Thinking of taking my 1st Carnival Cruise!

[maspaws]

I have been on NCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America, all are more expensive than Carnival. I somehow got the impression that Carnival is for the young partiers and not older folks. I have talked with a woman on one of my cruises that loves, loves, loves Carnival above all others. She is also older and really talked up the cruise line. My question is for all you Carnival cruisers, how do they compare to others? Is it a good it for older but very active people? I am considering a Mexican Riveria cruise in January the price is so good. But a little worried.

[LOVECRUISING100%]

I have been on NCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America, all are more expensive than Carnival. I somehow got the impression that Carnival is for the young partiers and not older folks. I have talked with a woman on one of my cruises that loves, loves, loves Carnival above all others. She is also older and really talked up the cruise line. My question is for all you Carnival cruisers, how do they compare to others? Is it a good it for older but very active people? I am considering a Mexican Riveria cruise in January the price is so good. But a little worried.

I've cruised with only Carnival and NCL .. Personally I like them both... myself and hubby are both in our early 40's and are very active and are not partiers or big drinkers.

 

Have a open mind and you'll have a great time

[WDBGUY]

Did my first Carnival cruise last month after

traveling on Princess and Royal Caribbean

several times each...Carnival was nice,

not crazy or wild like I expected it.

Booked another trip because the prices

were so cheap.

[Colorado Kat]

how do they compare to others? Is it a good it for older but very active people? I am considering a Mexican Riveria cruise in January the price is so good. But a little worried.

 

Give it a try. I enjoy Carnival. Fun deck parties. Always something different to do.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Welcome to Wal-Mart!!

[2PinaColadas]

I do not think you have to spend a ton of money on a ship, for me it's all about the ports anyway. I love Carnival, and Wal-Mart.

[bruisin4cruisin]

I can't stand Wal-Mart. I love Carnival, though. Like you, 2pinacoladas, I am in it for the ports. As long as I get treated well by the employees I am in contact with, have good food and spend time with my wife, it is all about seeing new places and snorkeling.

I am sure you will like Carnival.

[Tapi]

The secret to enjoying a Carnival cruise is to go with realistic expectations. There's a reason why it's cheaper, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Carnival delivers quite a bit of bang for your buck, and is a good cruise line for someone who enjoys the basic pleasures of cruising and who won't be disapointed if service, cuisine, entertainment, or surroundings are not of the highest level.

 

Carnival caters to a very broad clientele, from young to old, from singles to families, from partiers to laid back, so chances are that you'll meet someone like you (among many others).

 

Carnival's activities tend to foster passenger participation, and they also tend to be more light hearted and less cerebral (no lectures, classes, or demonstrations, but expect hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, and games of various types).

 

Book with confidence, and once again, go with realistic expectations and an open mind. Worse thing that can happen is that you won't enjoy it as much as the other cruise lines that you've sailed on, but it won't be a flat out bad cruise (specially if you keep reminding yourself how much money you've saved! :))

[Jldevlin]

This is just like us !!!! after sailing with princess and ncl we were not even pricing out carnival until Hubby came across the prices and started to compare it to carnival ... we are now booked on 2 b2b on the conquest and without even sailing yet I believe I am a carnival convert. I keep reading the boards and they are exactly like all the others... some good and some bad. But if someone is making my bed and feeding me I dont need much more. Got an aft room at the same price as a ocean view was on princess. How can it be that much difference in price ????

[BenjiRodney]

Give it a try, getting ready to do my 7th Carnival cruise in 20 days time. We ventured out and did Royal Caribbean this year in Alaska and again next year for Alaska.

[mchatt92]

Carnival rocks! I had a great time on my first cruise, and am looking forward to many more on Carnival.

There are people from every age group on the ship. Enjoy!

[anchorsores]

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.[

I like to look at it this way....a cruise is a cruise and is only as good as YOU make it.

so if you buy your roses at wal-mart are they going to be any less in beauty then the the rose purchased at the high end flower shop? As a former floral designer, I have news for you -- they are the exact same roses and probably from the same grower-- now sure the flower shop is going to have a few tricks up their sleeve to make the rose appear that it is worth more than the walmart roses. so sure some of the "other" cruise lines might put a fancier bow on the package but when it comes down to it do you want to pay extra just for a bow?

[NewKansasKruiser]

I have only been on one cruise (Carnival) and we had a very good time. It was a lot of bang for the buck! The one difference I wonder would be in the entertainment maybe? I have no clue what the other cruise lines offer, but Carnival was a wee bit limited. Don't misunderstand...we had a great time! But the evening music shows (maybe held 3 nights?) were the same people in each one doing a different act. One was variety, one countryish maybe?and one Vegas/Paris type showgirl one. The same 3 lead singers were leading all 3 shows. There were 2 comedians onboard that were very funny, but they were only 2 of the 5 nights (each did 2 shows a night on those 2 nights...one kid friendly early and one adult late). The rest of the theater time was with passenger participation shows...Newlywed Game, Game Show Game, etc. The rest of the entertainment in the theater was Bingo, shopping shows to help you buy diamonds and shop the ports, etc. Lido deck had hairy chest contest, bean bag toss and other games randomly. There was trivia and karaoke also randomly. We enjoyed the shows we attended, but we were there more for the cruise experience (sitting watching the waves go by and enjoying vacation and the ports) than being entertained in a theater. The food was excellent and they did have 2 nights of deck parties...one midnight Mexican Buffet and another night was another theme? We are mid 40's, not drinkers, not disco people, not big partiers but enjoy having fun...and we did have fun! Like I said...I could be wrong and maybe they are all similar? :)

I have been on NCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America, all are more expensive than Carnival. I somehow got the impression that Carnival is for the young partiers and not older folks. I have talked with a woman on one of my cruises that loves, loves, loves Carnival above all others. She is also older and really talked up the cruise line. My question is for all you Carnival cruisers, how do they compare to others? Is it a good it for older but very active people? I am considering a Mexican Riveria cruise in January the price is so good. But a little worried.

[hog88]

This reminds me of my mother-in-laws first CCL cruise. She and my FIL have been on NCL, RCC, Holland and some others but never CCL. Several years ago they wanted to go with us and the kids so after some kicking and screaming they agreed to join us on the Victory (eastern).

 

The whole time she was comparing this and that, and at the end she admitted CCL was just as good or better in some areas as any other line they have been on.

 

The funny part is they haven't been back on a CCL but keep asking to join us so they have an excuse for their friends as to why they are going on a "party boat".

[ronandannette]

The secret to enjoying a Carnival cruise is to go with realistic expectations. There's a reason why it's cheaper, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Carnival delivers quite a bit of bang for your buck, and is a good cruise line for someone who enjoys the basic pleasures of cruising and who won't be disapointed if service, cuisine, entertainment, or surroundings are not of the highest level.

 

Carnival caters to a very broad clientele, from young to old, from singles to families, from partiers to laid back, so chances are that you'll meet someone like you (among many others).

 

Carnival's activities tend to foster passenger participation, and they also tend to be more light hearted and less cerebral (no lectures, classes, or demonstrations, but expect hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, and games of various types).

 

Book with confidence, and once again, go with realistic expectations and an open mind. Worse thing that can happen is that you won't enjoy it as much as the other cruise lines that you've sailed on, but it won't be a flat out bad cruise (specially if you keep reminding yourself how much money you've saved! :))

 

I think this post is very well-put and a concise description of Carnival. We're not Carnival fans and we know that for sure now after two tries. We also know that if we want a different experience it's available at a different price. It's not a knock against the line if you find you don't like it as well as the ones you've already tried - they'll still be there waiting for you next time!

[Rocknsoul]

The secret to enjoying a Carnival cruise is to go with realistic expectations. There's a reason why it's cheaper, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Carnival delivers quite a bit of bang for your buck, and is a good cruise line for someone who enjoys the basic pleasures of cruising and who won't be disapointed if service, cuisine, entertainment, or surroundings are not of the highest level.

 

Carnival caters to a very broad clientele, from young to old, from singles to families, from partiers to laid back, so chances are that you'll meet someone like you (among many others).

 

Carnival's activities tend to foster passenger participation, and they also tend to be more light hearted and less cerebral (no lectures, classes, or demonstrations, but expect hairy chest contests, bartending competitions, and games of various types).

 

Book with confidence, and once again, go with realistic expectations and an open mind. Worse thing that can happen is that you won't enjoy it as much as the other cruise lines that you've sailed on, but it won't be a flat out bad cruise (specially if you keep reminding yourself how much money you've saved! :))

 

Excellent post!

 

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.[

I like to look at it this way....a cruise is a cruise and is only as good as YOU make it.

so if you buy your roses at wal-mart are they going to be any less in beauty then the the rose purchased at the high end flower shop? As a former floral designer, I have news for you -- they are the exact same roses and probably from the same grower-- now sure the flower shop is going to have a few tricks up their sleeve to make the rose appear that it is worth more than the walmart roses. so sure some of the "other" cruise lines might put a fancier bow on the package but when it comes down to it do you want to pay extra just for a bow?

 

Great analogy. I think on the higher-end cruises, it's a higher quality "rose"...but for many of the mass-market lines, your analogy is spot on.

[Rocknsoul]

I think this post is very well-put and a concise description of Carnival. We're not Carnival fans and we know that for sure now after two tries. We also know that if we want a different experience it's available at a different price. It's not a knock against the line if you find you don't like it as well as the ones you've already tried - they'll still be there waiting for you next time!

 

And that's exactly why I think if someone wants to try a different line, they should. If they don't like it, that's totally fine & it shouldn't offend anyone else. I have a friend who prefers HAL & Celebrity, and is going on higher-end than those from now on. I think she wouldn't like a Carnival cruise at all...and that's fine! She likes what she likes on a cruise, and Carnival doesn't have what she likes.

 

OP ~ I was surprised on our first Carnival cruise (Fantasy 5-day) at how well some things were done, and how when we wanted quiet we could have it, and when we wanted activity we could have that, too. After 3 more Carnival cruises, we really haven't been disappointed yet. I look forward to trying the other lines, God willing we have the time & means to do so. :) Happy cruising!

[emelvee]

I'm impressed with how well Carnival caters to just about every age group. We've enjoyed all of our cruises - 4 on Carnival, 2 on RCI, 1 on NCL. It's been great for my wife and I to have a good amount of time alone, while our daughter (now nearing 12 years old and has joined us on all our cruises) enjoys activities with kids her age.

 

The two RCI cruises were a bit more "sedate" than those on Carnival. We prefer a bit livelier ship atmosphere, so Carnival is probably the best fit for us. I can't fairly judge NCL as we've been on only one NCL cruise, and it was on an old ship that's no longer in the fleet.

 

We also cruise primarily for the ports, so the ship's amenities are less important than where we're going. But we do like to spend enjoying a drink in a lounge, preferably listening to live music.

[erby2283]

I had always heard that line too...that Carnival caters to the party crowd. I am 38 years old and have never had a drink....and I LOVED my first Carnival cruise last year (with another one in a few weeks). Maybe I didn't notice the "partying" b/c the cruise was so port intensive that I was in bed at 8 pm every night :p.

 

IMO, Carnival is no different that any other line I have been on. I think food is hit or miss on every line and subjective. I am a steak and potatoes kind of girl so I usually order off the any-time menu; that being said, I may not be the one to ask.

 

My decision when booking a cruise is ports and costs - just b/c it's on one line or another doesn't sway me one bit.

 

I say if you found an itinerary you like, go for it!

[glrounds]

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.[

I like to look at it this way....a cruise is a cruise and is only as good as YOU make it.

so if you buy your roses at wal-mart are they going to be any less in beauty then the the rose purchased at the high end flower shop? As a former floral designer, I have news for you -- they are the exact same roses and probably from the same grower-- now sure the flower shop is going to have a few tricks up their sleeve to make the rose appear that it is worth more than the walmart roses. so sure some of the "other" cruise lines might put a fancier bow on the package but when it comes down to it do you want to pay extra just for a bow?

 

Excellent post!

 

 

 

Great analogy. I think on the higher-end cruises, it's a higher quality "rose"...but for many of the mass-market lines, your analogy is spot on.

 

Yes, absolutely, great analogy. DEAD ON accurate.

 

Last 22 cruises with Carnival, so they must be doing something right. As others have posted, I cruise just to GET AWAY for a week, the ports (love mixing with the locals), a clean ship, decent food, fun-oriented fellow passengers, and good entertainment while I'm getting there.:) Young party-goers ? Will be 73 next week. Party on, gang. :D

 

And you can't beat that PRICE. :D

 

[maspaws]

Thanks everyone with all your input. Your all right it is attitude and what you make of it. We are going to give it a shot. Planning on Mexico in January, I'll let you all know what we think. The price is right, and really, not cooking, cleaning or making your bed,,sign me up!!!thanks again.

[Tapi]

I think she wouldn't like a Carnival cruise at all...and that's fine! She likes what she likes on a cruise, and Carnival doesn't have what she likes.

 

Sounds like my mother. She "tolerates" Carnival, but she'd rather sail on a different cruise line. Knowing her the way I do, it's perfectly understandable. She's in her 70's and is at a point in her life where she's willing to pay more to get what she really wants.

 

I love her to death, but IMHO, she pays waaaaay too much attention to detail. I booked my parents on the 12 night Mediterranean cruise on the Liberty's inaugural season back in 2005. Wonderful trip visiting Italy, Spain, Croatia, and France. The first words out of her mouth when she returned and I asked how the cruise had been were: "The flowers on the ship are plastic". :eek: Really?? That's the one thing that caught your attention??

[pgoody82]

I just got off RCI's Freedom of the Seas 2 days ago, my second cruise. My first one was Carnival in March on the Splendor. I am 30 and I like to drink and party, so of course I was missing many aspects of Carnival the whole time.

 

My next cruise will without a doubt be Carnival again. I'll give RCI credit for having a really beautiful ship that displayed a bit more quality than Carnival's, but those beautiful lounges were empty by 11pm and usually filled with grey haired folks, nothing wrong with that! But there were very few places for 20-30 somethings would gather besides the pool or disco, which RCI's crypt was not as cool as Carnival's magic carpet.

 

I enjoyed both cruise lines, but Carnival has a great price, I remember enjoying the food, enjoyed my balcony room, enjoyed the people aboard the ship.

 

RCI's ship was more beautiful, but less fun in most aspects, although I loved the main pool area.

[emelvee]

I agree with pgoody82 that RCI maintains their ships better...we were last on Enchantment of the Seas and I was impressed with how well she has been kept up. I also agree that there wasn't too much happening after 10pm (let alone 11pm).

[kat2009]

DON'T DO IT! QUICK - RUN THE OTHER WAY! You will be addicted for life. When you're not cruising you will be devouring Cruise Critic for information, logging onto Carnival and other websites to plan your next cruise.

 

Seriously, you will love it if you like sun, fun and being waited on (I do!) plus journeying to foreign ports - all at a reasonable cost. Give us an update when you return.