Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Carnival Ships Listed Among Amazing Budget Cruises

eponym

By eponym,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

 Share

Recommended Posts

AmberTeka

AmberTeka

Posted
Posted (edited)

I sailed in a balcony on Princess Regal for less than what I am paying for an Inside on the Sunshine.

 

Granted...it is one of the New cabins on Lobby Deck, but still

 

My point. Carnival is not the cheapie Walmart of cruises anymore. You can get the same or better rates on every cruise ship out there if you watch prices and pounce when the price is right.

 

That said. I love Carnival. We have sailed on about every Cruise Line and we always come home to Carnival. I like the clean. I like the trivia. I like the food. I like the passengers who are having a good time and good for them! I like the staff. We always get the best cabin steward on the ship... If I ever won in the casino, it would be perfect.

 

I don't sail Carnival for the price. I sail it because you get more value for the money you spend on Carnival than anywhere else.

Edited by AmberTeka
Link to comment
Share on other sites
eponym

eponym

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Carnival's price leading cruises have likely forced other cruise lines to lower prices to be more competitive. Day in and day out, they can't compete, although sure, it is always possible to cherry pick cruises where Carnival is not the lowest.

 

The Disney, Celebrity, RCI and some NCL ships we have sailed are much nicer ships. To have them priced anywhere near the Carnival brand, sometime less than, is unreal. None of these companies would operate the ships at the rates provided IF they were losing money throughout each year. I don't think it has always been possible to find the other key brands at or less rates than the Carnival ship cruises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
guxu

guxu

Posted
Posted

Sure, I sailed Princess in Christmas ONCE for the price cheaper than any Carnival ships. But, we cannot claim Princess is at the same price level as Carnival just based on this ONE sail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted
What do you mean?

 

 

A 4 night cruise to the Bahamas for $700pp (and I'm assuming that's before taxes), for a family of 4 would cost probably more than $3000. That's far from being budget. Of course it won't feel like a budget cruise! It's not!

 

My idea of a budget cruise is what I reserved for my family on Carnival. 5 nights to Amber Cove and Grand Turk for $259pp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bmc alabama

bmc alabama

Posted
Posted
Personally I would not consider Disney or HAL as "budget".:confused:

 

 

Though, when you consider the fact that Disney A) includes soft drinks, and B) allows you to bring your own alcohol on board, that does tend to even things out (at times)...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tgmtgm

tgmtgm

Posted
Posted (edited)
Just shows you Carnival is not the only one out there with those prices, and you get a better experience for those $$.

 

 

Exactly. The key is to not be dead set on cruising a particular cruiseline. There are some great deals on higher end lines if you know where to look for them. My next cruise is on Carnival, Legend to Alaska in June courtesy of a Pack & Play offer. But then come November, it's on to Celebrity Equinox and an 11 night Panama/Central America cruise. Cost?- $1520pp. for Concierge Class balcony's with free alcoholic drink package, pre paid gratuities, $300 obc from Celebrity, and $200 obc from our travel agent per cabin.

 

So basically it's an all inclusive cruise at a fantastic price. Might not be considered "budget" by certain standards, but is by mine. ;)

 

 

Tony

Edited by tgmtgm
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tapi Great Review Rare

Tapi

Posted
Posted
Though, when you consider the fact that Disney A) includes soft drinks, and B) allows you to bring your own alcohol on board, that does tend to even things out...

 

 

Soooo I can buy a 12 pack of Soda for $5 at the supermarket and bring it aboard Carnival, or I can spend $700 to sail on Disney and get free soda...

 

Mmmm, nope, it doesn't even remotely come close to evening things out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bmc alabama

bmc alabama

Posted
Posted
Soooo I can buy a 12 pack of Soda for $5 at the supermarket and bring it aboard Carnival, or I can spend $700 to sail on Disney and get free soda...

 

Mmmm, nope, it doesn't even remotely come close to evening things out.

 

 

Or... I could spend $800 for the Cheers package on Carnival (cause you've got to pay for 2...) or just go to the Cocoa Publix and get a liter of Rum for $25 and take it onboard DCL...

 

Not sayin' DCL is cheap, just that you need to take everything into consideration...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bmc alabama

bmc alabama

Posted
Posted
I have yet to find a summer Caribbean Cruise for a family of four to come even close to the price of Carnival.

 

 

No, I'll agree with you there. Carnival has a corner on the summer market as other lines tend to move some or all of their ships to Alaska/Europe, etc.

 

Things even out over Fall/Winter/Spring. We are crushing on the Sunshine in a Verandah this fall, but if we wanted to drive further south to Ft Lauderdale, a similar cabin on the Regal Princess is a few hundred less. Now, this is mainly b/c the 3rd/4th rates are lower on that ship than on the Sunshine, so if you only had 2 it would be different.

 

Also, I find that RCCL's Oasis/Allure tend to be in the same stratosphere as DCL these days, with a lot less included...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pyrate13

Pyrate13

Posted
Posted

Yes I read it and I stand by my statement! Before you ask, I have sailed Disney and HAL multiple times each. No, I do not consider them to be that much of a better experience and I could not care less about a free soda or being allowed to bring booze on board. But that's just me and my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
momof3cruisers

momof3cruisers

Posted
Posted
Just shows you Carnival is not the only one out there with those prices, and you get a better experience for those $$.

 

This type of comment always confuses me. Either you don't like Carnival, don't sail them and just like to criticize or you are wasting your money by saililng on a line you don't like.

 

In the last year, I have sailed Princess, Royal and Carnival. By far, the nicest overall experience was Carnival Freedom. We were on Allure and while there is a lot to do, MY family would rather have slides and a water park than a rock climbing wall and ice skating rink. The entertainment was awesome, but the food was awful as well as boring. The service other than the cruise director's staff and a few bartenders here and there was dismal. And our preference is not for such a huge ship....with two elevator banks for 6K people. (I can't use the stairs..)

 

On Princess, the food was great (unless you went to the buffet which was honestly flat out bad...soggy brown lettuce, things that should be hot, not being hot.etc) The fries and pizza were good, but there were no activities.

 

Freedom had a good variety of activities, the food was very good with lots of options for casual dining at NO upcharge, the ship is in great shape and the cabins are a great size.

 

I just wonder if all the Carnival haters are just basing their opinions on the really old ships or what. We gave our kids a choice over three different ships all different lines for next Jan, hands down they all picked the Breeze.

 

(sorry for typos, my vision is blurry.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eponym

eponym

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

 

...MY family would rather have slides and a water park than a rock climbing wall and ice skating rink. The entertainment was awesome, but the food was awful as well as boring. And our preference is not for such a huge ship....with two elevator banks for 6K people. (I can't use the stairs..)

 

On Princess, the food was great... but there were no activities.

 

Freedom had a good variety of activities, the food was very good with lots of options for casual dining at NO upcharge, the ship is in great shape and the cabins are a great size.

 

Some people get fixated on what is important to them and/or their family, which are not necessarily the same things to others and their families. Some don't travel with family.

 

So, there is a very wide deviation as to what people's preferences actually are. I don't bash others for what their preferences are/might be, but see more than ever that some other very unique and otherwise known high end brands do have some moderately priced options for people to try. I am excited about those other options now available.

 

Now that my kids are grown, we don't prefer slides and waterpark's or lot's of drinking with 100 decibel DJ music blasting aimlessly throughout the lido's. But, there was a time we did! We would rather sail and try a true luxury ship option or 3, and/or themed ship decor all at very competing rates rather than the bump and grind all the time of the Carnival brand.

Edited by eponym
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...