Honest Opinion - Carnival

[TwoGee]

We sailed on Miracle in July. It was our first and last on Carnival. Those pix of the "SKITTLES GROTTO" dining room are a mild representation. Some of our tablemates skipped some dinners there for a couple of reasons.

1] The Bacchus Dining Room is located on deck three in the aft of the ship. Any motion{and there was plenty} doesn't add to enjoying the luke-warm dinners they bring out.

2} The room freaked people out. Many were uncomfortable with the decor and chose to eat in their cabins.

 

The ship is too small to venture 3 days each way in the North Atlantic. You will be far better served with a Voyager or Freedom Class when choosing this route.

 

People were asking "where's the fun?' There wasn't a lot to do activity- wise on sea days. RCI offers many more activities.

[DonnaK]

My Wife and I have been on a few RCCL cruises, and have NO complaints.

I looked at the Explorer out of NJ for this coming June and did the prices ever jump!

Noticed that the Carnival Miracle sails out of NYC same time, same itineraries, but allot less expensive.

Should we take the chance? What are some honest opinions concerning this ship, or carnival in general?

 

BTW, we still have a deposit on Enchantment for 2008. Our favorite ship, but lacking in itineraries and length of cruises.

 

 

We thought the same as you, and wanted to try something different, so we sailed on Miracle from NY when the ship was just several months old. What a mistake! Service was horrendous, the ship had an awkward layout, it seemed so crowded, it was dark and smoky. There is no comparision to RCI, and we wouldn't sail Carnival again if it were free.

[cruiserbryce]

I have no objections to a carnival cruise...I think the line as a whole gets a bad wrap...but if I was going to go on Carnival I would want to go on one of their newer ships...the ships look great!!! Right now I am partial to RC because we have the C&A credits from our previous cruises and will be Plat after April so for now are booking with RC...Carnival has a ship out of SD but I think its one of the older ones...I wish they would put a new one here, or RC would home port any ship here. LA isnt too far, but SD would be fantastic

[robtx100]

I like Carnival, but I have the Voyager booked for January. We've only been on one other RCCL (first cruise on Nordic Empress). I can't wait to experience the level of service everyone keeps talking about. I always feel like a Prince on Carnival, guess I'll feel like a King on RCCL.

[popcorngal]

You couldnt pay me enough to step foot on a carnival cruise......:D I will stick with RC & DCL

 

Celtic, have you ever even tried a Carnival cruise? I used to be just like you until I wised up and gave it a try, and now I know what I was missing.

 

And if Ohio's so boring, why stay??

[Bruin Steve]

I have cruised on 7 different lines, many of them multiple times--including Carnival...

 

I am one of those who have always said that you can have a good cruise on any line...and they all do a lot of things ALIKE...more alike than they do different...

 

Well, I recently did "back-to-back" cruises on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas and Carnival Liberty...and, boy, has my tune now changed...

 

It was my third Carnival cruise, the first two being several years ago...

 

I was EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED with a number of things about Carnival:

The ship was INCREDIBLY CROWDED...

The service was, at times, horrendously poor...

The entertainment (except the comedians) was substandard...

 

I could live with gaudy decor...but poor service, crowds and lines and substandard entertainment are, in my book, unforgivable...

 

It will likely be my last Carnival cruise...

I am willing to pay a few dollars more to cruise on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean...

 

The entire experience on Carnival is just far too poor...I guess if you want a bargain cruise, you get what you pay for...Carnival cuts corners all over the place...and it shows blatantly when you take them "back-to-back"...

 

I guess if you only cruised Carnival, you MIGHT never know the difference...You might think you're getting service and quality and a lot for your money--but only if you cruise them in a vacuum...

[vermonter16]

I actually prefer Carnival over RCCL. The reason I'm on this board right now is because I will be sailing the Serenade in January but I have been on RCCL AOS before.

 

I've been on the Miracle, Pride, and Glory and loved them all! I actually like the food much better on Carnival and DH and I have enjoyed the ship activities better as well. I think RCCL's ships surpass Carnival in beauty...but I'm sailing for the whole experience.

 

I would give Carnival a shot. People will have bad experiences on any ship, any line - just read the reviews. A ship one person might love, another will hate. And, people who loved AOS, the food, the service, etc....would disagree with me for feeling a little disappointed.

 

Try it yourself and make your own decision then revive this thread and let everyone know!

[kidless]

I love Carnival. I also love RCCL. lol There are things about Carnival I like better than RCCL and vice versa.

 

Carnival's food is just awesome. There rooms are bigger, they give you robes to use and they have an amenities bowl of samples for you to use in the bathroom.

 

RCCL has cheaper drinks than Carnival.

 

The rooms are bigger I don't get. We have gotten Cat 11 on Carnival which is 275 sq ft the Jr Suite on RC is 299 sq ft. A regular Balcony on Carnival is 185 same as RC but RC has the option of a deluxe balcony which is 206 sq ft.

[Cruising89143]

The rooms are bigger I don't get. We have gotten Cat 11 on Carnival which is 275 sq ft the Jr Suite on RC is 299 sq ft. A regular Balcony on Carnival is 185 same as RC but RC has the option of a deluxe balcony which is 206 sq ft.

 

It depends on the ship. RCI's older Sovereign and Vision class ships do have smaller cabins but the newer Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class match up well with Carnival with the exception of standard interior cabins.

 

Outside cabins

 

Carnival Liberty 5A porthole outside stateroom = 185 square feet

Freedom OTS - outside stateroom = 161 square feet.

Carnival Liberty 6A - standard outside stateroom = 185 square feet

Freedom OTS - Large outside stateroom = 200 square feet

Freedom OTS - Family outside staterooom = 290 square feet

 

Balcony cabins

 

Carnival Liberty 8A - Standard balcony stateroom = 220 square feet of which the cabin is 185 square feet and the balcony is 35 square feet.

Freedom OTS - Standard Balcony stateroom = 251 square feet of which the cabin is 177 square feet and the balcony is 74 square feet.

 

Interior Staterooms

 

Carnival Liberty Category 4 = 185 square feet

Freedom Standard Inside = 152 square feet.

 

Suites

 

Carnival Liberty Category 11 = 330 square feet of which the cabin is 245 square feet plus 85 square feet for the balcony.

Freedom OTS Junior Suite = 388 square feet of which cabin is 287 square feet and balcony is 101 square feet.

Carnival Liberty Catergory 12 = 415 square feet of which the cabin is 300 square feet plus 115 square feet.

Freedom of the Seas Grand Suite = 513 square feet of which the cabin is 387 square feet and the balcony is 126 square feet.

[ruskatab]

To the OP..as you can see your not going to get a fair opinion asking about a Carnival ship on the RC boards just like your not going to get a very good opinion asking about RC on the Carnival side. Go ask this same question on the Carnival side and you will get complete opposite opinions. Not all Carnival ships are as gauwdy as the pictures postedThe Valor was a beautiful ship decorated in the Americana theme. The casino on the Mariner was probably the ugliest casino ive ever been in but the rest of the ship was very nice. Everyones taste in decor and food is completely different. I would read reviews on other cruise sites also. Also look at pictures on Webshots. I would not base my decision to cruise on a certain line solely from posters on CC.

[crusinmama22]

We have sailed on the Miracle over New Years back 2004-2005.

 

First of all we LOVE CARNIVAL. That being said I will only sail on the Spirit Class ships of Carnival. We like the size and what the ships offer. Having sailed on the Spirit, Legend and Miracle I would have to say they are my favorite so far.

 

Sailed with Celebrity on the Constellation. Ship was beautiful, but not sure if I would ever go on Celebrity again. We mainly picked this cruise because we like the ports and it left from SanJuan.

 

My grown kids have sailed with NCL and like the anytime dining, however the quality of the food is not up to what we were use to.

 

As far as the decor in the dining room on the Miracle -- it would not be what I would pick -- but I am there to eat, and the food was great. Our waiters were fantastic and the matra de was the best we had ever experienced and we have been sailing since our honnymoon in 1979.

 

This coming Feb we will try Royal for the first time on the Radiance again we chose this for the size of the ship and it is an 8 day instead of 7 !

 

Most people who dislike Carnival have been on the larger ships. We sailed the Destiny for the first time with our kids in 2000, did not like the ship and would never again take that large of a ship. Way tooooooooooooo Many people. Remember the larger the ship the more people and the more people to get off the ship as well. We sail during Presidents week in Feb since we are teachers and now our daughter is a teacher also so the ship is full.

 

THe nightlife on Carnival is GREAT and I do miss the size of their staterooms. We found them to be the best size and configuration, especially the bathroom.

 

What ever you choose, enjoy, you paid too much not to!

[micro yaya]

We Have Been On 23 Cruisess 13 Of Which Were On Carnival. From The Carnival To The New Freedom I Can Honestly Say We Have Enjoyed Everything About The Cruise Line . Next Week We Will Go On Our Second Rccl On The Mariner. I Can Only Hope To Have The Same Experience As On Carnival. A Cruise Is All You Make It, No One Can Make You Have A Good Time,,, It's All Up To You So Go Have Fun No Matter Which Line You Use Good Luck Kathy

[trishalee]

We've been on 14RCI cruises, and 1 Carnival. We tried the line because we got a price we couldn't refuse for a balcony cabin on the Liberty,their newest at the time. We were blown away by the food, cabin, etc. at less than HALF the price for a comparable RCI cruise. It was a special deal and one I would grab with both hands if it was offered again. Of course, the decor was hideous, but we kind of enjoyed our private contest to find the ugliest spot on the ship.:D

[leavnofingerprints]

I've sailed with Carnival as many times as I've sailed RCI. Our cruise on Carnival's Legend several years ago was a very pleasant surprize to us. To me it seems the more experienced I become as a cruiser, the less I like Carnival. At first I thought they were great but as time wore on I came to like them less and less. We had a problem with out of control young adults on our last trip with them that resulted in a fairly large discount on a future cruise. Both my husband and I agreed that we will not be using that credit. It isn't worth it to us. We much prefer RCI and Celebrity. But like most things, it's all in the eye of the beholder. You may love Carnival. Lots of others do. We just aren't among that group.

 

LNF

[michigan tim]

It's just a Ford vs Chevy argument, there are rabid fans of both brands and you'll find more similarities than differences. Both are mass market products designed to appeal to everyone with a pulse.

[CruisinMermaid]

We've sailed on Carnival before and will be taking our first RCI cruise this spring. We went with a bunch of family members and had a wonderful time on Carnival. IMHO, you set the tone for your cruise. If you want to have a good time you'll have a good time :)

[celtic_beauty]

Celtic, have you ever even tried a Carnival cruise? I used to be just like you until I wised up and gave it a try, and now I know what I was missing.

 

And if Ohio's so boring, why stay??

 

Nope have never tried and dont plan on it. Guess I will never "wise up" as you put it. Definatly not my type of cruise.

 

I stay in "boring Ohio" because my family is here, my husbands job is here etc. & have lived here for 30 years, dont plan on moving until retirement.... Plus it makes vacationing more fun...not really sure what that has to do with a post about carnival but whatever floats your boat ( pun intended :D )

Not sure why you picked my post out of all the other non carnival lovers as well...but whatever :)

[nmcrzer]

We just returned from the Enchantment of the Seas, and we were on the Carnival Conquest at the same time last year. I couldn't help but compare.

 

When our cruise was over, DH asked me to rate each cruise on a scale from 1 to 100. I rated the Carnival cruise a 62 and the RC cruise an 85. He said he would rate Carnival an 82 and RC cruise an 85. He said the only slight difference was that the food on RC was a bit better and served a bit warmer. I found lots of differences, which have mostly been said here anyway. I asked him if we were on the same cruises! I guess each person is different, right? The biggest difference to me was the decor. Carnivals was darker and more in-your-face. RC's was lighter, airier, and elegant. It allowed me to enjoy the view of the ocean without being blinded in my peripheral vision by Skittles and Barney.

 

We're trying Norwegian next. I want to try different lines to see what I like about each of them. I probably wouldn't choose to go back to Carnival, but since DH likes them, I might for the right ship and itinerary. I wouldn't mind trying a Spirit class ship, I guess. But there are so many other lines and ships to try first.

[firefly333]

Nope have never tried and dont plan on it. Guess I will never "wise up" as you put it. Definatly not my type of cruise.

 

I stay in "boring Ohio" because my family is here, my husbands job is here etc. & have lived here for 30 years, dont plan on moving until retirement.... Plus it makes vacationing more fun...not really sure what that has to do with a post about carnival but whatever floats your boat ( pun intended :D )

Not sure why you picked my post out of all the other non carnival lovers as well...but whatever :)

 

Probably because since you say you know without ever trying Carnival you know you wouldnt like it. True, if you decide you wouldnt like something that is self fullfilling.

 

There are some people who are RCI cheerleaders without any knowledge of what they are missing....just their own assumptions. Why bother to post on a thread where someone is asking for a comparison....or you just wanted to jump in and blindly cheerlead? beats me too why you posted on this thread if you have no knowledge of the comparison other than guessing. Me, at least Iv been on both and know there are good things about both lines.

[Howards_girl]

I just got back from a Carnival cruise on the Conquest. Went with a family group. We had a great time! Our cabin steward was awesome and always greeted us by name. We ate in the dining room very evening and our waiters were wonderful with entree suggestions. They also knew our names and what we liked to drink with our meals. Our cruise director Butch was great and alot of fun. We would go on this cruise again in a heartbeat.

To those who have said that they wouldn't cruise on Carnival if someone gave them the cruise free.... if someone does want to give you a Carnival cruise then just call me, I will gladly go in your place... :)

[ruskatab]

Probably because since you say you know without ever trying Carnival you know you wouldnt like it. True, if you decide you wouldnt like something that is self fullfilling.

 

There are some people who are RCI cheerleaders without any knowledge of what they are missing....just their own assumptions. Why bother to post on a thread where someone is asking for a comparison....or you just wanted to jump in and blindly cheerlead? beats me too why you posted on this thread if you have no knowledge of the comparison other than guessing. Me, at least Iv been on both and know there are good things about both lines.

 

 

AMEN!!!!!!

[Loves_Dogs]

I had a great time on my Carnival cruises. Inspiration and Valor were absolutely AWESOME...NO complaints...Destiny, well...while I still had a great vacation it was definitely my least favorite cruise and we'll just leave it at that.

I am on these boards not because I didn't enjoy Carnival, but because I wanted to try Royal Caribbean. I am counting the days till my Mariner of the Seas cruise and am so excited to be trying a different line, but I am sure I will be on Carnival again too.

 

I live in 'boring' Ohio...GO BUCKS!

[Bruin Steve]

There are some people who are RCI cheerleaders without any knowledge of what they are missing....just their own assumptions.

 

Well, first off I HAVE cruised on both...and multiple times...

And I have even RECENTLY cruised on BOTH BACK-TO-BACK...

 

I am also NOT an "RCI Cheerleader"...RCI isn't even my favorite cruise line...

 

That said, let me explain:

 

There are people out there who go through life thinking "Olive Garden" is the world's greatest Italian Restaurant"...Of course, any "expert" will tell you it isn't...But that doesn't matter to people who like it...They know they like it and they know what THEY want...

 

Everyone has different criteria, different standards...They weigh the importance of things differently.

 

The guy who NEVER uses the spa could care less which cruise line offers better spa services...The couple WITH kids may place overdue importance on the kids' programs...

 

And everyone has a different level of expectations based on THEIR particular experience...

 

If someone's idea of "eating out" back home is Denny's or TGI Fridays or IHOP, they will likely see nothing wrong with sitting in a "booth" or having their waiter ask the person next to them to pass the plate over to you or the waiter telling them to "save their fork" or getting your appetizer, soup and entree all at the same time...(Yes, we saw all of that on the Carnival Liberty)...The fact that there are cloth napkins and tablecloths and that the food gets brought right to the table may be enough for those folks to THINK they're getting "great service"...

 

Those same folks don't expect any help at the buffet and are just happy they supply trays and lots of food...

 

And some of those same folks may go on a non-Carnival cruise and never pay attention to what's different...

 

Of course, it also may be that poor service, prerecorded voice tracks in the entertainment and crowded dining rooms and lines at various amenities and waits at the crowded showroom are just things that don't register with those folks...

 

Maybe unimportant to them, maybe they just don't expect more...

 

So, they do get lots of food...and drink...the kids seem to be having fun...They don't mind waiting in the showroom for the show because there's a bingo game or an art auction while they wait...and they think of all of this as constant "fun"...

 

Some of them actually LOVE the gaudy decor...

 

And they all love the fact that they think they paid less for this...they saved money...

And, IN THEIR MINDS, they are getting the "same" cruise...

 

And, hey, I get it...

 

And, I think if you are happy with what you get on Carnival, then great! We are all not the same...

 

As for my discerning eye, I have tried it...and tried it again...and tried it again...

 

I have compared it directly with Royal Caribbean and have become extremely aware of all of the differences...

 

Carnival cuts corners all over the place...and its loyal customers don't care...They like it...

 

McDonald's has lots of loyal customers...

Walmart has lots of loyal customers...

Motel 6 has lots of loyal customers...

Denny's has lots of loyal customers...

 

They could eat at nicer restaurants, stay at nicer hotels and shop at nicer stores...but, at least in their eyes, don't see or understand the difference...or percieve the value...

 

Good...good for them...

 

As for me, yeah, if Carnival offered me a FREE cruise, I'd probably go...it's not a TERRIBLE product...The food has actually improved considerably over the years...they have some good itineraries...the cabins, though hideously decorated, are of good, ample size...

 

They just don't compare with Royal Caribbean...

 

If you percieve the difference, you're likely to be willing to pay a little more...

If you don't...if those things aren't important to you...or not worth additional cost to you, then you are probably just fine with Carnival...

 

But don't tell me that there is NO difference...I know better...

[crusinmama06]

Perfect Steve, well said.

[barbaragrace]

Noticed that the Carnival Miracle sails out of NYC same time, same itineraries, but allot less expensive.

Should we take the chance? What are some honest opinions concerning this ship, or carnival in general?

 

.

 

The Carnival Miracle is a newer version of the Carnival Legend and as you can see from my name my vote it YES, TAKE THE CHANCE, YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT TIME! Tortola is lots of fun!