First Carnival cruise after Disney cruises

[Martini Mom]

But on Carnival you won't have a bazillion kids...just sayin'. ;):)

[Bunkie103]

We've done our "one and only" DCL cruise and I'm still wondering what the big deal is.....free soda? The staff were no more gracious than anyone I've met on CCL, in fact on DCL the room steward never even introduced himself or herself and that has NEVER happened to me on CCL. I don't care for the split bath thingy or rotating dining rooms either. I missed the casino, shows were good....especially Golden Mickeys and the Pirate Party was neat, but I've also seen good shows on CCL. Desserts were no where near as good as CCL either. Okay, the buffet had peel and eat shrimp, but you'd have to eat a LOT of shrimp along with that FREE SODA to make up the price difference.:eek:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

But on Carnival you won't have a bazillion kids...just sayin'. ;):)

 

IF YOU GO IN THE SUMMER YOU WILL AND IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN on DCL even with a bazillion kids you don't even know they are there.

 

Been on 3 times and have had great experiences all 3 times.

 

DCL has a private island where you actually dock and it has an adults only area and the ship has adult only areas including a strictly enforced pool area.

 

Bill

[keishashadow]

Agreed! (Good discussion.):)

 

Our family also tries very hard to do one Disney cruise and one Carnival cruise every year but it's not always possible (price-wise.) I

 

I'm very much a Carnival cheerleader on the DISboards when people ask about a less expensive but family-friendly cruise line.

 

me too, irritates me to no end when so many people dismiss it out of hand, usually based upon either second-hand or 'old' information.:rolleyes:

 

CCL is more liberal with military rates, extending them to those with DD214 & minimum years of service. DCL limits their military rates to active, retired & DOD employees. vent ahead: How DCL justifies granting a military rate to a DOD clerk vs somebody who served in active wartime is beyond me.:mad:

 

CCL delivers the right price, quality service & great itineraries. I always suggest that disney 1st timers book a short cruise out of PC and combine it with a stay @ WDW to get their essential pixie dust fix.

 

DCL to their credit permits you to carry aboard your own booze and the soda is 'free'.

 

IMO DCL food used to be amazing. The quality has dropped over the years but it is still very good. CCL is good with several offerings of note for our taste (DH dreams of the melting cake lol)

 

Castaway Cay is lovely. The adult beach is not as groomed but blissfully quiet and we've enjoyed steaks on their lunch buffet, but DH & I agree that HMC blew us away...quite possibly one of the most beautiful places i've ever seen.:)

 

Lastly, unless you book a DCL cruise out of the gate the prices go nowhere but up, substantially for each cruise i've booked, once nearly double.:eek: The CCL sailings i've monitered tend to be stable or if booking ES worked out nicely for price drops.

[readytotravel44]

Does anyone here think Silent Penguin is a troll? It's usually the case when someone's first post is cruiseline comparison.

 

Troll????

[laumicmah]

IF YOU GO IN THE SUMMER YOU WILL AND IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN on DCL even with a bazillion kids you don't even know they are there.

 

Been on 3 times and have had great experiences all 3 times.

 

DCL has a private island where you actually dock and it has an adults only area and the ship has adult only areas including a strictly enforced pool area.

 

Bill

I knew they were there. Yes, CCL can have a lot of kids too...but it will be all ages, while DCL will have a huge populus of baby-10 year olds (every cabin will have kids...just about, where not every cabin on CCL will...even in the summer).

 

Castaway is awesome and it does not tender like CCL's HMC. I'd give CC the gold medal over HMC. Both are nice and I'd love to be at either one right now...but CC is cleaner (kept up better) and you can walk right on and off.

[Silent Penguin]

A million thanks for everyone's time in answering my questions. This is way more help than I could have hoped for. You paint a very clear and honest picture for me of what to expect. Generally, Dh and I don't have expectations for new places. We see trying a Carnival cruiseline as an adventure. We don't need free soda; neither one of us drink it that often. As for a casino, we can take it or leave it. Just being on a cruise together, as long as we are both well and can enjoy it, is enough. Oh, and a balcony room. We love to have a balcony.

 

I haven't had time since last night to visit this forum, so I was surprised and delighted to have so many responses to read. I was a little alarmed at being accused of being a troll, and I really appreciate those who posted that my question was not a pot-stirrer but just a quest for information. Perhaps it was the lack of personal information that made my accuser suspicious. What would you like to know? I have been a member of the Disboard for several years although I haven't posted in a while. We've been on four Disney cruises and have been members of the Dismeet thread for all four. As for our upcoming Carnival cruise, we are sailing in September. I haven't joined the roll call thread for our date yet. I've read every page of it, and so far there are only about 5 members, 4 of which seem to know each other pretty well and like to party together whenever they get a chance. That's not our scene. The fifth person hasn't posted in a while. Maybe, it's not her scene either. As for my username, Silent Penguins was the name of the team I was on for a trivia contest. Each team had a noise maker but ours, a stuffed penguin that was supposed to make noise, didn't work.

 

 

 

After 5 Disney cruises, it will be interesting to not only try a different cruiseline but to leave from a different port! I do appreciate hearing from everyone.

[princess di44]

Disney was my first cruise. I really thought I'd be disappointed on my first carnival.. I was not... Much more adult entertainment on disney. My daughter who was 17 at the time loved disney, but when she went on carnival, she told me she did like carnival better for the options for her. (of course she is now able to do all the adult things). The buffet was better on disney. I think the main dining room food is better on carnival. Dining room service a bit better on Disney.. The variety of entertainment better on carnival... If you are traveling with young kids, the options for kid entertainment i'm sure is better on disney.. But, the kids programs did look good on carnival.. Carnival is more my speed.

[princess di44]

Disney was my first cruise. I really thought I'd be disappointed on my first carnival.. I was not... Much more adult entertainment on disney. My daughter who was 17 at the time loved disney, but when she went on carnival, she told me she did like carnival better for the options for her. (of course she is now able to do all the adult things). The buffet was better on disney. I think the main dining room food is better on carnival. Dining room service a bit better on Disney.. The variety of entertainment better on carnival... If you are traveling with young kids, the options for kid entertainment i'm sure is better on disney.. But, the kids programs did look good on carnival.. Carnival is more my speed.

oops, meant much more adult entertainment on carnival!

[princess di44]

But on Carnival you won't have a bazillion kids...just sayin'. ;):)

Unless you are on the carnival dream in june... We did that last year and there was over 1200 kids... Felt just like being on disney cruise... But, kids don't generally bother me, so it was fine.

[laumicmah]

A million thanks for everyone's time in answering my questions. This is way more help than I could have hoped for. You paint a very clear and honest picture for me of what to expect. Generally, Dh and I don't have expectations for new places. We see trying a Carnival cruiseline as an adventure. We don't need free soda; neither one of us drink it that often. As for a casino, we can take it or leave it. Just being on a cruise together, as long as we are both well and can enjoy it, is enough. Oh, and a balcony room. We love to have a balcony.

 

I haven't had time since last night to visit this forum, so I was surprised and delighted to have so many responses to read. I was a little alarmed at being accused of being a troll, and I really appreciate those who posted that my question was not a pot-stirrer but just a quest for information. Perhaps it was the lack of personal information that made my accuser suspicious. What would you like to know? I have been a member of the Disboard for several years although I haven't posted in a while. We've been on four Disney cruises and have been members of the Dismeet thread for all four. As for our upcoming Carnival cruise, we are sailing in September. I haven't joined the roll call thread for our date yet. I've read every page of it, and so far there are only about 5 members, 4 of which seem to know each other pretty well and like to party together whenever they get a chance. That's not our scene. The fifth person hasn't posted in a while. Maybe, it's not her scene either. As for my username, Silent Penguins was the name of the team I was on for a trivia contest. Each team had a noise maker but ours, a stuffed penguin that was supposed to make noise, didn't work.

 

 

 

After 5 Disney cruises, it will be interesting to not only try a different cruiseline but to leave from a different port! I do appreciate hearing from everyone.

I assume you are cruising w/out the kids. September is a nice time as many kids are in school and it's still warm. I am looking forward to my Pride cruise. Many folks love the Spirit class and I think I will too. We have sailed the Fantasy class and the Conquest class and much prefer the Fantasy class as we do not like lines/crowds/waits and the Conquest class is a confusing layout. I hear the Pride (Spirit class) is a big ship like those in the Conquest, but it's layout is more easy to navigate and they don't have as many guests (I think the Spirit class has the most SF per guest out of all the CCL fleet). I think you chose a good CCL ship for your 1st go. One thing, though, that may shock you (as it did shock some friends of ours) is the art...lots of...um...nudes. Are you doing your-time dining? I'd suggest you select one of the traditional dining choices for your 1st go. YTD can be slow and shotty service (if they are backed up and trying to turn over tables) and you can have a wait...though not usually if you are a small party (of 2-4). If you do go with YTD...going early or late is the best time to go and avoid a wait (5:45-6:15ish and 7:45-on).

[meatloafsfan]

I've sailed DCL on both the Magic and the Dream and on Carnival I've sailed the Dream and the Miracle (which is the same class of ship as the Pride).

 

Service wise, I found the cruise experience to be the same. My best room stewards have been on Carnival; dining room staff is tough - on the Disney Magic we had a great serving team, on the Disney Dream, they weren't very good - forgetting food, tellin us that the meat was dry "for our own protection" and then not setting us a table one night in the dining room. And the MDR food wasn't that great - in fact, there was some downright awful stuff (some good too - but not compared to what we had experienced on our previous DCL cruise).

 

On the Carnival Dream we had anytime dining so while we didn't really get that personal connection, I found the service to be very good - they seemed to make an extra effort to call us by our name every night and checked to ensure that everything was to our liking, etc. On the Miracle, we had a slow start with our server (the first night) but then it picked up and she was quick and efficient and "nice" (not overly friendly but certainly personable). I found the food to be consistently good - maybe not a lot of "wow" but nothing that I just wouldn't eat (except the frog legs - ordered them and just couldn't do more than a nibble - but that had nothing to do with taste).

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my Carnival cruises and find - for the money - they are a better value for my vacation dollars.

 

For October of this year, I had originally booked a cabin on the new Carnival Fantasy. It felt really expensive and after our experience on the Disney Dream last October, I just couldn't justify paying $4200 for a 7 night cruise for 3 people. I ended up booking a SPA oceanview cabin (we need a HA cabin) for the 3 of us for $1840. Even when I add in soda, pay per view movies in the cabin (which DCL offers for free), gambling money, and alcohol (which technically we could bring aboard ourselves on DCL but we don't or if we do, we don't end up drinking it) - it still comes out a lot cheaper.

 

In my cruising experience - for what I like to do on vacation - the experiences are more similar than they are different.

[Disneycruisers]

Welcome to cruise critic!

 

Hope you and your DH have a wonderful time on your cruise.:)

[Silent Penguin]

Think of it this way. You are used to going to the " Worlds Fair ". You will be going to a " local weekend carnival " in a small town. Been on both Disney and Carnival. BIG difference. :)

 

 

Interesting analogy. I have been to the World's Fair, back in 1982.

[Silent Penguin]

Been on Disney Magic & Dream (Dream this past summer). Been on 15+ Carnival Cruises too.... The one thing that you will miss is Castaway Cay unless you are going to HMC. ......since we are Platinum, we really enjoy the free entry into the slot competition and the free laundry and 1st on and 1st off benefits. Hope this helps!

 

 

Free laundry? That rocks! You deserve it after so many cruises. I really like the return guest goodie bags DCL gives us, but I would trade them for free laundry service. :) I'm going to check out Carnival's website to learn more about their frequent passenger program.

 

We picked an itinerary that includes HMC, and I reserved a cabana as a special surprise for my husband.

[laumicmah]

Free laundry? That rocks! You deserve it after so many cruises. I really like the return guest goodie bags DCL gives us, but I would trade them for free laundry service. :) I'm going to check out Carnival's website to learn more about their frequent passenger program.

 

We picked an itinerary that includes HMC, and I reserved a cabana as a special surprise for my husband.

We got a cabana on HMC when we went in August 2010. It was very nice. You will love it.

[Silent Penguin]

Please, please, please don't expect Disney quality, you will be disappointed. You are paying less but it's still a great vacation value [/

quote]

 

Thank you for your help. This seems to be the consensus! At first I was surprised to learn you haven't been on the Pride even though you live in Baltimore, but then I remembered my mom has lived less than an hour from Disney World for past 30 years, and we have never taken the kids there.

[Silent Penguin]

We don't see rowdy behavior and drunk people on any of our cruises. The most risque thing that ever happend was what we heard from our table mates at dinner. This was a young couple that was in the hot tub. The lady left and the guy was in the tub with an older couple. The lady dropped her top and asked the young guy how she liked her "new pair that her husband just bought for her". They also said they were swingers and asked the young guy if he and his wife would like to join them for a "party". The young couple avoided them all cruise. This was on the Disney cruise so you can't say one is more "lively" than the other because it all depends on the passengers that change every cruise.

 

 

Note to self...next Disney Cruise....beware of older couples hanging out in the hot tub.... potentially uncomfortable proposal possible.

 

Thank you for sharing your advice and observations.

[Silent Penguin]

I assume you are cruising w/out the kids. September is a nice time as many kids are in school and it's still warm. ... One thing, though, that may shock you (as it did shock some friends of ours) is the art...lots of...um...nudes. Are you doing your-time dining?

 

Yup, no kids this time. We have 3 children. We have found a kids/no kids pattern of cruising that works for us. It's not their turn this time. LOL As homeschoolers, we have had the flexibility to schedule vacations in the fall in order to take advantage of the cheaper cruise rates. Our older two sons will start taking college courses this fall, so the kids/no kids pattern might change to one-kid/ no kids for the next few years at least. I don't anticipate dh being willing to book cruises during the more expensive seasons in order to accommodate the older kids' school schedule.

 

We have booked the earlier traditional dinner seating. Neither one of us likes a big meal so close to bedtime, and no matter how we try, we can't stay up late on cruises!

 

The art..I read some posts about the art. Interesting. Don't know what to say about the proliferation of nudes.

[Silent Penguin]

Welcome to cruise critic!

 

Hope you and your DH have a wonderful time on your cruise.:)

 

 

Thank you. I hope so too. With the spring and the summer between now and then, it seems like a LONG time off, too long to even give my sig line a counter.

 

Last post for now... I have kids to educate and chores to do!

[simkoreb]

Hi. I think no matter what cruiseline you are trying, you will always compare it to what you are comfortable and familiar with. We did several carnival cruises, then opted to try Princess. It was a good cruise, but we were so used to Carnival, it was hard to adjust to the way Princess did things. So I think the best advice is to go in with an open mind, because it's going to be different than what you are used to.

[jpurdy]

You will see many people complain that platinum status ain't all that, but we never complain. We love the free laundry and the slot entry and 1st on, 1st off perk. We have laundry done every day! It sure cuts down on packing. Since we don't do the dining room, we have plenty of room in 1 suitcase. We don't smuggle booze and are grateful for the 2 bottles of wine we can bring. See, it's all about expectations like others have said. Have a great time.

[laumicmah]

Yup, no kids this time. We have 3 children. We have found a kids/no kids pattern of cruising that works for us. It's not their turn this time. LOL As homeschoolers, we have had the flexibility to schedule vacations in the fall in order to take advantage of the cheaper cruise rates. Our older two sons will start taking college courses this fall, so the kids/no kids pattern might change to one-kid/ no kids for the next few years at least. I don't anticipate dh being willing to book cruises during the more expensive seasons in order to accommodate the older kids' school schedule.

 

We have booked the earlier traditional dinner seating. Neither one of us likes a big meal so close to bedtime, and no matter how we try, we can't stay up late on cruises!

 

The art..I read some posts about the art. Interesting. Don't know what to say about the proliferation of nudes.

Sounds like us. We have 3 kids who have been on 3 of our 5 cruises. In 2010 we did a 3 day cruise sans kiddos in March and then a 5 day cruise with the kiddos in August...we liked this plan and did it again in 2011 (except upped it to a 4 day and bumped to March for tad warmer weather). I was all set to continue this plan, but DH is all cruised out...so I am doing 7 days on the Pride in April...with my mom:D. DH is on board with cruising again in 2013...probably with the kids in August and after we spend a few days at Disney (our kids are 13, 13 and 15...so we only have a couple more years that they'll want to vacation with us. After that, DH better get ready for lots of cruises).

 

We also can't stay up late no matter how hard we try...we are usually in our cabin, for the night, by 10:30-11:00...so we like to dine early too. We've done the YTD on the last 3 cruises and we like it for the ability to go when you want, but I think YTD is just awkward and not the right fit for cruise ship dining and sometimes it shows. I've been debating switching our YTD for early seating on my April cruise...it's my mom's 1st Carnival cruise and I want her to see the best side of CCL.

[keishashadow]

when i was pricing cruises out for one of my kids today was surprised to discover that on DCL 18 year olds can book cabins vs CCL. CCL requires an adult (i.e. 25 years old) be responsible for younger compadres in the cabin (unless life partners/married, extended family groups, etc.). Was told due to spring break issues in the past, they now have one of the strictest out there.

[metrowon]

Some guy jumped off a Carnival ship two years ago just to get on the Wonder, which rescued him. NUFF SAID!