~Sell me on Carnival Cruise Lines~

[rmcg1975]

As you can see by my siggy I have only sailed 2 lines. DH and I have taken some time off from cruising the past few years and have traded the cruise time for island time. Now we have a 8.5 mos old daughter and cruising seems to be the best cost effective option, especially since we live in CT and can drive to a few ports which will save us airfare. It also seems to be the best kid friendly option.

 

There has always been a stigma attached to Carnival cruises among the non-Carnival cruisers, and I am curious to see by the responses if that is true or completely blown out of proportion. I realize asking this on a Carnival board I may get biased responses, but I also know that on this board people are not afraid to tell it like it is.

 

So that said; tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

If you have sailed on "Pride" or "Miracle" I'd be most interested in hearing your responses, as those are the ships we can reach by car. Also if you can give me a rough idea of stateroom size that would be fabulous as I noticed there are no diagrams that I can find. If you sailed in a suite, tell me, as that is what we are considering.

 

Thank you!!!!!

[NutsAboutGolf]

Some cruises have a topless show. Book now!

[riffatsea]

We had been "warned" about the so called Carnival reputation before we went on our cruise from San Diego in March on the Spirit. We went anyway and found we absolutely LOVED it!

We had a balcony stateroom and thought it was roomier than those on Royal Caribbean. We visited a suite and it felt like a suite in a nice hotel on land.

The service was superior! We had Your Time Dining but ended up eating with the same servers each night. By the 2nd night everyone knew our names and exactly what we needed. We enjoyed the food choices in the MDR. The buffet is more like a food court with different lines at different stations and it worked very well.

We did try to book at a time when it was not school vacation.The children on board seemed well behaved and well supervised.

My husband does not always love to travel but he liked this cruise so much that we have already booked another one for next January!!:cool::p

 

[luv2gonow]

Go and have a great time. Food is excellent. Everyone is having a great time....not caring what the guy next to them is doing. I have never seen the drunken roudy behavior some say. Maybe because I'm never up very late:o

I am looking forward to my miracle cruise in June. If you want to have fun, eat great food, go to some great ports, enjoy good shows.....feel safe choosing Carnival. Honestly I thought the food was better and the beds more comfy than DCL. I also like having a Casino available if I choose to go there.

happy planning

K

[imnance]

Four cruises under my belt. Three on the Miracle, one on the Pride. Fifth cruise in Sept....on the Miracle.

 

What more need I say?:)

[firefly333]

cruisedeckplans.com will have s.f. go to carnival, then click on your ship and look at the different descriptions of categorys.

[JerseyshoreBruce]

The Miracle is my favorite Carnival ship...not crowded...great crew...people say it's got gawdy decor but i love it. The itinerary out of NY i have never done but have been to Grand Turks and HalfMoon and loved them both! Carnival is kid friendly but you very rarely see them. Never have seen any rowdiness in my 4 cruise's so far. No drunks either. I highly recommend Carnival Cruise Lines. Nothing bad to say...good food , good service , and very fun!Made lots of lifetime friends through Carnival! :)

[douglinc@msn.com]

We have sailed a few different cruise lines, not much difference. Royal Carribean has the prettier ships, but I give a slight edge to Carnival in food, service, and seems like there is more entertainment on Carnival.

 

Doug

[markstudy]

We've done two trips with Carnival, and our last trip was on the more expensive Princess line.

 

I liked Carnival just as much as Princess. And it was a better value.

 

My wife and I are also huge Disney fans but have not tried Disney's line yet.

 

We don't have kids, but are not party people either. We do a lot during the day and sleep good at night. It was nice on Carnival to go out a few nights. Princess was a much older crowd. I'm guessing Disney is a much younger crowd. I think Carnival is a great balance of fun without being too wild.

[rmcg1975]

cruisedeckplans.com will have s.f. go to carnival, then click on your ship and look at the different descriptions of categorys.

 

Looks like you have to pay money to see certain categories though. :(

[rmcg1975]

I'm guessing Disney is a much younger crowd.

Actually when I went DCL was a huge mix of ages as it "caters" to families. I brought my mom for mother's day once and it was fabulous..nice little 4 day Bahamian cruise. Dining was a bit too structured for me though..not a fan of structured dining as it goes..but the food was top notch and the service, well it's Disney..they wrote the book on that overall.

 

We don't stay out later either..I think we saw a dance club once in all the time we have cruised..and the only drunks I ever saw were the ones who we shared booze cruises with..lol...but alas, those days are over now. ;)

[serene56]

The Miracle/Pride are sister ships so the layout is about the same.

 

Suite category-- aft on the corners that sleep 3 people are 7298, 8268 and 8273 which will give you the huge wrap around balcony- the seperate sleeping/sitting area which will be very nice for when the little one sleeps or takes naps.

 

 

a regular suite is just one big room.

 

On carnival the only perk you get for the suite is priorty checkin.

Unlike other cruiselines that come with perks for the suites-- but they also come with a higher price tag.

[rmcg1975]

Serene56 ~ When you say regular suite are you referring to a Jr Suite because that layout looks a lot like a Jr Suite layout? And that balcony is the bomb! I could bring my DD's blow up splash pool and stick it out there..lol..

[LHP]

I am noticing that your child is 8.5 months old.

 

Please be aware that Carnival does not allow children under the age of 2 into Camp Carnival. There is no babysitting in the cabin either...so the only time someone else could "babysit" the little one is from 10PM to 3AM at the Camp Carnival Slumber Party.

 

Once your child becomes 2 years old, Carnival offers excellent care for your child.

 

We have only done Carnival...so I can't not compare lines....

 

but I do tell people while Carnival is not 5 star....you will get a great value for your vacation dollar.

 

No way will Carnival compare to Disney...but then ...neither does the cost.

[NCTribeFan]

Maybe it's just me, but when I see threads like this I wonder "why should WE feel compelled to convince anyone to sail Carnival?"

 

It's not like they aren't filling the ships. It's not like they don't have many loyal customers.

 

Do some reading. Read the reviews, both here and on the main 'review' board.

 

Look at the ships. Look at the itineraries. Look at the prices.

 

Do you really think you're going to get any more unbiased comments here than you would if you asked this question on one of the non-Carnival boards (where all that "stigma" comes from in the first place)?

 

All these "warnings" and "stigma" is just nonsense. It's just a bunch of people who try to rationalize that THEY are somehow "better" than us lowlife, Wal-Mart shopping Carnival cruisers.

 

Whatever. :rolleyes:

 

You shouldn't need to be convinced of anything. Look at all the options with an open mind and make your decision based on what you want from a cruise, not what anyone tells you is the right thing for you to do.

[bythehex]

As you can see by my siggy I have only sailed 2 lines. DH and I have taken some time off from cruising the past few years and have traded the cruise time for island time. Now we have a 8.5 mos old daughter and cruising seems to be the best cost effective option, especially since we live in CT and can drive to a few ports which will save us airfare. It also seems to be the best kid friendly option.

 

There has always been a stigma attached to Carnival cruises among the non-Carnival cruisers, and I am curious to see by the responses if that is true or completely blown out of proportion. I realize asking this on a Carnival board I may get biased responses, but I also know that on this board people are not afraid to tell it like it is.

 

So that said; tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

If you have sailed on "Pride" or "Miracle" I'd be most interested in hearing your responses, as those are the ships we can reach by car. Also if you can give me a rough idea of stateroom size that would be fabulous as I noticed there are no diagrams that I can find. If you sailed in a suite, tell me, as that is what we are considering.

 

Thank you!!!!!

 

You'll find many people here who have sailed on multiple cruise lines. I've sailed with Royal Caribeean, Carnival and Princess. There are things to recommend on all of them. I don't think it's a question of us having to sell you on Carnival as much as you having to sell yourself on it. If Carnival was so bad, hundreds of thousands of people wouldn't sail with them and they'd be long out of business.

 

I think you need to experience Carnival for yourself and then assess if you would sail with Carnival again or not. Everyone has had different experiences, even on the same sailings - what one person loves another person loathes. Just like on land, not everyone likes the same thing as the next person.

 

Carnival gives people a good, affordable, fun vacation. Figure out if that's something you're interested and don't worry about everyone else's dislikes.

 

- Sharon -

P.S. - there are plenty of diagrams of Carnival staterooms all over the internet, include cabin sizes and balcony sizes. Do a search, they're out there.

[rmcg1975]

LHP ~

 

Yes when we are planning on going she will be a bit over a year..and I did notice the age on CC was 2+, and I didn't see any information about stuff for kids who are younger. One thing I was curious about which I can't seem to find either is age limit to be in the pool, like if she has on a swim diaper will she be allowed in the pool? Or is there a kiddie area? Can't seem to find that info.

 

And yeah..Disney was insanely expensive..thankfully I was employed by Walt Disney at the time or else I'd never have been able to afford it. I honestly don't know how some people can!

 

And you hit the nail on the head..value for dollar is what I am looking for. Thanks!

 

NCTribeFan ~

 

Wow..you've been the most help yet. No need to be rude. Seriously.

 

Look, I have never sailed on CCL before and I have never spoken to anyone who has sailed on it either. This is why I am here. To ask people who have sailed on the line to get educated opinions on the line as all I have ever heard was "talk" and not "fact". Last time I checked that wasn't a crime.

 

Anyone can "Look at the ships. Look at the itineraries. Look at the prices." and "Do some reading. Read the reviews, both here and on the main 'review' board." But looking at that stuff does not compare to real responses to specific questions as I don't have the luxury of time to weed through things that have absolutely no bearing on my situation. Good grief.

[nats311]

Maybe it's just me, but when I see threads like this I wonder "why should WE feel compelled to convince anyone to sail Carnival?"

 

It's not like they aren't filling the ships. It's not like they don't have many loyal customers.

 

Do some reading. Read the reviews, both here and on the main 'review' board.

 

Look at the ships. Look at the itineraries. Look at the prices.

 

Do you really think you're going to get any more unbiased comments here than you would if you asked this question on one of the non-Carnival boards (where all that "stigma" comes from in the first place)?

 

All these "warnings" and "stigma" is just nonsense. It's just a bunch of people who try to rationalize that THEY are somehow "better" than us lowlife, Wal-Mart shopping Carnival cruisers.

 

Whatever. :rolleyes:

 

You shouldn't need to be convinced of anything. Look at all the options with an open mind and make your decision based on what you want from a cruise, not what anyone tells you is the right thing for you to do.

 

you took more time not answering the question than everyone else has answering the question.

[rmcg1975]

you took more time not answering the question than everyone else has answering the question.

 

Lol..well said!

 

DD is up from her nap now..and I'd love to stay and play as this is my thread..but I have to go be a mom for a while..I'll check back later in the day. Thank you everyone, well almost everyone ;) , for all your responses, as I am curious what makes you come back to CCL especially after sailing different lines.

[nats311]

LHP ~

 

Yes when we are planning on going she will be a bit over a year..and I did notice the age on CC was 2+, and I didn't see any information about stuff for kids who are younger. One thing I was curious about which I can't seem to find either is age limit to be in the pool, like if she has on a swim diaper will she be allowed in the pool? Or is there a kiddie area? Can't seem to find that info.

 

 

Official policy is that no swim diapers are allowed. From my short time perusing these boards, you can find some empassioned arguments on that topic.

 

It is my understanding however that it is not uncommon to have people not follow that rule...i guess just be prepared in case you run across someone like NCTribeFan who will probably give you an earful about it.

 

From the research I've done, Carnival is great for children 2-10. I think any cruise line is tougher with kids under 2. Carnival seems to be unique in that they will take 2 year olds that are not potty trained - some of the other lines i looked at seemed to require them to be potty trained to leave them in the kids area. In your case, I think you are still permitted to take your child under 2 to Camp Carnival but you have to stay there.

 

Like has been said, it's no disney, but it is nowhere near the cost. I've heard great things about the Pride. We are travelling with 2 children - 6 and 2 (come on potty training!!!) - but opted away from the suite due to the cost and from what i saw, a lack of true extra amenities. We don't plan on spending much time in the room - basically only when it is naptime for the youngest.

 

I haven't actually been on any cruise so I am not really answering your question too great, but I did a tone of research before we booked so I figured I might be able to share some of what I learned.

[DBSO Monkey]

The Miracle/Pride are sister ships so the layout is about the same.

 

Suite category-- aft on the corners that sleep 3 people are 7298, 8268 and 8273 which will give you the huge wrap around balcony- the seperate sleeping/sitting area which will be very nice for when the little one sleeps or takes naps.

 

 

One item of note with the Aft Wraps (Vista Suites) on the Spirit Class Ships (Miracle/Pride/Spirit/Legend). On the main deck (4228, 4237) You will actually have a roof over 80 percent or so of your balcony. This affords privacy from your neighbors above and protects from the elements. We will be in 4237 for our Alaska cruise on the Spirit in a few months and can't wait!

 

Here is a photo that another user posted of the balcony from 4237 on the Miracle. They also noted the balcony is larger on this deck.

 

[pcrum]

We first sailed Carnival in the late 80s and decided it was not for us. We thought the food was inferior (I think the MDR was actually using plastic plates back then!) At that time, we preferred Premier Cruise Lines (remember the "Big Red Boat"). We took a break from cruising for several years and then started again with a HAL and Disney cruise, still feeling that Carnival was a second rate line.

 

During a long weekend in June we had exactly 4 days we could be away and the Carnival Sensation had the only itinerary that fit our dates. We booked, not expecting a whole lot. We read some reviews, all of which were not very favorable.

 

Well, we had a great time on that short 3 night cruise. My children (young teens) proclaimed Carnival their favorite line. We found the food in the MDR to be outstanding (only HAL is better, IMHO). The entertainment was top notch. My kids are involved in theater and we see lots of productions, from community to Broadway and West End and Carnival puts on a great show!

 

Is the decor of Carnival ships loud? You bet!! You won't mistake a Carnival ship for the generic lobby of any convention hotel. But hey, we're on vacation and actually like the different decor! In fact, the Miracle is our all time favorite ship (there is a big Frankenstein in the disco...very unique).

 

Is Carnival the "fun" ship. Definitely. Yes, we see the 'hairy chest competitions" listed in the activities, but we've never attended one. We are too busy enjoying the wine tastings, listening to the variety of music offered onboard, or enjoying the steam room or sauna in the spa. I think what is a great thing about Carnival is that they offer something for everyone.

 

We usually travel during spring break week and during the summer. We've never had a problem with "rowdy" people on any of our cruises. Maybe we stay away from the places they congregate, but on our cruises, we have seen mainly families and elderly people.

 

The Spirit Class ships,including the Pride and Miracle, are the best laid out Carnival ships, IMHO. I think the pool area on these ships is so much better laid out than on the larger Conquest class ships. Although the spirit class ships are smaller, they feel more spacious due to the layout and design. We loved the specialty steak house on the Miracle, loved the glass staircase leading up to it, loved the service!! The Miracle (and Pride, from photos I've seen) have beautiful art work, reminiscent of Italian painters. There is lots of controversy on the boards over the nudity, but hey, walk into a museum in Italy or France and you see the same thing. This is art, definitely not porn!

 

We are not a big fan of the Lido buffet on Carnival for breakfast as we usually find it quite crowded. We prefer eating breakfast in the MDR for the eggs benedict. Lunch time on the Lido seems a bit more civilized, perhaps because people are eating at different times. We eat dinner in the Carnival MDR as the food is outstanding. We also try to leave a night for the specialty restaurant, as that is a wonderful experience.

 

We've never sailed RCL, but those who have say the Carnival cabins are larger. They are not as large as Disney's and do not have a bathtub unless you book a suite, but they are spacious as far as cruise cabins go. The Carnival cabins are definitely larger than those on Princess and NCL. Our HAL cabins seemed about equal in size to Carnival's.

 

If you have the chance to sail the Miracle or other spirit class ship, I think you will find that it compares quite favorably with any other cruise you have taken.

[Shelbyjane56]

Actually when I went DCL was a huge mix of ages as it "caters" to families. I brought my mom for mother's day once and it was fabulous..nice little 4 day Bahamian cruise. Dining was a bit too structured for me though..not a fan of structured dining as it goes..but the food was top notch and the service, well it's Disney..they wrote the book on that overall.

 

We don't stay out later either..I think we saw a dance club once in all the time we have cruised..and the only drunks I ever saw were the ones who we shared booze cruises with..lol...but alas, those days are over now. ;)

 

We did disney when our youngest (we have 13 years between our middle child and our youngest at the time) She will be in college this fall, playing soccer at ball state (had to throw that in lol) At any rate, disney filled our needs wonderfully, there were people of all ages, from babies, to great great grandmas and grandpas. On suggestion, do not do Carnival (love carnival myself) durning spring break or in the middle of summer..Yes we are doing carnival for our sons wedding in july, but the date wouldnt have been our choice....have a fun cruise no matter what you choose!

[serene56]

The camps is opened from noon til 2 where you baby can go in and play with their toys and climb on their stuff.

 

We utilized it a lot for our 18 month old.

[forwardcabin]

Carnival has the fun ships. So, let's go have some fun! Bon Voyage!