New to Carnival (kind of)

[SW.FloridaPhil]

My DW and I are planning a Hawaii cruise in May of 2016. We have done the "Pride of America" on NCL in Hawaii. The destination was fabulous. The cruise, not so much.

We have just gotten to a good level on RCCL and Celebrity "reward program" so to speak. The majority of our cruises have been on RCCL. Our one experience with Carnival was a 4 night cruise out of Galveston TX. We were in our late 50's then and didn't feel like it was our crowd.

Carnival has the best price for the cruise we are looking at. My questions have to do with average age of passengers. Food quality and selection. Crew attentiveness. Atmosphere etc.

We will both be 60, but we don't want to feel like we are sailing on HAL, or "spring break on the sea)!

We are not "food snobs", but dinner should not seem just above McDonalds!

It doesn't take much to keep us happy, but having to wait almost 15 minutes for your waiter to bring you more water is a bit much (NCL in Hawaii).

Even though I'm a little past the belly flop contest, though not for lack of the belly, Sometimes you want a little quiet time in your lounge chair by the pool.

 

I guess I am asking for your opinion of Carnival for two average, fairly active 60 year olds on an 11 night Hawaiian cruise!

[clackey]

Go for it. More than likely, the majority of the cruisers will be near you ages. The short 4 and 5 night cruises draw a younger party crowd. An 11 night to Hawaii is pretty pricey for the younger set. Besides, you are on a floating city.:)

[SW.FloridaPhil]

Go for it. More than likely, the majority of the cruisers will be near you ages. The short 4 and 5 night cruises draw a younger party crowd. An 11 night to Hawaii is pretty pricey for the younger set. Besides, you are on a floating city.:)

 

Thanks much.

[hirent]

Carnival has an adults-only Serenity area on most ships. They only allow 21 and older in these areas. Though enforcement of the rule could vary. And I agree with the above, on a longer cruiser to Hawaii, you will see a much more relaxed atmosphere than a shorter 'party' cruise.

Regarding the food, there are a number of posts here regarding the newer menu on Carnival.

Some good, some bad and some average.

[riffatsea]

We are in your age bracket and have enjoyed all of our Carnival cruises! The short cruises are not a good example of the atmosphere at all!!

We only go on 7day or longer ones. We've also cruised Royal Caribbean so I'd say that perhaps the buffet on Royal is better but the food in the MDR on Carnival is quite good!

We really enjoy the Serenity area. The service given by the crew has always been outstanding! We only book Anytime dining these days as we enjoy having a table for 2 at dinner. If we like the staff on the first night then we ask for that same table every night and the waitstaff gets to know our needs just as if we had fixed time dining .

[Cruiseathoning]

If Carnival has a full staff, a Spirit class to Hawaii is a fine choice. More refinement than the usual ships, and nice nooks and crannies to relax. Also much fewer passengers. If they have not restocked, they are not worth the savings.

[Publius1787]

We did the 15 day Hawaiian cruise 2 years ago and it was very different from a typical 4 day Caribbean cruise. They have a great naturalist that comes on-board to give talks about the animals and natural habitat in the islands. The menus in the MDR will be different also, and the general activities will not be centered around drinking 24/7. The crowd is older, we are in our early 50's and felt like kids! :)

[joepeka]

We are in your age group and though most of our cruises have been on Carnival, the last two have been on Royal. I think you will find this Hawaii itin on Carnival to your liking. The guest demographic will definitely be different than the typical 3, 4 or 5 day cruise and the Spirit class ships are great. We've found the food on both Royal and Carnival comparable (with the Carnival steak house far exceeding those on Royal) and the service and staff attentiveness likewise very similar between the two lines. I think you will have a great time. :)

[SadieN]

The crowd will be diverse. We sailed to HI last October. Few kids, lots of retired and many in between. It was a very mellow cruise.