Best Carnival Ship for a New Cruiser?

[sarahvch]

I finally talked my SO other into trying out a cruise after two years. I booked an NCL cruise because he HATES to dress up when he is on vacation. I booked a short 4 day cruise on the Sky next month. Well the reports have been coming in and they are not good. I know that if we cruise on this ship with all the problems the posters here have mentioned that I can throw away the idea of ever cruising again, on any ship or any cruise line. I thought maybe I should book on another line for his first trip. Does anyone have any suggestions on what the best ship with the best service is for a new cruiser? We will book a suite or penthouse (not sure how Carnival ranks their cabins). We do not care where we go on this trip it is more to allow him the chance to try out cruising.

Also does Carnival have room service for suite guest for all meals (so if he does not want to dress up we will be ok?

TIA for any help or suggestions.

[kellywhitehills]

I finally talked my SO other into trying out a cruise after two years. I booked an NCL cruise because he HATES to dress up when he is on vacation. I booked a short 4 day cruise on the Sky next month. Well the reports have been coming in and they are not good. I know that if we cruise on this ship with all the problems the posters here have mentioned that I can throw away the idea of ever cruising again, on any ship or any cruise line. I thought maybe I should book on another line for his first trip. Does anyone have any suggestions on what the best ship with the best service is for a new cruiser? We will book a suite or penthouse (not sure how Carnival ranks their cabins). We do not care where we go on this trip it is more to allow him the chance to try out cruising.

Also does Carnival have room service for suite guest for all meals (so if he does not want to dress up we will be ok?

TIA for any help or suggestions.

 

I have only sailed the Spirit and she is a beautiful ship..You may want to look at the Spirit Class ships..They are very easy to navigate..As far as dressing up the only nights you have to dress up is the formal nights..Or Elegant nights..Those nights you could eat at the Buffet..The other nights you could eat in the dinig room..:) As far as room service is concerned thats where Carnival lets you down..There are no hot menu items..Mostly just salads and sandwiches..They taste good just not a full blown meal..

 

The regular cabins are about 185 square feet..If you want a suite try for a catagory 11 with a wrap around balcony..Thats the only cabin we have sailed and its an awesome huge aft balcony with beautiful views..

 

My husband was also a hesitant cruiser and now hes sold..:)

 

Kelly

[Wennfred]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what the best ship with the best service is for a new cruiser?

 

It doesn't say where you are from but I'm going to say Valor and Freedom out of Miami. You can't go wrong there, if you are on the West Coast then the Spirit. As for not dressing up, he can go up to Lido Deck which is the buffet and eat all you want.

 

Todays on Casual nights in the Dining room he can wear dress shorts and a polo shirt. So its not too dressy any more except on Formal nights.

 

 

Fred

[mr. cruiser]

I have to agree with Kelly, if you can get a wrap on the spirit class ship go for it. The cabins are 245 sq ft and the balconies are 220 sq ft. The Spirit class ships are Spirit,Legend,Pride, and Miracle. If you are looking at shorter cruises they are mostly Fantasy class, go for the cat 12's on this class.

[awp529]

I share some of your SO's concerns about dressing, etc. I have found the two Carnival Ships out of Galveston, TX to be very good. Carnival has excellent four and five day cruises, that feature good food, relaxation, and lots of activities. The ship makes one stop on the four day cruise and two on the five day. I would highly reccomend the Ecstasy for a first time cruiser as the cabins are larger and the ship welcomes everyone. Getting to Galveston, TX is easy from either Houston airport and there is plenty of parking near the cruise ships if you drive.

The Conquest is a larger ship and has weekly seven day trips out of Galveston. This ship has a more cosmopolitan feel and the public areas are larger and more elaborate. One very positive thing about the Conquest is that you can book a cabin with a balcony without paying the high price of a suite.

Good luck to you on your NCL cruise, and think about Galveston, for your next trip.

[scperk]

I have never been on a Fantasy class ship so I don't know a lot about them except they are the older ships....I like the newer ships because they are bigger and are a little nicer.....Dennis

[JDOUGLEJ]

Not knowing his likes and dislikes, would be hard to recommend a ship. However, I would normally say a larger ship with more entertainment options. Carnival Conquest Class or RCCL Voyager Class come to mind. Attitude is most important when cruiseing. :cool: Plan to have a great time and you probably will have a better time. :p Use the ships daily paper to plan your day. Good luck and good cruiseing.:)

[Sirwinston]

Ah don't spoil him on his first cruise. Go with the closest port if you are just testing the waters. I like Carnival, But also when it comes to NCL do not believe all of the crap that people complain about. If it were all true they would go out of bussiness.

That said the suites on Carnival are really just big nice rooms. Which I love but cannot always afford. You do get to go on the ship first. My SO really likes the bigger nicer rooms so it is worth it when he travels with me. BTW his first 3 cruises were in insides or small rooms with small port holes. He enjoys cruising but is not like the passion I have for it.

The cat 12 suites on the older Fantasy ships are really cool spaces. The Cat 11 on the older ships are like most balcony cabins on the newer ones. The Cat 11 aft wraps on the Spirit Class are the bomb, But usually have to be booked way in advance...

Also if he is not into getting dressed up he may just be the kind that really does not like being waited on Hand and foot. But if you do happen to be the "country club set" perhaps I would not be looking at Carnival.

 

 

Tom in Long Beach

[Curt Jerome Wild]

People, bear in mind that the OP is asking about next month.

Some of the most sought after cabins in the fleet aren't likely to be available.;)

 

sarahvch - call a PVP or TA and see what Category 12 cabins are available on a Fantasy Class ship.

Ecstasy, Elation, Fantasy, Fascination, Imagination, Inspiration, Paradise, and Sensation.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=6392925

The cabins are great, the ships are not so large as to be overly packed with people, overwhelming to get a round for a first cruise, and the service is generally more personal.

 

Won't matter where it is or where it goes.

And you don't say where you are located, (or I'm missing it) although NCL Sky sails out of Miami.

 

If you can find one of the bigger ships that has 4 to 5 day sailings that's great. But you'll have more options on Fantasy Class.

 

For a first cruise that he had to be talked into, I wouldn't want to trap him on a ship longer than that.

You want to leave him wanting more, not clamoring to get off the ship at day 5 if he doesn't like it.

:D

[Curt Jerome Wild]

PS For your other questions

24 hours room service, breakfast room service, and beverage service menus are at this thread/link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=359674

 

Dress guidelines are here so you can see how "casual" it is:

Cruise Casual Dining Dress Code:

 

Gentlemen - Sport slacks, khakis, jeans (no cut-offs), dress shorts (long), collared sport shirts;

 

Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs).

 

Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, and sleeveless shirts for men.

Cruise Elegant Dining Dress Code:

 

Gentlemen - Dress slacks, dress shirts. We also suggest a sport coat. If you wish to wear suits and ties or tuxedos, by all means we invite you to do so.

 

Ladies - Cocktail dresses, pantsuits, elegant skirts and blouses; if you‘d like to show off your evening gowns, that's great too!

 

Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Elegant dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, T-shirts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, jeans, cut-off jeans, sleeveless shirts for men, sportswear, and baseball hats.

[IndyGirl]

I finally talked my SO other into trying out a cruise after two years. I booked an NCL cruise because he HATES to dress up when he is on vacation. I booked a short 4 day cruise on the Sky next month. Well the reports have been coming in and they are not good. I know that if we cruise on this ship with all the problems the posters here have mentioned that I can throw away the idea of ever cruising again, on any ship or any cruise line. I thought maybe I should book on another line for his first trip. Does anyone have any suggestions on what the best ship with the best service is for a new cruiser? We will book a suite or penthouse (not sure how Carnival ranks their cabins). We do not care where we go on this trip it is more to allow him the chance to try out cruising.

Also does Carnival have room service for suite guest for all meals (so if he does not want to dress up we will be ok?

TIA for any help or suggestions.

 

Actually, don't worry so much about the ship. At this late date it will be hard to get much selection on what type of cabin you want. It the ships were half as bad as people on the boards make them seem, all the cruise lines would be out of business. I have read so much about the brown water and the vibration on the Holiday, it is ridulous (sp). Did not experience either one on the two trips I have taken on her.

 

Actually the way to chose a cruise, is to select what ports you would like to visit. Then chose what ship goes to these ports.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[Essiesmom]

Although people refer to the fantasy class ships as 'snall' or 'smaller', they are really huge, compared to where cruising was 20 years ago. If you have nothing to compare, it will seem quite large. I think you should stick with your original choice, as you are probably out of the penalty phase and would lose all your fare. I believe I read recently on this forum that only 3% of cruisers know about CruiseCritic. I would be very surprised if it was that many. And only a small percentage of those ever post. We don't hear from the people who took their cruise and enjoyed it and will be back for another. We hear about those that had a fabulous time, and those that had a horrible time. And the latter you should take with a grain of salt. EM

[dotshub]

I would suggest one of the Fantasy class ships to start with, for a couple of reasons. First, they are smaller, so your future cruises can be a step up instead of down, altho they are my favorite class and we love them.

Second, most of the Fantasy class ships do shorter cruises, like 3, 4 or 5 days, and I always say go shorter on the first cruise, because if for some strange reason one decides cruising is NOT his thing and he hates it, 7 days can seem like a very long time.

[sarahvch]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

We are going to stick with our SKY cruise as we will loose all of our money if we don't. I am still going to check the ships suggested out.

FYO We are in Dallas so the Galveston port would be awesome for us!