The looks of carnival ships.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Just like today's cars, they're all starting to look alike. While I'm not a fan of the Carnival style, there's never a doubt when you see one coming. There's never a doubt when you see the Viking Crown coming either so I'm not sure what they were thinking when they completely removed it. They could have put anything they wanted inside. The outside was their signature look.

 

 

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I completely agree! I wouldn't of cared what they put up there, I just wish they would have kept the VCL look for the Q Class ships. They could of filled it with specially restaurants for all I care.

[Dave85]

We were in port with the Celebrity Summit and I thought it was ugly...the additions make it look like a floating shoe box. Not a fan of squared off additions to any ship.

 

 

I agree. The backs of the X Millenium Class ships are ugly. I don't like the boxy look.

 

I do, however, really like the unique look of the X Solstice Class ships. I realize not everyone will agree.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Dave85

[Stateroom_Sailor]

:D Agree! Fantasy class ships are rather ugly!

 

LuLu

 

I can't say I like much of the look inside the Elation either, but maybe it will grow on me. Seeing Nola, Progreso, on a cheap Halloween Cruise, still can't beat it.

[klct39lg]

I like the look of Disney ships. I think all mega ships look like top heavy behemoths.

[Ti2m]

Thank goodness Carnival didn't put a 100ft Giraffe in an electric yellow and lime green bathing suit with a hot pink inner tube atop their newest ship. Can you imagine what people would say?

Edited April 6, 2015 by Ti2m

[COCKYMARK]

I think they would say....that's carnival!

[PositiveLad]

My favourite looking ships (although I've not been on one yet) are the Radiance class ships from RCCL. So sleek, like a super yacht, with all that glass. So elegant.

 

 

Not sure what RCCL are doing removing the Viking Crown Lounge, it was a signature feature and a great venue. Really disappointed at that, and along with removing the two-storey nightclubs they're really starting to annoy me.

 

The worst looking legacy big-cruise-line ships have got to be Carnival Fantasy Class. They look like car ferries that got lost.

 

 

But worst looking new ship has to go to Norwegian Epic - or Frankenship as we call it, with its enormous forehead.

 

[backsbanny]

For me the most beautiful ships are from ncl especially the GETAWAY.She is a beauty...one exception to the rule though the epic...I like carnival breeze as well and freedom class of rcl

[A2Mich]

Never did care for the looks of the Fantasy class ships. As for everything Destiny and newer, they all look very similar to one another, though I think the Dream class ships are a bit nicer looking overall. While looking very similar helps with brand recognition, it also makes it very difficult to know what ship you're looking at without having to read the name painted on her. With so many ships looking very similar, it may have created some cost savings on each unit with Fincantieri--may have helped reduce development costs. The Spirit class and Fantasy class ships, all built by Kvaerner-Masa in Finland are all different than every other Carnival ship, which were all built in Italy by Fincantieri.

[KMagz]

Thank goodness Carnival didn't put a 100ft Giraffe in an electric yellow and lime green bathing suit with a hot pink inner tube atop their newest ship. Can you imagine what people would say?

 

 

I see what you did there...... ;)

[FloridaPalms]

I too love the classic look of Disney ships as well as Royal's Radiance through Oasis classes. I don't care for boxy looks or for NCL's "artwork".

 

This thread make me do a search for "cruise ship exterior" images. There are some "What were they thinking??!!" ships out there! :eek: Has anyone ever seen the AIDAsol? I would be embarrassed just to be on it.

 

 

~ Judy

[HiCSailor]

I had the opportunity to spend some time aboard the Iowa with a friend of mine who was aboard as a corpsman. I was able to explore parts that most visitors never get to see. It was amazing. We don't live too far from Battleship Cove in MA. Sometimes I go an just hang out on the Massachusetts. I come from a naval family. I love he ships.

 

I've enjoyed Battleship Cove on several occasions during my regular "pilgrimages" to RI for work. I too love the ships and it fun to see the things that haven't changed through the years. If you haven't visited, the submarine museum in Groton shouldn't be missed either

 

Back on topic (somewhat). I agree with those disappointed in the loss of the VCL as a distinguishing feature on RCI ships. Am I alone in not liking the Celebrity dark strike and "X" markings? I think it looks a bit dated.

 

Now to the OP's question: As to Carnival, I do have to admit the fun ships are distinctive and I think their look supports their target marketing audience -- I at once think 'merica and airliner when I see the red, white, and blue tailfin and 747-like shape of the Dream and Conquest classes.

[Natitude61]

Whenever she sees a Carnival ship, my daughter says it looks like a plane crashed into them.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

When I was studying architecture back in the 70's, we were drilled in so-called 'modern architecture' and the slogan 'Form Follows Function'.

 

Must be that some cruise lines value function over exterior beauty.

 

"Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight, or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function, and this is the law. Where function does not change, form does not change. The granite rocks, the ever-brooding hills, remain for ages; the lightning lives, comes into shape, and dies, in a twinkling.

 

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law."

[Midwestgal]

Carnival's prettiest ship is Breeze hands down

[mcatmcat]

For some reason I don't like certain angles of the oasis. It look like an cream cone with a melting ice cream in top

[Saab4444]

Carnival started to destroy the look of their ships by adding cabin decks on top (Conquest class) or at the side (Fantasy class) some years ago. Royal has now startet to move in the same direction with Voyager and Freedom class. Beside this Carnival ships originalyy did look better than ships from other lines from the outside. Spirit class and Carnival Splendor still look very beautiful. HAL ships have all been extremely rebuilt to look ugly ( additional decks everywhere). Older Princess ships looked nice but the Grand class is a joke. I like Radiance class, Queen Victoria and Aurora best.

[Rotherham_Cruiser]

 

I love the classic look of the Cunard ships. Ive never sailed with Carnival solely due to the look of them. They remind me of the 70's love boat ship - basic. Having said that, I'm probably wrong and would love it, because there is no such thing as a bad cruise when your on it :D

[bigque]

I am another who can't understand for the life of me why RCI decided to do away with the VCL's on their ships. It is a distinctive feature that make there ships stand out. If you see ships in port you can always tell which is the RCI ships! Doing away with the VCL on Royal's ships whould be like Carnival doing away with it's distinctive Whale's Tail smoke stack!

[tazza_0712]

My favourite looking ships (although I've not been on one yet) are the Radiance class ships from RCCL. So sleek, like a super yacht, with all that glass. So elegant.

 

 

 

 

 

This. I think the Radiance Class are some of the best looking ships afloat. Perfectly proportioned, and not entirely too large, even small by today's standards. Definitely my favourite.

[tazza_0712]

Oh yeah and most of the Carnival Ships are horrendous. I've never understood the misaligned windows on the side front of their ships. I believe they're part of the theatres. Here they are on Spirit Class, they were more pronounced on the older vessels.

Edited April 6, 2015 by tazza_0712

[Aquahound]

This. I think the Radiance Class are some of the best looking ships afloat. Perfectly proportioned, and not entirely too large, even small by today's standards. Definitely my favourite.

 

I agree. I'm another one who thinks Radiance Class are the best looking ships at sea.

 

To me, the ugliest are Carnival Fantasy Class and Princess Grand Class ships.

[PositiveLad]

Also, what is it with the Princess Ships?

 

Half of them look like shopping trolleys (or carts if you're American) with that big handle on the back. Uhhhh-gly.

 

[Crystalkrt]

Prettiest ships are definitely Royal, Princess and MSC cruises look sleek, modern and beautiful, very inviting.

 

Carnival, however has the ugliest ships inside and out. The main atrium on all carnival ships are dark and none of them remind me of being in the caribbean, they just remind me of a vegas casino all over.

[DarthGrady]

Thought I walked into a naval architecture seminar for a moment. All this talk if lines, lines, lines... I was waiting on a discussion of the impact of metacenter on comfort or the hydrodynamic benefits of pneumatic boundary layers. [emoji26]

 

While I do think Royal has very good looking cruise ships, I think Disney's are the most visually striking (even beating out Cunard somehow). That being said, I'm not too fond of the looks of most ships these days. A bit like the current crop of cars, the badging is the most distinguishing feature on most. [emoji57]

 

For me, the beauty of modern ships is in the inter-working of the systems and processes that keep the cities at sea humming along. All the lines are making beautiful magic happen there every day.

 

For aesthetics I look to clipper ships and for sheer visual impact to battleships.

 

Quantum class are an eyesore. Same with the look of the pool deck on Quantum. Looks very tight like the carnival pool areas. Quantum from the outside reminds me of a Breakaway Class NCL Ship.

 

I agree with both of you, cruise ships are looking more and more alike all the time. Now that RCI has decided to '86 the Viking Crown Lounge, their new Quantum Class ships look just like Princess, Celebrity or NCL (minus the hull art).

 

To the OP's initial comment, the one thing Carnival has done right over the years is sticking that giant whale-tail funnel atop every ship. It may not be the most visually appealing or original thing (see the SS France), but you sure know exactly how many CCL ships are in port on any given day.

 

I actually liked the look of the Fantasy Class ships before they started welding balconies onto the exterior of them. They've got an old fashioned look with the life boats up high and no condo-building balconies everywhere.

 

The Destiny and Conquest Class ships weren't that bad looking, if a bit oddly angular at the front. I think the Spirit Class are probably the most attractive of the CCL ships. They've also got the best space to passenger ratio which is why there's only four of them.