). You would’ve thought that Carnival would’ve been a more appropriate choice for us,  but we decided to give HAL a try because we’d never been to these ports, it was a new ship, but most importantly, because the cruise fare was substantially cheaper than all other cruise lines. Our cruise on HAL was actually $1.3K cheaper than Carnival for the same dates!

 

After booking this cruise, I questioned the decision, A LOT, thinking that it was a bad choice for my young family. I thought that we would all be bored to tears aboard an “old folks” ship. Long story short, we had an absolutely fantastic cruise. Easily one of the best cruises we’ve taken in recent memory as a family. Everything was “just nicer”. We came home craving another cruise on Holland America. Even my kids, who I thought would’ve had the hardest time with HAL’s calmer and more adult atmosphere, came home raving about it. 
 

It’s definitely NOT for everybody though. HAL excels in many regards specially in their impeccable service and culinary council cuisine, but I wouldn’t recommend it blindly to anybody, specially cruisers who do enjoy the more energetic and entertainment driven atmosphere found on other cruise lines. They may consider this cruise line a snooze fest.
 

What I’m trying to say is that I recommend trying other cruise lines. See what they have to offer, and if it’s something that will be appealing to you. Like we experienced, you won’t really know if they are for you until you actually try them for yourself. 

 

Feel free to read my photo review, posted on the HAL board. I hope it gives you a good source of comparison and helps you determine if you’re ready to try something different. Click here: Our Cruise aboard the Niew Statendam

Dis not know you sis a review, very interested to check it out