ILCruzr

I hear yah! I will be screaming tomorrow, tomorrow a week from today. I will be flying to San Juan from Siberia to board the valor...I want this week to go fast!

You get priority boarding with platinum and diamond crusiers. Hopefully she is sailing from Miami because the lounge there is super nice! Been in there twice :)

Back on post #26, I had mentioned that the Magic has Cucina del Capitano, Red Frog Pub, Sportsquare and SeaDogs. It has subsequently been mentioned that although these are upgrades, the other additions such as the Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana etc are considered the 2.0 upgrades. It's a matter of semantics, because the Red Frog Pub and the Cucina are not on every ship and they are really nice additions and are an upgrade.

Are those things are part of 2.0 upgrades but are not 2.0 like on other ships. I didn't like the shows at all. They changed from the fun Las Vegas style shows to horrible back lit things. They were not fun at all. The Hasboro Game was the only thing that was semi good. I think Guys burgers are too greasy and the Blue Iguana was just so so.

And BTW SNJCruisers-I never said the Indy was a downgrade. the Carnival Freedom is from your past RCI cruises...come keep our post straight..you give so many mixed messages...because you are passive aggressive and argumentative, which isn't the point of CC.

Ill be on the Valor in 12 days! Cant wait :)

we got the call on our last cruise on the Victory..bumped from Balcony to Grand Suite..it was nice! Second time in the Grand Suite too :) The calls do happen!

I've done 4,5,7,8 and they are all too short! I love cruising and wish I could do a back 2 back. Its on my bucket list. But go for the 7 because 4 is way too short! Happy Cruising :)

The Freedom of the Seas is a very nice ship, I sailed on it, you have not, so it's a little presumptuous of you to say it's a major downgrade when you yourself have not made a first hand experience comparison. The Carnival Breeze is also a very nice ship, 1 of 17 that I have sailed with Carnival. I chose the Freedom because I enjoyed the 2.0 upgrades on the Breeze and I am looking forward to the Alchemy Bar on the Freedom. The blue prints were already locked in and because of this, the Alchemy Bar was not incorporated into the Breeze design.

 

I may sail on one of the two behemoths someday, but only when I perceive that the value is right. With the Quantum and the Anthem coming out, the prices are being slightly adjusted, but not quite to my liking as yet.

 

I hope you enjoy your non 2.0 sailing from San Juan and also your two RCI cruises. At that point you'll be able to make intelligent comparisons as to what is or isn't a downgrade when you are comparing cruise lines and you have first hand experience. Second hand research on line is nice, but nothing compares to an actual cruise to make a valid comparison.

 

It's nice to take the blinders off and look at cruising through non rose colored Carnival glasses. There is a whole world of vacationing choices and you'll get to see it first hand when you sail on RCI for the first time and expeurience summer cruising with all of the youngsters that many parents let run amok. Happy sailing.

Im confused as to why u mention freedom of the seas? I'm referring to the carnival freedom that's indicated in your countdown....

Once again IlCruzr, you love to send those mixed messages. You would rather sail the Magic instead of the Breeze because the Breeze has those 2.0 upgrades that you so despise, but the conundrum comes into play because you would prefer to sail out of FL to save money. So, I guess you'll be stuck with those 2.0 upgrades that you so despise until the Magic possibly relocates to Fl, so you can get that cheap airfare.

 

When it comes to cruising, many people evolve and open up their thinking and take the blinders off and seek out other options. You'll be doing that when you sail on RCI on the Enchantment in August and the Independence next year. Maybe you'll like RCI so much that you'll leave Carnival in your rear view window. Maybe not, but either way, enjoy your cruises.

 

I really don't care that I was wrong about the semantics of the 2.0 upgrades on the Magic, because I have no intention of ever sailing on her. I have evolved and I primarily sail on cruises that offer me something that is better or has more to offer. My last cruise on Carnival was on the Breeze and my cruise in a few weeks is on the Freedom, which has the Alchemy bar and EA Sports bar which the Breeze did not have. I have also expanded to cruising on RCI as well as Celebrity and in many ways, they are both major upgrades over many of the ships from Carnival. You'll probably come to that same conclusion after you sail on the Independence of the Seas.

There are other non 2.0 ships that sail out of Miami AKA the Victory which is what I sailed last year and this year I am opening my blinders and going out of San Juan for my first time. And I am also going out of Port Canaveral on the Enchantment and sailing in the summer for my first time. You didn't do your research on me thoroughly.....

I think its funny you went from RCI IOS to the freedom, to me that is a major downgrade. And you chose it because of a bar? Really? I think if you followed your own advice you would sail the Allure or Oasis because those are the granddaddy ships that have everything. SO therefore your messages are mixed.

Ive been on the Glory twice. Its a nice ship, but not a fan of the 2.0 upgrades. I will let you know about the Valor because I sail on her in 2 weeks. But I hear its an awesome ship! I want to try the Splendor too.

That's a tough choice, but the western itinerary is fun. Isla Roatan is one of my favorite places in the world. Go to West Bay Beach, its magical!

Enjoy your cruise, whichever you choose!

If you want to get technical about things, the Magic does not have any 2.0 upgrades. The things you mentioned have been added to 1 or more other ships during 2.0 upgrade drydocks, but they aren't technically considered a part of 2.0. The 2.0 campaign began in late 2011 with the Liberty. It was a year prior to that when the Magic was being built, with those things already planned to put on it. Every table & list that I've seen has a "No" listed for Magic under the "Fun Ship 2.0?" category.

 

This is another reason why I always say that the numbers don't mean anything. Whether something is 2.0, 1.0, or 0.0 shouldn't matter at all. All that matters is whether each individual would like whatever it is. Some new things are not 2.0, while some 2.0 things are only a renaming of what was always there, and some 2.0 things won't be used at all by some cruisers on that ship. Most people associate 2.0 with Guys burgers, Blue Iguana cantina, renamed bars with new drinks, & the removal of the showband in the theater. Magic doesn't have any of those, and not all of those are on every 2.0 ship, so it gets confusing. My favorite ship is actually a 2.0 ship (Dream), but it only got the renamed bars.

Thank you for "educating" the other poster. Apparently they think they know EVERYTHING about 2.0.......guess not :)~

I thought it was pretty obvious that they meant that if they were going to sail on a ship with the upgrades, they'd rather sail on a newer (relatively speaking) ship like the Breeze or Magic than a retrofitted old ship like the Sunshine.

YES!!! You hit the nail on the head. exactly what I meant. Magic isn't 2.0, so I would rather sail the Magic over the Breeze, its more old school carnival. But my problem is I would rather go to FL over Texas. Airfare to TX is costlier and the cruises out of there are costlier. For the same cruise out of FL, with cheaper airfare, why not? So I will probably sail the Breeze unless it moves to TX and the magic comes to FL, which would be AWESOME!!

Thanks for getting my point across to the other poster :)

I love your reviews! I am going on the Valor in a short 16 days and its my first time to Puerto Rico and I am stoked to go to all the islands on the itinerary. I have done mostly western itineraries, so this is excting!

I cant wait to see your Magic review, because I really wanna sail her!

16 days on the VALOR!!!!!!!

and later this year on another line :)

Wow. That was kind of rude. The Magic is completely different from the Breeze since Magic doesn't have all the upgrades that the Breeze does.

Yes some people can be rude, especially when they say stuff that isn't true!

Guys thanks for all your input. We decided on Liberty because we originally wanted to take the Dream class and we wanted to experience many of the new fun 2.0 additions. The sunshine honestly scared me with all the negative reviews and being smaller and having more people on it. So it was a toss up with Valor and Liberty and my husband says....I want to go soon let's do Feb so Liberty was sold. I just called Carnival's PVP and he gave me the super saver price of $369/inside (which is what we like) and $100 OBC, so we paid $1100 w/ tax/tip for 7 nights. Can't beat that!!! I have been on the small Fantasy class and I can have fun/relaxation anywhere and I'm sure Liberty will be great :D Thanks again!

You will have a great time!! enjoy your trip ;) And being that you are sailing in Feb, you couldn't do the Valor since she is in San Juan, but maybe next year when she is in Port Canaveral you can. I will let you know how great she is when I sail her in a few weeks!

Please tell me how you have such an opinion on the Sunshine when you haven't even sailed her yet!

The sunshine is the destiny, which I sailed. I heard mixed things about it and really have no desire to sail the sunshine. I would rather sail the Dream class. Plus I have two friends who sailed on the sunshine and said the wouldn't recommend it.

good to know thanks! :)

Is this true? I thought with the 2.0 upgrades they had to take out the Mongolian woks on those ships due to the ventilation system. I know that happened on the Glory. Can someone tell me if there is a wok on the liberty??

Please make up your mind......you want to sail on the Breeze or the Magic, but at the same time you don't like the 2.0 upgrades. Both of those ships have the 2.0 upgrades. You like the old Burrito Bar, but the Blue Iguana is so so. The Blue Iguana has everything that the old Burrito Bar has, plus more including being open for breakfast. I guess you must like the hockey pucks for hamburgers that are the norm, because you don't like Guy's. Regarding the Mongolian Wok, it's available on 15 ships in the fleet, including the Liberty and the Valor as you mentioned.

Just like there is a market for those that like the Fantasy class ships for short cruises, there are still a few ships that are larger that do have have all of the whistles and bells and upgrades that many cruisers enjoy. Even though your posting sends mixed messages, I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise on the Valor.

The Magic isn't 2.0 like the Breeze is. But I would rather sail a newer ship in that fleet over the Sunshine, which was like putting lipstick on a pig.

The Blue Iguana is cruddy and the Victory didn't have hockey pucks for burgers. I felt guys burgers were too greasy.

I think your posting is passive aggressive when all I did was give an opinion as that's what the OP wanted.

and I will enjoy my Valor cruise thank you very much!

Valor! I don't like the 2.0 upgrades. The shows suck and the Guys and Blue Iguana are so so. I miss old school carnival with the Mongolian Wok, Burrito Bar, and Fish n Chips which the Valor has. I cant wait to sail on her in 2 weeks, but being on the Glory in 2013...it made me miss old carnival, so doing the victory in 2013 was awesome!

Plus I heard the Sunshine is just so so and I would rather sail the Breeze or Magic because those are really the new ships.

This was our 4th holiday cruise. The 3rd on Carnival and the first on the Breeze. We had a total of 7 people. Me, my wife, daughter (16), son (14), Sister in law, brother in law, and nephew (14). We previously spent holiday cruises on Royal Carribean Freedom of the Seas, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Liberty. We choose the Breeze because it was new and we really liked the 8 day itinerary.

 

Let me start by saying I hope those readers who have a positive cruise experience will post, as priro to my cruise I started to doubt whether we had made a good choice as so many posts out here tend to be very nagative. I heard from multiple people on our cruise how they were surprised at how differenttheir expereinces were from those posted on CC and many who no longer will use this site as it has become a dumping ground for negative comments.

 

Reservation process:

We used our PVP from Carnival. She does a great job and keeps us updated on upgrades. Originally we booked an inside deck 2 cabin. A week later we were upgraded at no cost to a cove balcony. three weeks later we were upgraded at a cost of $40 per cabin to Lido deck balcony cabins with connecting balconies. This upgrade was the best decision we ever made. We were incabins 10291 and 10287. these cabins are right next to the pool, fun hub and buffet areas. We read that we might not like all the noise and that it was too close to traffic. This was not true. There is a set of doors that seperate the cabins from the main foot traffic. We only saw two other people in our hall the entire trip. We nver had any noise issues with what was going on on deck, not even when we were on the balcony. Being able to go back and forth to our room from the Lido made a huge differnce in our trip.

 

Travel to Ship:

We flew in the day prior. for us, it was cheaper to fly to Fort Lauderdale. we stayed at the Gallery Doubletree. Hotel is on the intercoastal. Beach is a five minute walk. there is a mall with national stores and restaurants next store and a Publix across the street. A water taxi also stops at the hotel. rooms are suites and hotel was renovated two years ago. We enjoyed it. since hotel was not near airport, we used Howards Transportation from the airport and from hotel to Miami and Miami back. Howard was recommeded by SAS, because SAS does not drive from or to htoels further from airport. Howard was very personable and did a great job. He charged $10 from airport per person. $25 per person to port and then coming home it was $15 per person to the Best western Plus Airport hotel in Dania Beach. We were the only party in our van, however on the way to the port we did stop to pick up another family, who decided not to join us because they wanted their own private van. Howard picked us up at 10:45. We were at Port of Miami at 11:30. We made it thorugh all the lines by 12:00. We were boarding zone 10. They started boarding diamond at 11:45, Faster to Fun at 12, other zones at 12:10 and we were on board by 12:25. We were glad we did not get there earlier and also glad we did not pay extra for faster to the fun since we boarded shortly after them. we could be i n our rooms at 12:40. We decided to eat first.

 

On the Ship:

this was a full cruise. they said over 4600 passengers. We read the horror stories of lines and crowds and I must say we were pleasantly surprised. Im not sure if it is the size of the ship or the layout, but with the exception of the muster drill, we never encountered major lines or crowds and we often commented whether it was really a full cruise. There were days where there were decks of empty chairs and that we were some ofthe only people in line for omlettes or the buffett. They had over 1400 childern/teens on the cruise. We would not have known. Once we boarded we purchased our bubble cards and went to luch at the italian restaurant. We read to do this day one as the restaurant may be hard to get in to after day one. We enjoyed the design your own pasta, caeser salad and the lasagna was exceptional. We did go back throughout the week and never encountered any issues getting seated.

 

After lunch we went to our rooms and had the room steward open the divider between our balconies. Our bags had not arrived and we explored the ship until the muster drill. If you have been on the Liberty or Freedom, Breeze has a very similar layout, except it is bigger and has a few different offerings. the decor is very casual and relaxing. We liked it. My sister in law prefers the over the top flashiness found on the other ships. We have been on very formal cruises and we as a family preder Carnival becaue it is more relaxed. We dont mind 1-2 formal nights, but enjoy being able to relax the other days. although casual most days, carnival does enforce a dress code in dining rooms. We saw many people askedto remove hats or told they were not dressed for the dining room on formal night. I will say too that on thiscruise the formal dress on formal nights was much less formal than on any other cruise I have been on. I saw maybe 2-3 tuxedos, some suits, mostly sport coats and many dress shirts with or without ties. Its vacation and if people are comfrtable and enjoying themselves, thats what matters. If you prefer a more formal cruise, there are lines that cater specifically to that. At the same time, when I say casual , it is not the Walmart of the seas that Carnival gets so badly referred to often on these posts.

 

The muster drill went smoothly, but there was a lot of confgestion and a wait on the elevators as most were being used to transfer luggage to the rooms. This was the only time we really had to wait more than 2-3 minutes for an elevator.

 

 

We selected anytime dining in Sapphire 3. We prefer to eat at 5:45 to ensure we could make all the shows or evening activities. One thing to note. On the breeze the main shows and comedy are repeated on more than one night. If you miss Mowtown, Divas, or the Latin show, they will be repeated on another night. When we got down to level 3 we were shocked to see a long line. It was long because they dining room had not yet opened. Once it opened , everyone was seated very quickly.

The first night we were seated at table 266 with Dejan and his assistant Enrique. They did a great job. A couple people in our party joined us late and this threw off the timing for our meal a bit , so this night was the only one where it took a bit longer to get everything. This was our fault though and not the servers. A couple of things that helped us on this trip when it came to dinner: You can look at the menu for the week on the TV. This will help you decide what you might want to order, depending if something might not be offered again on the cruise. Our waiters told us that the first two-three items offered in each section ofthe menu are most likely only goingto be offered that night ofthe cruise, so if it is appealling ,you should order it. When we could not make up our mind, the wait team was more than willingto bring us two options to sample. While they have bar staff in the dining room, if you have the bubbles card, your wait staff can now get your soda for you, so you no longer have to wait for the bar staff to come around to get your order. The wait staff tend to do their show each evening around 7:20 in the Sapphire dining room. There tended to be a line after the first group of people were seated at 5:45, but after 7:00 the line went down or there was no line at all.

 

We did not eat at any of the specialty restaurants. People who did really enjoyed them, but we felt that the dining room had enough offerings that we didnt need to do the other venues. My family has tried a veriety of cruise lines. When it comes to family cruises, we all feel Carnival beats Royal carribean and NCL sevice wise and food quality. They also have a good variety.

 

After dinner we explored the ship. Deck 5 havs all the shops and bars. One thingto note, on the first two nights, the shops offer an additional 15% off regular and sale prices on all items. They only offer this the first two nights. If you plan to buy anything in the shops, buy it these two nights. Watches marked 25% off are 40% off when you add the 15% discount.

 

After the shops isthe casino. We are not big gamblers. The nice thing on the breeze is that the split the casino up on two sides , so you do not walk through the casino in order to get around, the casino also dod not appear as smokey as some ofthe other ships. We did not gamble, but people who did won free cruises for playing during the cruise.

 

There is lots more to write about, so stay tuned and I will share more when I have a chance to write more.

Yes, SAS is annoying in that regard. Last December when I was on the Victory, I decided to stay at the Hampton Inn in Plantation by the Broward Mall. It was a great hotel and location. There was a Target in the parking lot which was walkable from the hotel, where I got wine. But there is a free airport shuttle from FLL and free port shuttle to Port Everglades. I will be staying there next March when I sail from FLL. But with SAS, I took the airport shuttle back to FLL and waited for SAS to pick me up from the aiport. It was a hassle and extra trip to the port of miami, but the hotel itself was worth it :)

We cruise on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, so you can help us decide a little about what we like about each cruise line and please help us make a decision.

 

* We find the food for breakfast and lunch on RC to be better, more choices, variety and selection

*We do enjoy going to the specialty restaurants although this past may on the Allure we finding the specialty restaurants to decline in service and quality with this being said we are not choosing a ship for its specialty dining

*We will be 7 adults, 3 generations, some of us like to sit out at the pool and RC offers larger pools

*Carnival treats my other half like gold in the casinos

*I don't care for shows and neither does my father in law and my other half

*We do enjoy the comedy shows

*We always get balcony cabins

*We enjoy listing to live bands

*We cruise for the ship not the ports but since this is a southern caribbean cruise, ports will be important

WE ARE 7 ADULTS THIS CRUISE WILL BE IN JULY

 

The two itineraries/cruises we considering are:

 

Carnival Liberty- San Juan r/t, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Maarten with 1 sea day

Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas- San Juan r/t, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba until 11pm, Curacao and 7 sea days

 

Please give us your opinions and advice which ship we should take, we really can't decide and thank you.

I am doing the Liberty itinerary on the Valor in a few weeks. Ive been to both Aruba and Curacao and loveeee Curacao. Its a hard choice, as I have never sailed RCI (have two booked)..but I think the Liberty itinerary is more hopping :)

YES!!! Cuz you get the cabin you want and you can watch the price drops. You will always get the lowest price.

My upcoming Valor cruise we booked last February for this month and I also have 2 other cruises that are planned well far an advance, so I have something to look forward to :)

Loving your review so far! I sail the Valor in 2 weeks and I can't wait. Its my first time to SJ and all these ports, so I cant wait to see your pics!

we were on the 7th deck mid ship when we went on the Miracle. It was a good location near the elevators that zipped you up to the lido since the lido stretches across the whole deck of the ship. I love spirit class ships, have a blast!