Is the Spirit as bad as all the reviews say or will we be okay?

[Jezo]

Have never been on this ship and it has an itinerary for next March that really excites us.  What gives us caution is the reviews all say its very meh, dirty, falling apart, the food stinks, and folks would rather not be on it again.

 

We aren't very fussy people.  I need a place to eat my food, which is normally sourced from a buffet, never do much in terms of sit down restaurants, don't expect gourmet offerings, and just want to eat some meats and cheeses and our son will have pizza and French fries for a week.  It has water slides, it has a kids club for him to hang out in, and it has a balcony room I can sit on and drink bad coffee.  I don't care for the mega ships with roller coasters and surfing, I just want to sit by the pool or watch the ocean and explore the ports.

 

Are people just complaining because that's what you do on the internet or is it really a ship to avoid?

[sparks1093]

5 minutes ago, Jezo said:

Have never been on this ship and it has an itinerary for next March that really excites us.  What gives us caution is the reviews all say its very meh, dirty, falling apart, the food stinks, and folks would rather not be on it again.

 

We aren't very fussy people.  I need a place to eat my food, which is normally sourced from a buffet, never do much in terms of sit down restaurants, don't expect gourmet offerings, and just want to eat some meats and cheeses and our son will have pizza and French fries for a week.  It has water slides, it has a kids club for him to hang out in, and it has a balcony room I can sit on and drink bad coffee.  I don't care for the mega ships with roller coasters and surfing, I just want to sit by the pool or watch the ocean and explore the ports.

 

Are people just complaining because that's what you do on the internet or is it really a ship to avoid?

I've read the same reviews about every ship that I've sailed on, so I always take them with a grain of salt. When reading a review I'm always asking myself "would this matter to me that much if it were to happen to me" and most of the time the answer is no. Yes, I want good food so if someone is lamenting the food it's a concern, but I look at what they are saying and try to read between the lines. I am very familiar with what Carnival offers and we have never had anything that terrible. If the itinerary is what catches your eye then I would say go for it since the ship isn't going to matter that much. (That is what we did when we sailed Fascination and we thought that she was fine. A bit older, yes, but well maintained nonetheless and even with that atrocious Farcas interior she wasn't bad at all.)

[Joe817]

Listen to Sparks. He speaks the truth. 👍

[MizMoon]

Hear-Hear!  I'm on Spirit soon and looking forward to it - have missed my cruises!  I agree - go for the itinerary!  

[MistyRo76]

We sailed the Paradise in 2019 specifically because of the Cuba itinerary. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't live up to the new ships we'd been on before like Breeze and Vista. But we didn't miss the bells and whistles at all. In fact, we liked that the ship was less crowded than the larger ships. And it had honestly anything we could have wanted. If the itinerary is the biggest draw for you, then I would go for it! 

 

And also, I've found that people who've had a bad experience are far more likely to write a review about it than those who've had a good one! 

[csm5986142]

I can't speak to the current condition/maintenance of Spirit as it has been years since I have been on it, but it's one of my favorite ships as far as deck plans/layout.  We were on it for 12 days and it never felt as crowded as some of the newer ships.

[havanadaydreaming]

we have been on two Spirit class ships the past two years and things were more than fine.  

 

i missed a few of the bells and whistles from bigger boats but overall a good time was had by all.  food good.  drinks good.  cabins good.  staff good.  

 

have fun! 

[Abr155]

2 hours ago, Jezo said:

Are people just complaining because that's what you do on the internet or is it really a ship to avoid?

Feeling the same way about our October 2022 cruise on the Legend (sister ships/same class).  I always have to remind myself - people tend to get online and leave a review when they had a bad experience.  So, the majority of what you read is negative because those who had a great time go home and plan their next trip lol

 

I have found YouTube very helpful - I've watched all the newest ship tours and reviews and other misc videos about the ship.  Helpful because you can see things with your own eyes!

[groundloop]

I just got off of Spirit three days ago, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with her (other than the common complaints that the fridge in my cabin wouldn't get our drinks very cold and that the internet service sucked). 

 

In fact she was in extremely good condition, lots of new carpet, new upholstery on the seats in the theatre and comedy club, everything was clean and in very good shape.   Dinners in the dining room were quite good, sandwiches from the deli were great, etc. etc. etc.  Really my only complaint was with sea-day brunch, service was slow and my wife's steak wasn't cooked right.  But even with that one complaint it was a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

[2Shoes2Go]

On Spirit now, for b2bs. We’re having a nice time and love the ship. Crew are very friendly and work hard. Ship is clean! The intact, beautiful art, is a pleasure. Very outgoing officers and CD, Adam, is fun and everywhere! Happy to be on Spirit for 10 more days, after being on 9 so far. 😀

[vamartha]

I was on the restart cruise. They were not prepared for us but that is managements fault and not the crew or the ships fault.

 

You will be fine as long as you go expecting the Spirit and not expecting the Mardi Gras. The ship was clean, there were places that weren't clean for us (like one of the pools) and again, that was managements fault. If you go expecting a Spirit Class ship (21 days on Spirit class for me since restart), you will be just fine. Plus, she's a bit brighter than the Pride and the Legend!

[ray98]

I was just on the Spirit last month on the first cruise from Jacksonville.  I had no complaints with the condition of the ship.  However, many other things were lacking.  We did have major problems with the food.  The Lido was simply horrible and we found the food persistently cold.  The food was better in the MDR but the service was painfully slow.  The bars were also understaffed and would quickly get overwhelmed at peak times even thought the ship was probably at 50%.  To finish it off debarking was the most unorganized mess I have ever experienced on a ship.

 

Hopefully they ironed out their issues by now.  I understand it was the first sailing after this crew was formed but I still expected it to be better than it was because much of the crew was pulled directly from other Carnival ships.

[restasured]

4 hours ago, groundloop said:

I just got off of Spirit three days ago, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with her (other than the common complaints that the fridge in my cabin wouldn't get our drinks very cold and that the internet service sucked). 

 

In fact she was in extremely good condition, lots of new carpet, new upholstery on the seats in the theatre and comedy club, everything was clean and in very good shape.   Dinners in the dining room were quite good, sandwiches from the deli were great, etc. etc. etc.  Really my only complaint was with sea-day brunch, service was slow and my wife's steak wasn't cooked right.  But even with that one complaint it was a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

I haven't been on a Spirit class ship but have sailed the Ecstasy, a Fantasy class ship (to be retired in Oct. 2022) and personally I like the smaller ships over the Mega ships.  Less people, plenty of things to do or if you prefer not do.  I have had 65 days on Carnival ships, the largest was the Vista and the smallest was on Ecstasy.  I cruise for 2 main reasons and there are many great reasons to cruise, but first it is because no matter what ship or line you sail with, you can't bet the price for the value and second is for itinerary.  We are close to Galveston, Texas, so have cruise the eastern and western Caribbean more times than others, but have sailed to Alaska a couple of times, flew to Hawaii a couple of times and sailed on NCL Pride of America and done the Canada/New England cruise twice and doing another one in October.  Just got off of RCCL out of Galveston yesterday, will be back on RCCL in May and Princess for the NE/Canada cruise and another RCCL out of Galveston in December.  I "prepay" for most of my cruises, by gambling in the casinos, both ship and land based.  Don't loose or win a ton of money, but they do like people that spend time in the casinos.  I am looking at a CCL cruise to Alaska, probably in late August for this year.  And have booked our first CCL cruise for March 2023 out of California.  I am trying to convince my better half that we need a 14 or 15 day round trip from California to Hawaii in Feb 2023, but haven't been successful, YET.  I honestly don't know where people eat, on land, if they complain about the food, service, setting etc on a cruise ship.  The worse experience I have ever had on a cruise was Great, with the vast majority being Fantastic.

[Itried4498]

TripAdvisor is plagued with perpetual reviews on hotels like Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, etc. that read something like this: 'We stayed at [insert hotel here] and they wanted $4 for a bottle of water, $20 for a breakfast buffet and $10 for WiFi access.  We're seasoned travelers who travel to these hotels all the time, and have spent thousands of nights in these rooms, and never have we encountered a property that charged for these."  Except for the fact that pretty much all the hotels in these classes charge similar pricing for these amenities (their target consumer, after all, is traveling on an expense account).  Or the fact that if you truly spent that many nights with those properties, you'd have status... and these amenities would be comped.

 

Likewise, you can read about airlines: 'I traveled X Airline yesterday and they tried to charge me for an assigned seat with my family.  I fly X Airlines all the time and they've never....' even though Basic Economy fares have been standard for 10-15 years, and even if you flew all the time, you'd have status that would allow you to avoid some of these fees.

 

And of course, on Cruise Critic: 'I just got off X.  Carnival totally ruined my special weekend because they refused to provide me with loungers on my balcony.  I'm asking for a refund.'  Even though Carnival's website is clear that X does not allow for loungers (except on select suites) due to safety issues.  And 15+ years of Cruise Critic postings confirm this, sans a few posters who bribed a lounger onto their balcony.  But even loungers got up there because somebody bribed an employee who ignored the safety standards, the new poster deserves one too!

 

You can often get an accurate perception by reading selective reviews (trusted bloggers - not compensated ones, etc.) and peaking at photos and videos on the internet.  

Edited March 30, 2022 by Itried4498

[groundloop]

1 hour ago, ray98 said:

 

Hopefully they ironed out their issues by now.  I understand it was the first sailing after this crew was formed but I still expected it to be better than it was because much of the crew was pulled directly from other Carnival ships.

 

It's totally understandable that it would take a little while for a new team to gel, even though many of them are experienced.  But I'd say that by and large they're functioning just fine now. 

[Gypsywych]

I just got off of the Spirit on Saturday. She's 3 weeks into a brand new crew. They are busy cleaning, wiping, repairing, learning to work together and keeping the guests happy.  Were there things wrong? Yes. Were there things right?  Definitely.  The food (with 3 exceptions) was very good.  Even the pizza was better than I remembered, and I am not a fan of Carnival pizza.  When all else fails, there's Guy's burgers, tacos or a room service BLT. 
The room stewards are a little understaffed, and overworked.  Some of the dining room staff is new, and were still referring to notes on how to set the silverware.  We had a broken cabinet door in our cabin.  
Drinks were great.  Best Bloody Mary I've had in ages.  The Serenity Deck wasn't crowded and it was quiet. Security took no ***** from a roaming pack of Little Lord of the Flies wannabes. 
 
The Spirit is still a 20+ year old ship, but she's a favorite of mine.  She's peaceful.  

[icft]

1 hour ago, Itried4498 said:

 

And of course, on Cruise Critic: 'I just got off X.  Carnival totally ruined my special weekend because they refused to provide me with loungers on my balcony.  I'm asking for a refund.'  Even though Carnival's website is clear that X does not allow for loungers (except on select suites) due to safety issues.  And 15+ years of Cruise Critic postings confirm this, sans a few posters who bribed a lounger onto their balcony.  But even loungers got up there because somebody bribed an employee who ignored the safety standards, the new poster deserves one too!

 

 

Wow! When you go after someone you never stop.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2833629-so-we-did-the-conquest-for-a-3-night-cruise-can-i-be-honest/

 

But I can't see where she asked for a refund. And about loungers on the aft balcony balcony rooms on Conquest class ships:

 

 

[brilliantseas]

9 hours ago, Abr155 said:

Feeling the same way about our October 2022 cruise on the Legend (sister ships/same class).  I always have to remind myself - people tend to get online and leave a review when they had a bad experience.  So, the majority of what you read is negative because those who had a great time go home and plan their next trip lol

 

I have found YouTube very helpful - I've watched all the newest ship tours and reviews and other misc videos about the ship.  Helpful because you can see things with your own eyes!

 

I sailed the Legend in December 2021 and March 2022. For its age, the Legend is in GREAT shape overall. One of the things that impressed me the most was the upkeep of public areas of the ship, and even in the cabin. Carnival isn't known for taking the best care of their ships as they age, but I felt that the ship was in overall as good of shape as any of the ships that are half her age, that is those launched in the early 2010s. Is it as nice as the Horizon? No. But I would say it was in at least as good of shape as the Sunrise, which just underwent a $200 million renovation a few years ago. 

 

The decor does look a bit dated, but in a more classy way than the old Fantasy class or even Destiny class "Vegas-feel" ships.

 

If there were areas where I noticed wear-and-tear, it was on the corners of the sofas in the cabins, and a few mismatched/replaced latches on restroom stalls, etc. My December cruise had an issue with rust dripping from the balcony above, but I noticed both in December and in March that they have two paint crews working to continuously paint the hull and balconies on every turnaround day in Baltimore.  

[Aplmac]

It still amazes me how/why people take reviews seriously!
I neither write not read the silly things

and suggest you do likewise.

They are never a true reflection of actual conditions

be they good or bad reviews.

Why are you torturing yourself?

It's not like you're taking a cruise on a car-carrier!

 

[Abr155]

7 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

 

I sailed the Legend in December 2021 and March 2022. For its age, the Legend is in GREAT shape overall. One of the things that impressed me the most was the upkeep of public areas of the ship, and even in the cabin. Carnival isn't known for taking the best care of their ships as they age, but I felt that the ship was in overall as good of shape as any of the ships that are half her age, that is those launched in the early 2010s. Is it as nice as the Horizon? No. But I would say it was in at least as good of shape as the Sunrise, which just underwent a $200 million renovation a few years ago. 

 

The decor does look a bit dated, but in a more classy way than the old Fantasy class or even Destiny class "Vegas-feel" ships.

 

If there were areas where I noticed wear-and-tear, it was on the corners of the sofas in the cabins, and a few mismatched/replaced latches on restroom stalls, etc. My December cruise had an issue with rust dripping from the balcony above, but I noticed both in December and in March that they have two paint crews working to continuously paint the hull and balconies on every turnaround day in Baltimore.  

That's great to hear, especially since you are fresh off! We booked knowing she wouldn't have all the bells and whistles or modern décor of newer ships - booked for itinerary (leaving from drivable home port and sails over a holiday day off work) not the ship!  Of course we want her to be in good condition, but I'm totally okay with outdated - in fact,  sometimes I prefer the "vintage" ships!

 

Happy to hear you were impressed with her upkeep 🙂

[rellersi]

22 hours ago, Jezo said:

Have never been on this ship and it has an itinerary for next March that really excites us.  What gives us caution is the reviews all say its very meh, dirty, falling apart, the food stinks, and folks would rather not be on it again.

 

We aren't very fussy people.  I need a place to eat my food, which is normally sourced from a buffet, never do much in terms of sit down restaurants, don't expect gourmet offerings, and just want to eat some meats and cheeses and our son will have pizza and French fries for a week.  It has water slides, it has a kids club for him to hang out in, and it has a balcony room I can sit on and drink bad coffee.  I don't care for the mega ships with roller coasters and surfing, I just want to sit by the pool or watch the ocean and explore the ports.

 

Are people just complaining because that's what you do on the internet or is it really a ship to avoid?

Just off the Spirit, did not think it was dirty or falling apart. Service everywhere was good. It has a great layout. The food was terrible in my opinion, but that is the same for every other ship that I have been on in the carnival line, but we manage to find something edible and we don't cruise for the food or we would be cruising a classier line