New to Carnival

[Homosassa]

1 minute ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

No one is painting it as "Sodom and Gomorrah".  But with all the objectivity I can muster, I don't see any comments here that are hyperbolic nor quite frankly untrue.  Some things are obviously left to interpretation.  

Exactly.

 

My post was intended to help the OP who is used to a cruise line with a different targeted market demographic and completely different on board cruise experience.

 

I am sorry if it offended anyone who is used to Carnival cruises and takes as normal some of the behavior on a Carnival cruise.

 

It is not normal for the rest of us.

 

In short, OP, if you book Carnival, go without any expectations based on previous cruise experience and  judge for yourself.

 

Another way to perhaps evaluate the on board experience is to browse the threads in the Carnival forum.

 

I am sure you can find one that deals with the limitations of fifteen drinks in a 24 hour period and how to drink more.

 

Perhaps there is one about that concerns the problem with an eatery that offers something beyond gray, greasy Guy's burgers, cardboard pizza, and food "just like home."

 

 

[jsglow]

Careless, I'm sorry you experienced that.  Personally I've NEVER seen anything like that.  And I've literally spent multiple months on various Carnival ships over 15 years.

 

Perhaps we'll meet on a Princess ship someday, another product I very much enjoy.

 

Have a great day. 

[eskiemom]

First off thank you to everyone for their experiences and recommendations.  Didn't mean to get anyone's dander up.  Just wanted to get a feel and by what I have read, kind of what I expected yet some people expressed much better expectations than I was thinking.  

 

But just like food, its all subjective.  Going in with an open mind and will appreciate the good that's in store.

[jsglow]

38 minutes ago, eskiemom said:

First off thank you to everyone for their experiences and recommendations.  Didn't mean to get anyone's dander up.  Just wanted to get a feel and by what I have read, kind of what I expected yet some people expressed much better expectations than I was thinking.  

 

But just like food, its all subjective.  Going in with an open mind and will appreciate the good that's in store.

Enjoy your cruise. 👍

[txgal08]

On 11/18/2021 at 12:56 PM, nlktx49 said:

Only cruised on Princess once, 21 times on Carnival.

 

Princess cruise was a snooze, whole different vibe than Carnival. I'm not a party person, don't go to the night clubs or participant in the group parties on Carnival, but the whole cruise is just more active. Princess seemed quieter, more uptight, more formal. Lot's of older people on Princess, I'm 72 but felt like one of the younger people on the cruise. About 9pm it was like the whole ship closed down. We were in an interior cabin - we won the cruise - and it was smaller than the ones on Carnival. Bathrooms on Carnival are small, but the one on Princess seemed like about half the size!

 

The food was average, the crew members were nice, the service was average. Met some nice people. Maybe the whole Princess experience is what some people prefer. I'd choose Carnival any time. If you want peace and quiet on Carnival, it's easy to find. If you want more fun and activities, that's also easy to find.

 

I hope you enjoy your Carnival cruise, but if not, at least you tried it! Too many people reject Carnival out of hand without having tried it.

I agree 100% with your review of Carnival.  I am not a party person but Carnival brings me out of my shell.  If I was around a bunch of formal people without any fun entertainment, I think I would be a recluse.  Again, some people are looking for that on a cruise.  But since I work from home, I love the energy of being around others.  Heading to my 11th cruise on Carnival next week 🙂

[jetsfan58]

In my opinion there is no better or worse cruise. All cruises beat staying at home any day! Find the hidden joys in any and every Cruise Ship!!!

 

Welcome to the World of the Carnival Cruise Nuts!!!

[firefly333]

20 hours ago, eskiemom said:

First off thank you to everyone for their experiences and recommendations.  Didn't mean to get anyone's dander up.  Just wanted to get a feel and by what I have read, kind of what I expected yet some people expressed much better expectations than I was thinking.  

 

But just like food, its all subjective.  Going in with an open mind and will appreciate the good that's in store.

I do rcl and carnival because currently that's my choice out of texas.

 

Things I like on carnival .. I love the pizza, especially the white pizza.

 

Lunches ... lots of good choices.

 

Dinners, entrees not so much but I'm a picky eater. There were multiple nights not a single entree I liked in MDR. I enjoyed pay venues and love the steak house which is a bargain compared to other lines. Surf and turf. I love lobster. The steak is tiny but good. I don't order the other cuts of steak, I dont like chewy steak just to get a bigger steak.

 

On the breeze I went a few times to the Mdr to get the cold soup. I'd order 3 appetizers and skip the entrees. ..call me picky but luckily I'm a small eater so I just skipped the entree. Appetizers are good. 

 

I never went hungry. 

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

Man, I really gotta try this white pizza.  Lots of people calling it out as their favorite.  I ate at least a half dozen pizzas and never thought to order it.  

 

 

I dont like cooked tomatoes so it was extra good. They do put some garlic on it.

 

I asked for it with pepperoni added. First time they forgot the pepperoni.. but on the last sea day they finally made one with it. ..a little oily with all that cheese but delicious. 

 

Ask for it with pepperoni.. lol.. tons of cheese. Think of it like extra extra cheese and no red sauce. With a dash of garlic for taste.

Edited November 20, 2021 by firefly333

[Theosprey247]

21 hours ago, eskiemom said:

First off thank you to everyone for their experiences and recommendations.  Didn't mean to get anyone's dander up.  Just wanted to get a feel and by what I have read, kind of what I expected yet some people expressed much better expectations than I was thinking.  

 

But just like food, its all subjective.  Going in with an open mind and will appreciate the good that's in store.

You need to take what a lot of people say here with a grain of salt. 

[firefly333]

5 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

To clarify, is the garlic just flavor or is one biting down on chunks or bits of garlic?

 

It's in the description and I'm not sure I would have realized the taste was garlic. I'm sure a foodie will know..I'd guess maybe it's in the flavor of one of the cheeses or juice ..not pieces or anything that was obvious to me but I think would be hard to remove. It's just enough to give the cheese some flavor.

 

I'm sure someone else has the exact description...very rich and filling.

[billslowsky]

1 hour ago, Theosprey247 said:

You need to take what a lot of people say here with a grain of salt. 

You can take it with all the grains of salt you want, but there are a lot of common threads throughout.

 

I think Carnival cruises are a hoot.  Especially the 3-4 day weekend cruises, outstanding for people watching, there's usually several bachelorette parties roaming the hallways and pool deck.  People let their hair down with the help of the bartending crew, leading to relatively uninhibited belly flop and mens' sexy legs contests, some back and forth at comedy shows (Carnival has good ones), and very loud first nights in the casino (until the enthusiastic younger males run out of money).

 

It's not Cunard.

[Theosprey247]

6 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

 

 

It's not Cunard.

Nor are you paying Cunard prices either. By the way the worst behavior by passengers I’ve ever seen was on a Regent cruise. 
What I’m saying is what one person sees as out of control passengers others see as lively.  Some see calm and relaxing while others see boring. 

[jetsfan58]

Many Pizza shops offer a parmesan and garlic flavored sauce instead of the traditional red sauce. The ones that I have sampled were quite good and a nice change of pace. I had mine with veggies as I am not a fan of meat pizza.

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

It's one thing to be "lively", it's another thing for a full grown adult to lack the most basic human decorum.  You're giving a LOT of leeway for people being "lively".

 

And I agree on the pricing matter, which is why Carnival is what it is because it is the cheapest of the larger main cruise lines.  I wondered on my first cruise if the fact that the prices were so abnormally low that it may have brought out a bunch of non or irregular cruisers as well as people just looking for a random vacation that don't normally go on vacations and think anything goes.  

 

 

Serious question Careless and I don't mean to be in any way confrontational or argumentative but you don't have it in anything I can see like a signature.  How many Carnival cruises have you been on?  What were their duration? And when were they?

[jsglow]

3 minutes ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

I've repeatedly mentioned that I've been on just one (a 7 Day Panorama Mexican Riviera cruise).  I booked 3 before ever taking one thinking "How bad could it be?"  I've stopped looking for Carnival cruises after the first experience and will only consider them on very limited specific cases moving forward.  I get the clear sense, even before I went, that none of what I experienced was an anomaly.  It may have been a bit more "loud" than usual perhaps because of the lower pricing bringing in unsophisticated cruisers, but I don't know.  

 

 

Thank you for answering.  I had not seen your previous comments on the matter.  Clearly you learned that Carnival isn't the right fit for you.  Enjoy your cruising experience on another line.  I believe I recall you've said Princess is your 'go to'.  We like them as well.

[jsglow]

Just now, CarelessAndConfused said:

jsglow, I think you and many other Carnival fans are getting too defensive and taking things too personal, as cruisers are apt to do.  We all understand that it is a small minority that do not know how to behave themselves.  But for those of us who care, that minority makes a very strong impression.  For those that consider it just "lively" or "background noise", then you should continue to enjoy your cruises on Carnival.  I've stated right here in this thread that I would also prefer that environment if I was back in my college days or in my 20s.  It's just not for me anymore and probably a lot of other cruisers who don't want that kind of a product.

Careless,  I'm just sensitive to a potentially inaccurate portrait being painted for others, especially newbies considering the product. That said, I'm not suggesting that you are misrepresenting YOUR perception.  But it's not been mine whatsoever.  And I'm a retired corporate executive in my 60s, not a 20 something Frat boy (not saying you claimed I was).  I'm sorry your single 7 day Carnival cruise was not to your liking.

 

Your opinion is noted here.  Readers can lend any weight to it they like.  Have an awesome day and let's leave the discussion at that. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

As someone who is familiar with what happens at a  cruise terminal, I have to say that the Celebrity and Princess passengers are the easiest.  

 

Most passengers, the vast majority of passengers, are normal, lovely people.  Since most of us ourselves are normal lovely people, we expect others likewise to be well mannered.  Those fellow passengers who are not tend to stand out, and we remember those people and their behavior. 

 

HAL and Carnival passengers tend to be the more high maintenance - for very different reasons. A small minority of  HAL passengers, especially 4* & 5* Star (and sometimes 3* Star) Mariners are so into their priority status.  The moment they enter the building they are looking for, asking about the priority lines.  The regular line could be shorter, but they will stay in the priority line just because it says priority.  They can be disagreeable and complain a lot about everything.  They tend to be older, less filtered, irritable and because they cruise a lot, entitled.  Not always the most pleasant people to be around.  Again, a small, but memorable minority.

 

The vast majority of Carnival passengers are lovely normal people who just want to enjoy their cruise vacation.  There have been delightful folks who scrimped and saved for their cruise and handed over as little $20 to their on board account.  (Carnival is the only cruise line that will accept actual cash at the pier in lieu of a credit card).  These folks are so sweet and earnest and you just hope that the cruise is everything that they hope it will be.

 

Then there are the yahoos - the guy that came running up behind me and then quickly turned his face within inches of my face (pre-Covid) and asked "Is this where we get ship-faced?"  Or on a cruise day when the ship had a computer problem and boarding was delayed (with hundreds of passengers milling about) there a young woman who must have  mis-heard a check-in agent that the ship was ready for boarding.  She stood there and argued that because an agent told her she could board, then we should let her board - like now (when no one else was boarding).  Crazy. 

 

Or the carnival passengers who are verbally abusive to shoreside staff - my only thought is that perhaps they have little power in their everyday lives, and now as a paying customer they can exercise power and be as jerky as possible without consequences.  These are the folks I worry about the most on the ship - if they treat shoreside staff this way, how will they treat the ship staff.

 

Due to some of these behavioral issues, I think this is why Carnival has their very precise boarding protocol - that after the suites and the FTTF folks it begins with A1, A2 A3.....all the way down the alphabet.  It's something that you don't see to that degree on any other cruise line.  

 

As I said, the vast majority of passengers are lovely people, and would never act in such a boorish manner.  But we do remember the self absorbed knuckleheads and their antics.

[Bevv]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

It's in the description and I'm not sure I would have realized the taste was garlic. I'm sure a foodie will know..I'd guess maybe it's in the flavor of one of the cheeses or juice ..not pieces or anything that was obvious to me but I think would be hard to remove. It's just enough to give the cheese some flavor.

 

I'm sure someone else has the exact description...very rich and filling.

No chunks of garlic, From the Carnival menu

4. Quattro Formaggi Roasted Garlic, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Parmesan, Fresh Mozzarella.   

[Homosassa]

3 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

I've stated right here in this thread that I would also prefer that environment if I was back in my college days or in my 20s.  It's just not for me anymore and probably a lot of other cruisers who don't want that kind of a product.

LOL! 

 

My daughter, now 38, has been cruising with us since she was 18 months old.

 

None of the cruises when she was younger were on Carnival.

 

At the ripe old age of 23, she and a  friend decided that they would take a cruise together. Price mattered and they booked the Carnival Glory out of Port Canaveral.  I told her I wanted her opinion of the cruise line as we had never cruise on Carnival and, as she was an experienced cruiser, I wanted her take on the Carnival experience.

 

We picked them up at the port at debarkation and went for a late lunch. Over lunch she talked about how she and  her friend were placed on a large table for dinner with other twenty somethings. She talked about some of the activities  they did with the MDR group at which point, she stopped and with her friend nodding in agreement, said, "You know, I just don't drink enough to think that the food was very good, the comedians funny, or the entertainment very good  like the other people on the table. I will not take another Carnival cruise unless it is for a group cruise for some occasion."

 

OK, good to hear her opinion. Fast forward about eight years and my sister does a hard sell for a family cruise on Carnival. We agree to go as we had never cruised on Carnival and my daughter wanted to see if her first impression held true.

 

Well, we boarded, the drunk next door started yelling and beating on the wall while his family sobbed and screamed, and  the other things I mentioned in my other  post occurred.

 

My daughter just looked at me and said, "It hasn't changed."

 

My sister apologized for pushing Carnival.

 

None of the us have cruised on Carnival again (and wouldn't go even if the cruise was free).