jewopaho

I have to disagree with you that Carnival is a first time cruise only. If that is the case where did all these platinum and diamond passengers come from? From what I have read is that Carnival is a more casual cruise line. Which a lot of people like. Me for one. I'm on vacation I don't wanna have to get dressed up every dinner. Mind you I don't go to dinner with a tank top and daisy duke shorts either. I don't mind dressing up a couple of times. If RCI is formal dress every night RCI is not the cruise line for me.

From what you've read???? Have you never sailed Carnival???? Or Royal Caribbean???? What cruise lines have you experienced? Granted, Carnival (as is the case with all) has its loyal supporters (I know several). But there's no question that the target market is the first-timers ... singles and young families in particular. Nothing wrong with that ... in fact, they probably spend more per capita than those of us who've cruised often. We have enough photos to fill a dozen albums, have bought hundreds of dollars' worth of souvenirs for friends and family (only to have most of them end up in yard sales), taken every possible shore trip at least twice ... not much left that we can't live without.

My "formal" attire consists of a nice pair of slacks, long-sleeve shirt and (optional) tie. I don't even bring a sport jacket anymore. The overall cruise "dress code" has become far more casual over the years. There are still those men who insist on tuxedos or suits, women who wear long gowns ... but they're a vanishing breed. Incidentally, the "suggested" formal nights are usually the second and fifth nights on a seven-night cruise ... so you'd be right at home on Royal Caribbean, but somewhat overdressed on Carnival.

Those cruise lines are owned by Carnival Corporation, not Carnival. They are all operated independently. I can only tell you from my own experience but I feel that there is a vast difference between Carnival Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines.

Understand ... the Carnival umbrella is huge, but my point is that whatever the corporation is doing works well.

To your point, we noticed a general decline in the Princess cruise experience on our last trip a couple of years ago. The two cruise lines aren't all that far apart in several aspects. It took a while, but the effects of the Cahill regime have begun to show ... nothing particularly wrenching, but just an overall feeling that it's not quite the same cruise line as it was on our voyage before that one (about a year prior). The ship wasn't nearly as sharp-looking (rust everywhere), and while staff was courteous, they weren't outstanding, as we've been accustomed to (likely overworked ... we were informed that everyone was doing more with less). But I'm certain that someone will take our place while we continue to sail with Royal Caribbean.

Good to see so many Superstars here ... we'll be aboard Liberty on 2/7 and can't wait. Super Bowl Sunday and Derek Lewis ... can the ship stand it???

We were also at Derek's wedding aboard Voyager. We thought we'd never have him back in Galveston, due to Royal's antiquated smoking policy. At the time, each hotel director could establish his own rules for the pubs. When Voyager (non-smoking) left Galveston, it was replaced by Mariner (smoking). After all those years of performing in smaller venues, Derek could no longer tolerate second-hand smoke. So after RCI abandoned New Orleans, Derek spent the next couple of years working on Celebrity ships (ironically owned by Royal Caribbean) out of Florida, continuing on Royal for the Alaska season. He took some time off this year to care for his ailing mother, who unfortunately passed away a couple of months ago. During the interim, RCI established a fleet-wide policy, prohibiting smoking in public indoor venues ... so after taking care of a few personal matters, Derek will be back where he belongs ... in the pub, on a Royal Caribbean ship out of Galveston. Welcome home, Big Guy!!

Al

Our last Carnival cruise a couple of years back (as in, they made us an offer we couldn't refuse ... under $400 for 7 nights) actually validated our previous contentions ... it's just not for us.

Don't get me wrong ... they've got to be doing something right, with so many ships in the water, not to mention ownership of Holland America, Princess, Costa, Cunard, Windstar, Seabourn (72 ships at last count) ... as much as I'd like to, I just can't knock success.

What I've observed is Carnival's marketing strategy, aimed largely at folks who've either never cruised before, or who vacation infrequently. It's pretty simple ... you get to travel on a floating hotel, to places you'd never dreamed of visiting, enjoying an endless array (and quantity) of food, be entertained, and generally just let go ... all for a price you can well afford (that is, until you see your bar tab and all the other optional expenses). You can pay the cruise off in a year or two on your Carnival credit card, earn a few perks, and get to do it all over again when your balance becomes manageable. Nothing wrong here ... it serves a need for an inexhaustible number of potential first-time passengers.

Having never cruised before, most of these folks have no idea what the generally accepted protocol is, so they just do their thing ... shorts, t-shirts and baseball caps at dinner is just an indication of attitude, if for no other reasons than, (1) they're not aware of what should be expected, and/or (2) the staff doesn't enforce whatever rules and regs are in place. They're having a ball, and will be telling all their friends what a great time they had. In the meantime, Carnival's cash registers are working overtime, so everyone wins.

This is not to say that we haven't run into obnoxious passengers (sober or otherwise), out-of-control kids, lapses in service, and other such matters on Royal ... but the incidents are few and far between, and issues are often resolved expeditiously and courteously. Hey ... things happen when 3000+ people are in a confined space for any length of time ... just seems to happen more often on Carnival ships.

Al

Yeah, except: Houston built a port several years ago that no one wanted. When Katrina shut down NO some moved there until NO was fixed. The cruise terminal then sat empty for several years. Because it was a boondoggle, Houston started recruiting cruise lines to come use the port hoping to build a large client base. No one was interested until Houston offered to subsidize the cruises on a two year trial basis with the cruise lines having the option to extend if business warranted it. The business never came to the degree that the cruise lines needed and with Asia becoming hot, that signaled the end for the Bayport cruise terminal. The cruise lines owe Houston nothing, they fulfilled their obligations. If customers had supported the port, it would continue to operate.

Correct and well-stated.

Yet all this aside, the Texas Gulf Coast is a minor (albeit highly profitable) venue, offering rather mundane itineraries, with two cruise lines sailing year-round. Passengers have their choice of four-, five- and seven-night cruises, and parking is both abundant and reasonable. The vast majority of folks drive to the port, as flying to Florida is generally less expensive and convenient to the airports, as well as affording cruisers far more itinerary options. With a significantly smaller passenger base, all that Princess and NCL accomplished was to over-saturate the market. There was no way that the Galveston-Houston area could support so many ships sailing to the same places for any length of time. As I noted in a previous post, Bayport was doomed from the outset.

:mad:We have cruised from/to there several times and much prefer the excellent facilities compared to Galveston! Also, the highway access bypassing Houston is wonderful! (Fog can also be a problem for Galveston):p

You're certainly in the minority. Incidentally, the fog issue also exists in Bayport. I continually received e-mails from Princess touting last-minute bargains out of Houston. We couldn't resist one ... don't exactly remember what we paid, but it was in the $500 range for the two of us. We found the port lacking in several areas, including having to wait outside in freezing weather while departing passengers took up the entire terminal.

The thing was built as a throw-in to placate voters when a huge bond issue for the Port of Houston was placed on the ballot. Just by its very location, there was absolutely no way it could have ever succeeded. Even bribing the cruise lines had a limited effect. With Galveston building a third terminal, the Bayport coffin can now be nailed shut.

My guess is it was the texas liquor policies that did them in. Although, I'm sure all the rest that you were listed were also contributing factors.

I don't think the liquor tax had anything to do with it ... Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships sail full all the time. It's simply trying to fit round pegs into square holes ... just doesn't work.

After the 2015-16 Caribbean season, both NCL and Princess will cease operations out of the Bayport (Houston) terminal. Frankly, I'm not surprised. It took a bunch of money and incentives just to get them here ... as in no docking charges and $80,000 paid to the cruise lines for each sailing ... and they still couldn't make it work. Granted, the fare is only part of the overall revenue, but how many $299 cruises can the bottom line endure?

It's all about following the money, and it's not here. Right now, the hot markets are in Asia and Australia ... very similar to Europe a few years back. Five ships sailing virtually the identical itineraries from a region as small as this makes no sense.

Given the obstacles ... long, winding trips through the Ship Channel (no casino, no bar, no shops), the location (in the midst of one of the most active freight terminals in the country, with absolutely nothing for visitors to do), a capacity of one (count' em, one!) ship, the expense of getting to and from the airports, and the proximity to Galveston (a pretty decent tourist area, with two cruise lines sailing year-round) ... it was simply a matter of time. We sailed from there once ... that was enough for us.

The terminal was built as part of a political boondoggle in the first place, and was doomed from the beginning.

Al

After the 2015-16 Caribbean season, both Princess and NCL will cease operations out of the Bayport (Houston) terminal. Frankly, I'm not surprised. It took a bunch of money and incentives just to get them here ... as in no docking charges and $80,000 paid to the cruise lines for each sailing ... and they still couldn't make it work. Granted, the fare is only part of the overall revenue, but how many $299 cruises can the bottom line endure?

It's all about following the money, and it's not here. Right now, the hot markets are in Asia and Australia ... very similar to Europe a few years back. Five ships sailing virtually the identical itineraries from a region as small as this makes no sense.

Given the obstacles ... long, winding trips through the Ship Channel (no casino, no bar, no shops), the location (in the midst of one of the most active freight terminals in the country, with absolutely nothing for visitors to do), a capacity of one (count' em, one!) ship, the expense of getting to and from the airports, and the proximity to Galveston (a pretty decent tourist area, with two cruise lines sailing year-round) ... it was simply a matter of time. We sailed from there once ... that was enough for us.

The terminal was built as part of a political boondoggle in the first place, and was doomed from the beginning.

Al

It's all about following the money. Right now, the hot markets are in Asia and Australia. Princess is playing musical cruise ships, moving just about every ship to new home ports. The Carribean Princess will replace another in Fort Lauderdale. I'm not all that certain about NCL, but they've been active in foreign markets as well. Bottom line: if they can't make money paying absolutely nothing to dock, as well as collecting $80,000 per sailing, there's little hope for any cruise line returning.

It was probably just a matter of time, but the Bayport cruise terminal will once again become vacant. Both cruise lines will cease operations there after the upcoming Caribbean season. It took a bunch of incentives, including waiver of docking fees, and payment to Princess and NCL of about $80,000 per sailing, just to get them to give Houston a shot. But with so many obstacles (a long and winding route to the Gulf through the Ship Channel ... no casinos, no shopping, no bars), a terrible location (absolutely nothing to do in the area), capacity of one ship, the inconvenience of the trek from both airports ... it was doomed to failure, especially with Galveston being so close, and thriving with two cruise lines sailing year-round. Construction of the terminal was a political boondoggle from the beginning, and the taxpayers are once again stuck with the tab.

IMO Free Wifi for all passengers just invites someone-- or probably many someones-- to clog up bandwidth taking a selfie every 30 seconds at the pool, bar, spa, flow rider, rock wall, Windjammer, Promenade, etc., etc., etc. Some folks I know do this on Facebook and it's "holy crap, when are you NOT eating??"

Good point ... probably the most relevant on the thread. We have neither the hardware nor the bandwidth to even come close. Perhaps in the future, but not now. Based on what I've seen, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The LA may be an option, but you might also want to see the Diamond Club Concierge, which is what we did. A couple of clicks, and we were Diamond for the entire length of the cruises. It likely varies from concierge to concierge, but if one of them can do it, all have the ability. Enjoy!

Cruises are relatively cheap ... and there are often deals to be had. It's the airfare that balloons the cost of a vacation, especially if you're going overseas, or live in an area that does not have particularly good airline service.

For this reason, both my wife and I use our Capital One Venture Cards exclusively ... 2 miles for every dollar spent; no blackout periods; good for travel on any airline; no foreign currency conversion fee, and several more nice perks. The cost ($59 after the first complimentary year) is well worth it for us. Our Alaska adventure (fly to Fairbanks, return from Vancouver) cost us zero in airfare ... savings of about $1700.

If by chance you haven't gathered enough miles for a particular flight, you can purchase your vacation (doesn't have to be airfare exclusively) using the card, and deduct what you have accumulated, dollar for dollar, from the overall cost ... it just has to be within a 90-day period. So you can actually apply the points toward a cruise, if you so desire.

We pay all our bills with the card ... from the supermarket to the Internet, and the miles add up quickly. If we feel that the balance is getting up there, we just go and pay it before we receive the statement ... we know that it doesn't enhance our credit scores, but we're in the 800's anyway, so it's of no consequence.

We've had several proprietary cruise line credit cards, but have long since canceled them. Our Capital One card works best for us.

The internet was abysmal though. Really, the only complaint I had about the trip. Not even worth the $60.

The Internet connection is via satellite, so it's a crapshoot ... at times it's OK, at others it seems as if your old dial-up system would have been faster. We've experienced both. It's frustrating watching pages load so slowly while the clock is ticking. You can speak to someone in guest relations, and you'll likely get a bit of time restored.

As Realtors, we always need to be in touch with home base, as well as our clients. Thankfully we do get some free time as a D+ perk, but we always wind up needing more. We generally use our OBC, so it winds up costing us basically nothing ... about what it's worth.

Al

We've sailed Navigator several times since the 2014 drydock. Overall it's in terrific shape. The remarks above are correct. Our mattresses were fine. We did have a "virtual balcony" stateroom once ... a complimentary upgrade. Essentially it's a gimmick, which contributed nothing to our enjoyment of the cruise. The technology is fascinating, but we found it unnecessary.

Heat, humidity, kids!!!!!

Yep ... but not necessarily in that order. Kids, heat, kids, humidity, kids ... that's closer to reality. Add the fact that many parents pay no attention to what their children are doing (pressing every button on elevators, using the hallways for running tracks, piling into the hot tubs, even though the minimum age is 18 ... staff often ignores it). We stopped looking for summer cruises after one experience in June, and it wasn't even mid-summer yet. And for this they charges premium prices ... and folks are willing to pay it because it's family vacation time.

I for one am really hoping all this "hot" talk is true :). I don't retain heat well, so i may be in the minority when looking forward to 90 degree weather :)

It's actually closer to the 100 mark ... and you can feel every degree of it. I hope you love children, as well, since you'll be cruising with 1000 of them ... literally.

We just left Vision two days ago! She was in great shape, the food and service was top notch, I was pleasantly surprised. However, if you are looking for a ship with tons of activities, this is not the right ship. The itinerary was once in a lifetime amazing! We didn't do it for the ship at all. If you know going in you are there for the ports, don't set your expectations as high as you would on other class ships, you will enjoy your cruise. For us, it was the best trip of our lives! And we've been on many. :)

Exactly ... as I noted in my previous post, it's all about the ports, and the ship is actually a secondary consideration. Concentrate on what you'd like to do on shore ... you'll spend your free time aboard ship re-living your once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Yes we have been among the many hoping that Derek would make his way back to Galveston once the smoking policy changed and he was able to sail again. I don't know why Royal has not been more proactive about getting fun entertainers like him on the other ships - most are putting everyone to sleep! Hey Royal - keep us awake and we will spend more $$! :D

For those who are unfamiliar with situation, Derek has an aversion to second-hand smoke, after years of performing in phone-booth-sized venues. At the time, Royal Caribbean did not have a fleet-wide policy on smoking ... each ship's hotel manager set his own. Voyager's pub was smoke-free. When the ship left Galveston for New Orleans, it was replaced by Mariner, where passengers could smoke. Derek then opted to head for Florida, where he sailed with Celebrity (ironically, owned by Royal) for the next two Caribbean seasons. During the interim, RCI changed its smoking policy to include the pubs. Derek didn't work last season, taking a break to care for his ailing mother, who unfortunately passed away recently. So, after he takes care of some family matters, he'll be back where he belongs.

We've sailed out of Galveston (Mariner and Navigator) at least a half-dozen times over the past few years, and have never seen the pubs more than half-full (often less than that) when live entertainers (using the term loosely) were performing. It would have been an effort for us to stay awake, especially after a day of intense (for us) activity on shore. But irrespective of our condition, we always made it to Derek's mayhem, and left rejuvenated (not all the result of alcohol infusion). His return is long overdue.

Al

He is on for 6 months starting in January

He's got some personal business to take care of right now (his mother recently passed away, and he had taken a break from sea to care for her), so he won't be returning until January. Now that Galveston is a year-round port for Royal Caribbean, he can stick around a little longer than he usually does before (I assume) heading to Alaska for that season.

If you've never seen Derek, one trip to the pub ought to do it. The place is always overflowing into the promenade, and it's standing room only ... as opposed to its being half-full (if that) when other entertainers are there. In addition to being a terrific musician/comedian/singer, he's got to be one of the best revenue sources for Royal Caribbean ... bartenders and wait staff are kept hopping all night.

But beware ... if he spots you (as inconspicuous as you think you may be), you will get up there, and you will sing (everyone from ships' captains to nuns have become Superstars). You can even get a CD of your performance, so that your spouse may embarrass you in front of friends and family. It's just great fun, and a highlight of the cruise. It's terrific to look forward to Adult Day Care At Night again.

Al

Just pack some more panties.

And there you have it ... a solution to every problem, and a refute of every contention. Welcome to Cruise Critic!

My suggestion to the OP: stick with Disney. You're going to find things not to your liking at every turn of the Royal Caribbean experience, continually comparing them with your Disney cruises ... and if there's one way to put a damper on the vacation, this is it.

We've sailed them all over the years, and have concluded that there's no perfect cruise line (for us, at least). The food is better on this one, the amenities are more to our liking on another, the staff treats us better here, the entertainment is great there ... never had a bad cruise (although one Carnival trip came close), but some have definitely been better than others. Royal is our line of preference ... nothing particularly outstanding, but they do pretty much everything well. We get a great bang for the buck, and it's all about value, as opposed to price, for us. We don't believe that it's worth the additional cost to sail with the mouse, but the OP apparently has another take.

So pay the difference and get what you want ... enjoy!

Al

Ye pays yer money and ye takes yer cherce. We personally don't believe that the Disney experience is worth the substantial additional cost, while others won't sail any other cruise line ... ain't it nice to have options.

Al

We generally use Lighthouse Parking, primarily because all spaces are covered. Our new vehicles appreciate this very much. Prices are pretty competitive, although EZ Cruise does run a special now and then (around $5 off if you book and pay online). If you're willing to walk to and from the ship (dropping off luggage first on the way out, and picking it up after retrieving your car when arriving back), EZ Cruise offers the option at a discount ... it's not for us, since weather can be a factor, and crossing the main traffic artery can be an adventure. Overall, the facility and service at Lighthouse makes it our preferred venue. Both are very close to the terminal.

One thing ... the City of Galveston now charges a $30 fee for each shuttle entry to the cruise port. Therefore, the lots wait until the vans are full before they leave for the terminal ... so if time is a factor, allow another half-hour to be safe.

Yikes ... a Superstar reunion. It's about time!! Derek has become both our favorite entertainer and a good friend as well ... we even attended his wedding aboard Voyager, probably our best cruise ever (and we've been pretty much everywhere). Have we ever missed him, especially when passing by the pubs each night and seeing what passed for entertainment (not to mention being half-empty at best). Looks like he'll be coming aboard right after Liberty emerges from drydock ... two of Galveston 's greatest events. We're booked on the 2/1 cruise and can't wait.

Welcome home, Derek!!

Josie & Al

Yes, we've done this itinerary aboard Vision, but before its latest makeover. Being the smallest class in the Royal Caribbean fleet, you won't find very many amenities, but this is a cruise for the ports ... the ship is secondary. The passenger demographic is more varied ... Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Asians and Africans are all well-represented. There is, however, a language barrier, and many announcements are broadcast in several tongues. Even the cruise director greets folks at the shows in English and Italian.

The centrum has been turned into an entertainment venue (largely aerial acrobatics), which is fine, but seating is very limited, and unless you can squeeze in at one of the railings on the upper decks, you won't be able to see much of anything. Entertainment is geared to pleasing people of many backgrounds, and as such is at best mediocre. The same pretty much applies to the food as well.

The ports were incredible (by all means, take private tours in Dubrovnik, Ephasis and Santorini), although we found Venice to be dirty, with many buildings along the canals vacant and in deteriorating condition. Surprisingly, relatively few people speak English, and there's a continual problem with pickpockets, particularly teenage girls who appear pregnant (signs posted all over the water bus terminal ... in English). St. Mark's Square continually floods (they even sell disposable boots there), and overall maintenance is lacking.

Still, we're glad we took the trip ... so much to see and learn. If you're not overly concerned about shipboard bells and whistles, you'll be fine.

Al