Carnival Versus other lines.

[Prometheus1]

Cruised on Carnival multiple times and Royal Caribbean once. For me very different experiences. I found the food on Royal to be some of the best MDR food I have had on a ship (I know this can depend on the ship itself) That being said, the specialty restaurants on Carnival were a bit cheaper and I find them to be a good value. My first 10 cruises I never ate in a specialty restaurant and now I eat at least once in a specialty restaurant on each cruise. I find the energy on Carnival to be infectious and it is wonderful and really is a "fun ship". For a more laid back atmosphere I really enjoy Royal Caribbean and Princess. Also Royal has the Solarium and I pretty much spent all my time there on our only Royal cruise. I'm fair skinned and they have plenty of covered places to lounge, and hot tubs that are also covered.  I have a Royal booked in October of this year and Jan 2022, with a Carnival in between.  I'm hoping the upcoming Royal cruises will be as wonderful  as our last.  I'm happy to go back and forth between the two brands and will book based on price. I do wish Carnival had more choices for longer itineraries. Royal has a fair amount of 9+ days, Carnival has a few but they are mostly repositioning or to Hawaii or Alaska. The more I cruise, the longer the cruises get. Would love to try Celebrity but its out of my price range. Would rather go on multiple cruises a year then just one expensive cruise.

[klfhngr]

19 hours ago, Cruise Related said:

Tell me, what does Carnival provide for you that other lines do not? What makes you choose the fun ships over other lines? I personally have tried RCCL and Carnival. Wanting to try MSC and have a huge massive like 16 day cruise book on NCL in 2022 to see what they are about. Totally excited for British style pub with all the wings. I’m a wing man! But carnival is budget friendly, wonderful booze, and overall just a good freaking time. So im kinda biased. RCCL, wasnt a fan of the food, the entertainment was freaking fantastic compared to Carnival, but I feel that’s their only leg up. So, what makes you sail Carnival over and over? 

We've tried Royal/X , NCL, Princess and Carnival. Thinking about MSC, but hearing some bad things about it, so we'll see. We have more Carnival wings under our belt out of all the cruise lines noted above, but I can honestly say that we loved our first and only NCL cruise. The food was pretty good, loved the laid back feel, the ship and the vibe Crew was great too. Our last cruise was on Symphony of the Seas, which was ok, and as you said, the food was just ok (didn't really like it). The ship felt too big, can't really get to know her in 1 week (we've done Allure also, but she left me in the Bahamas). Our X cruise was incredible too, we weren't sure if we were going to like it, but we did! I don't think we'll ever do Princess again. So, to answer your question, what does Carnival do for us? Well, we always have a blast on Carnival, the food is WAY better than on Royal. Prices for drinks are pretty fair, IMHO. Cabins are large and get the job done. And the crew, they always seem to be friendly. It's been a few years since our last Carnival cruise, but we'll be back in Oct.

[AtSeaWithChris]

19 hours ago, Cruise Related said:

Tell me, what does Carnival provide for you that other lines do not? What makes you choose the fun ships over other lines? I personally have tried RCCL and Carnival. Wanting to try MSC and have a huge massive like 16 day cruise book on NCL in 2022 to see what they are about. Totally excited for British style pub with all the wings. I’m a wing man! But carnival is budget friendly, wonderful booze, and overall just a good freaking time. So im kinda biased. RCCL, wasnt a fan of the food, the entertainment was freaking fantastic compared to Carnival, but I feel that’s their only leg up. So, what makes you sail Carnival over and over?we choose Carnival for the fun almost like camp experience. We like many have had issues with consistency of food and service but all lines seem to have that issue unless you really step up to something like Viking. We could go on most any line and we choose Carnival.  They are truly the fun ships. 

[Jasonsterling]

20 years ago it was their wealth of ships and ports to travel from. I could always find an itinerary that suited when I could take time off- that was the big thing that swayed me their direction. I do like the relaxed atmosphere though and the wide spread of society onboard. It's not homogenous- like all middle class or all wealthy or even all lower class but a real mix of just everyone. That's what I enjoy now but that's probably true of NCL, RCCL, MSC too, so in the end it's what I know as well. I know what to expect and what I'm getting- I like the rowdy atmosphere and the rolling party around the ship. It always feels upbeat and friendly and to quote a tag line "fun". So that's the appeal. 

[sgttami]

I've sailed equally on RCL and Carnival (about 14 on each) and once each on Celebrity, NCL and MSC over the years.  

 

These days I like Carnival because I can drive to NY or Baltimore and not deal with flying and cruise for taxes and port charges only several times a year. (Casino offers). 

 

I've never had a bad cruise even though my least favorite was NCL. Unless something good pops up for another line, I'm happy with Carnival.   

 

Funny, I was told I'd hate Carnival by die hard RCL fans.  They were totally wrong...LOL

 

 

 

[Brew12]

I feel like a simpleton. I wish I had a better reason for only having done cruises on Carnival but I don't. I like that I can wear nice shorts and a golf polo in the MDR at night. I pack as many pants and pairs of socks as their are formal nights. If I'm not traveling for work and have to bring more than 2 pairs of socks it better be to a family wedding or funeral.

[Ilovesailaway]

I honestly don't have a favorite cruise line. I do like the casual food a little more on CCL and NCL. Also CCL tends to be lower priced although I have found great deals an all including Princess.

I have had a great time interacting with staff (esp. bartenders) on all lines. I think the shorter cruises party a little harder than the longer cruises. 

I have been pretty fortunate and have not had a bad cruise

[skywalkr2]

In my case because me and the wife are about to hit 75 nights, and then I'll be even more hooked than I had been previously.  Honestly I just don't see why I would try another line unless it was to a port we HAD to go to that Carnival was avoiding.

[MrMarc]

I have cruised on NCL, RCL, Carnival and some smaller sailing ships (windjammer, a long time ago), and a larger cruising yacht (back when mom was paying for stuff).  Windjammer was a totally different experience that is not available anymore.  The small (100 people) Yacht had an amazing crew and food, but it was all about the ports, not a lot to do onboard and way too expensive.  The three main cruise lines I have been on, I really have to say were not incredibly different from each other.  A lot depends on the passengers you are with, that is what makes the "vibe" of the week.  Also you have to keep your expectations reasonable.  If you are on a smaller ship, don't expect the same experience of the Mardi Gras or an Oasis class ship.  Some have better food on a particular cruise, some have better entertainment.  In general, at least for me Carnival has more of a party atmosphere, RCCL a bit more formal, and NCL has been totally dependent on the particular ship. I think there are good and bad things on every cruise, you just choose which to concentrate on.  And do NOT read the reviews.  They are useless.  All they show is the attitude and singular experience one person or group had.   Pick what is coinvent, goes to the ports you want and within your price range.  Don't sweat the small things and you will have a great time.

[stevec999]

Carnival is not our favorite. We cruised it a lot when our daughter was young. Our favorites in order Oceania, Celebrity, Carnival and then HAL.

 

Carnival had some great deals that we couldn’t resist. I think my wife has 4 booked ( maybe more she hasn’t told me about). We will be on the Mardi Grau 8/7.

[JimmyTheSaint]

FUN, it's as simple as that. We've sailed once on RCI and MSC as once was enough for us to know that we much prefer Carnival. The atmosphere, vibe or whatever you want to call it is much more fun on Carnival. It's the overall feeling of having a good time. We enjoy the food, activities, the entertainment and the crew on Carnival.

 

We found MSC to be badly lacking in all of the above. The ship itself was beautiful, by far the nicest ship we've been on. The service levels were terrible, the food was mediocre on the best day, the entertainment was dull. Overall the atmosphere on board was lifeless. I'll never be on another MSC cruise.

 

RCI we had a good cruise but that was due more to the itinerary and some lovely fellow cruisers we shared a dinner table with. We felt RCI put in a hard sell throughout the cruise. The food, service and entertainment were on a par with Carnival. One thing that RCI didn't do so well was their timetable of entertainment, too many things overlapped so you had to choose one to go to. Night time on Carnival for us is usually dinner, production show followed by Comedy Club. We couldn't do that on RCI. For the premium RCI charge we expected better.

 

 

[sarahbeth476]

Carnival is reasonably priced and good for families. I’ve had excellent customer service on Carnival ships. I love the Cloud 9 spa. Specific to port, Carnival has a dedicated parking garage in NOLA which is amazingly convenient and worth the money. We tried NCL in 2018. It was more expensive and the customer service was terrible. I also didn’t love the pay for restaurants. The food was just so so. The spa was ok, I did really like their salt cave room. Their shows were a little better than Carnival, I think. Overall, Carnival is the better experience. I wouldn’t mind trying a few other brands if the price is right. 

[LakeWobegon]

We've cruised all the "major" lines and Carnival is still our favorite. My wife often says its hard to explain, but it's just a fun, relaxed but not trashy vibe. Well, the main pool deck can get a little wild during some of the lip synch competitions, etc. But overall, it's just good, clean fun. We like Royal and don't find it stuffy. But some of the "loyal to Royal" people think Carnival is a big turd and their poop doesn't stink. It's comical. Our second favorite is NCL. And we've enjoyed MSC, but unless you're in the Yacht Club, which you can sometimes get at a great price, it's kind of a bland experience.

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by LakeWobegon

[CruiseAdict218]

Have cruised equally on both Carnival and Princess; most recently sailed with MSC. Most of our family enjoyed and have gotten the most out of Carnival in terms of ship, service and all that fun stuff. Food is usually also really good with very little complaints. 

 

My aunt loves Princess which is not as crazy as Carnival (I personally like both), while mom prefers Carnival, the most recent changes to Princess' menu is what pushed us to Carnival more recently. As far as MSC, found their onboard service to be excellent, food was also pretty good as well, I would definitely sail with them again. 

 

With that said I would love to try all the brands, especially Royal, Celebrity, NCL and HAL, etc.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

Seaday brunch!! We also like that the early comedy shows are PG and our son can enjoy them with us. And Galveston is a drivable port for us. We’ve cruised several lines, but these are the things we miss when we aren’t on Carnival.

[chefchick]

I can tell you what I like about Carnival vs the other lines, but that is irrelevant if those same qualities aren’t what you look for personally in a cruise line.

 

The large, mainstream lines IMO have more in common than you’d think… frankly my advice is…try as many as you can and judge for yourself!

[xDisconnections]

On 8/2/2021 at 4:40 PM, Cruise Related said:

Tell me, what does Carnival provide for you that other lines do not? What makes you choose the fun ships over other lines? I personally have tried RCCL and Carnival. Wanting to try MSC and have a huge massive like 16 day cruise book on NCL in 2022 to see what they are about. Totally excited for British style pub with all the wings. I’m a wing man! But carnival is budget friendly, wonderful booze, and overall just a good freaking time. So im kinda biased. RCCL, wasnt a fan of the food, the entertainment was freaking fantastic compared to Carnival, but I feel that’s their only leg up. So, what makes you sail Carnival over and over? 

Nothing keeps me loyal to Carnival anymore. My preference leans more towards Princess and Royal Caribbean. All things considered, there isn’t much I enjoy on Carnival that I can’t find better elsewhere. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by xDisconnections

[Illbcruzn4life]

8 hours ago, skywalkr2 said:

In my case because me and the wife are about to hit 75 nights, and then I'll be even more hooked than I had been previously.  Honestly I just don't see why I would try another line unless it was to a port we HAD to go to that Carnival was avoiding.

 

I guess you are referring to becoming Platinum at 75 days? If so what happens when you become Platinum to make you even more hooked?

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

 All things considered, there isn’t much I enjoy on Carnival that I can’t find better elsewhere. 

Comedy.

Have sailed on Carnival, Royal, Celebrity, NCL and MSC.  None of them can come close to Carnival when it comes to comedy.   Four comedians over a 7 day cruise doing both PG and R rated shows.

[SNJCruisers]

39 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 

I guess you are referring to becoming Platinum at 75 days? If so what happens when you become Platinum to make you even more hooked?

Nothing.  Have been Platinum for over 10 years.  Priority embarkation and priority line at guest services are the only 2 perks worth anything, IMHO.

[Banditswife]

We have sailed Royal, HA: & mostly Carnival.

Like others have said, we like CCL for the laid back atmosphere & fellow cruisers are usually easy going & friendly.  As someone else said-a variety of economic backgrounds.  I feel the food is better than HAL & on par w/ Royal-especially desserts.  The variety of food venues is great on CCL, while HAL's buffet is a step above either Royal or CCL, they served us, even before Covid.  Real wash cloths in public bathrooms on HAL were nice.   On HAL I missed the water slides of CCL.  I felt fellow passengers on HAL were a bit stuffy, but maybe it was just that cruise.  HAL has some fantastic itineraries, the reason we booked them in the 1st place.  We are platinum on CCL- love the early boarding, guest services line, laundry.  We would probably try other lines if we found great deals.

 

Choosing a cruise for us is itinerary, cost & service.  It is all what you make of it, no vacation will be 100% perfect, go with a good attitude & you won't go wrong on any cruise line.

[RWolver672]

4 hours ago, chefchick said:

 

The large, mainstream lines IMO have more in common than you’d think… frankly my advice is…try as many as you can and judge for yourself!

 

This is where we differ.  We save up for our cruises.  Before the virus hit, we would cruise every other year.  Between the cost of the plane tickets, hotel the day before and a day after and the cruise, we usually spend roughly $5000.  

 

Knowing that we will have a great time on Carnival, we would rather stick with them.  After spending that much money and looking forward to our cruise for two years, we don't want to take the chance that we might not like another line.  We found that out once and don't want to risk it again.

[Tapi]

Why do I sail on Carnival? Price and convenience. Carnival is the only cruise line that sails from my closest embarkation, and does so cheaply. 
 

BUT, while there was a time when I sailed on Carnival exclusively, I now prefer to bounce around from cruise line to cruise line and never  repeat the same one twice in a row. For me, it’s much more enjoyable to do things this way instead of repeating the same cruise line, ships, or ports of call over and over. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Tapi

[LakeWobegon]

I agree 

14 hours ago, chefchick said:

I can tell you what I like about Carnival vs the other lines, but that is irrelevant if those same qualities aren’t what you look for personally in a cruise line.

 

The large, mainstream lines IMO have more in common than you’d think… frankly my advice is…try as many as you can and judge for yourself!

Agree. Again, loyal fans or other lines will look down on Carnival for the food selection for instance. But really, I've found most of the MDRs to be similar in variety and quality. The recipes may be different. And honestly, one of my favorite parts of Carnival are all the included fast food options the other lines don't seem to have or make you pay an upcharge for. 

[sparks1093]

On 8/2/2021 at 4:40 PM, Cruise Related said:

Tell me, what does Carnival provide for you that other lines do not? What makes you choose the fun ships over other lines? I personally have tried RCCL and Carnival. Wanting to try MSC and have a huge massive like 16 day cruise book on NCL in 2022 to see what they are about. Totally excited for British style pub with all the wings. I’m a wing man! But carnival is budget friendly, wonderful booze, and overall just a good freaking time. So im kinda biased. RCCL, wasnt a fan of the food, the entertainment was freaking fantastic compared to Carnival, but I feel that’s their only leg up. So, what makes you sail Carnival over and over? 

For us it almost always comes down to price. We decide where we want to go and out of which port and then price the different lines to get the best deal for us. We aren't into drink packages and specialty dining so having those types of things included in the price are usually not a selling point. We thought the entertainment on our one Royal experience was top notch but can get by with what Carnival offers. We currently have 3 cruises booked and they are all on Carnival.