Carnival vs Celebrity: A comparison

[Pushka]

Hey Velvetwater, interesting comparison. As you now know we were on your cruise ;). Re the paper menus in cabins - the noro alert was the issue there. I think this contributed to the awful queues for MTD as the buffet was not self serve and was deserted. We saw queues to MTD back to the Martini bar on some nights around 8.30.

 

The chair hogs - on sea days the pool crew were putting notices on unattended lounges in the Solarium and were removing towels later. The pool decks - they probably gave up! What a zoo it was there.

 

We loved the buffet Indian meals too. Wonderful curries. In Blu we mentioned our love of curries and on two nights the crew in Blu prepared us two Indian banquet meals. Yum.

 

Think you were lucky to get a refund on that excursion :p.

 

There were always plenty of seats at the shows which was great. We attended two. Cruise Directors - this is just not a thing for us - we dont worry if we never see them.

 

Activities - multiple events happening all the time - so no overwhelming crowds at one event. Usually we had to decide 'which one' on sea days.

 

Snobs on Celebrity? Thats funny. Clearly they missed our boat.

 

The downers on our cruise was the ongoing maintenance that closed our favourite venue for 3 nights - the buffet open deck.

 

I've never cruised on Carnival, just Princess, Cunard, RCL and Celebrity. I go for itinerary not cruise line. Although there are some lines I wont go on - usually price - cant afford them, or culture.

 

It was a good cruise - because it was the Med, it was hot and hey, we were on a cruise. But it certainly wasnt our best cruise so far. I would rate this particular cruise a 7 - last years Equinox cruise - a 9. There were issues with it that did not occur last time which impacted on us - but may not have bothered others. On the other hand, it was our first experience in Blu and we loved it.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Pushka

[Pushka]

Also just remembered. The kayaks in Kotor. I was peeved about that too. The same company the ship uses normally charges 30 euros. The ship excursion for the same thing was $105 AUD which is around 80 euros. The kayak company said they were full. So we had to book the more expensive ship excursion.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Pushka

[hcat]

how sad!

a few yrs ago the very thought of comparing Celebrity with Carnival or NCL would have been unheard of......now it's commonplace. Seems Celebrity has lost its edge!

 

We cruise in AQ class with BLU, avoid the buffet for the most part, use the Solarium pool ( to avoid noisy music and games) would not buy many drinks if we did not have the package, enjoy many events and on board activities and cruiseline excursions, enjoy the nice lounges, appreciate the restrictive smoking policy & limited PA announcements.

 

We find fellow pax to be diverse, well traveled, lots of fun and very friendly. We are by no means cheerleaders but have no interest in NCL or. Carnival. Diff strokes for diff folks!

 

I think it was an honest opinion of OP ,but ratings and reviews by definition are always subjective.

[need2cruisesoon]

"We cruise in AQ class with BLU, avoid the buffet for the most part, use the Solarium pool ( to avoid noisy music and games) would not buy many drinks if we did not have the package, enjoy many events and on board activities and cruiseline excursions, enjoy the nice lounges, appreciate the restrictive smoking policy & limited PA announcements."

 

Really you avoid noisy music and games on X, I wish there was some of this on our last Silhouette cruise in July I could have used some amusement and fun.:D

Edited August 23, 2015 by need2cruisesoon

[jabrown40]

I just want to add that tastes change as you get older and experience increases. Although I have never traveled on Carnival, I have traveled several times on NCL. On our last cruise, we were terribly disappointed by the service and the food, compared to years past. However, our grown children and their spouses thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. We are at a time in our life, where we are looking for a little bit more of a sedate atmosphere. We don't stay out in nightclubs till 2 AM anymore although we certainly did in the past! I don't consider myself to be a snob at all, and our upcoming celebrity Cruise is a bit of a luxury for us compared to past vacations. I just think at this point in our lives, we're ready for a little bit different atmosphere. As someone previously posted, it's good that there are different venues available to meet The needs of travelers of different age groups, economic status, etc.

Edited August 24, 2015 by jabrown40

[Mango Mike]

I would tend to agree with Bruin Steves comments/arguments, and to take his theories one step further, nearly every publication (Frommers, Fodors, etc.) and poll puts Celebrity well above Carnival in almost all catogories.

[hcat]

"We cruise in AQ class with BLU, avoid the buffet for the most part, use the Solarium pool ( to avoid noisy music and games) would not buy many drinks if we did not have the package, enjoy many events and on board activities and cruiseline excursions, enjoy the nice lounges, appreciate the restrictive smoking policy & limited PA announcements."

 

Really you avoid noisy music and games on X, I wish there was some of this on our last Silhouette cruise in July I could have used some amusement and fun.:D

 

That's surprising...Silhouette is usually quite lively ...but we did find Reflection to have the most "party" atmosphere...guess it depends on when you cruise & the itin the ship is sailing.

 

We do like a quiter pool....so if we are using the outdoor pool, we go out early...and find another spot when the DJ and games start up...just our preference.

Edited August 24, 2015 by hcat

[gail8]

We have sailed on both lines and have to say what we have found is that they are both great for different reasons. On Carnival the entertainment on the Sunshine was the best we have ever seen on any cruise on the other Carnival ships not so much. On the Carnival Dream the steakhouse was fantastic but on other ships food not great. We always have a good to fantastic experience on Celebrity on Carnival it can really vary. With the kids we do Carnival for sure, adults only usually Celebrity. We do however love the Carnival short cruises for a weekend away.

 

Gail

[psupa]

Before I get any cheerleaders having a go I will say that as a whole we choose the best price for our cruises on lines that appeal to us as a young married couple. We are Carnival fans yet were into trying another line and the opportunity arose.Celebrity offered up a 13 day on the Equinox for less than our 12 day Vista cruise next year with different ports so we went for it as Celebrity was in our minds as being a foodies line and were do go a bit Gourmet/Gourmand on the seas so there we go.

 

Disclaimer: I do realise that with 2 Carnival cruises done (both sides of the pond on a mid sized ship) and 1 Celebrity done (on a big ship) this may affect our view but here it goes:

 

Velvetwater, I enjoyed reading your review and comparison. We've cruised RCI, Celebrity, Princess and NCL and recently cruised with Carnival for the first time for the itinerary and we had a great time. We like all the cruise lines and there are similarities and differences. After cruising for 30 years we've been there done that so we cruise to get away and relax. On one of our cruises we asked someone what their favorite ship was and they replied the one I'm on now. Doesn't get any better than that. If we find the itinerary and price we like we will cruise with any cruise line. Some of the things we liked on Carnival was the breakfast brunch on sea days in the dining room where you ordered from a menu and not self serve (very nice) and the dive-in movies up on deck.

 

Theresa

Edited August 24, 2015 by psupa

[Lastdance]

I definitely like Celebrity for their safety record and attention to details! Also, sailing on other lines has made me appreciate how they value my needs and wants, realizing that this is truly my opinion. If everyone loved Celebrity, the prices would be much higher...so please feel free to sail on your favorite ships/itineraries! That is what choice is all about[emoji572]️.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Lastdance

[richstowe]

 

Fellow Cruisers

 

Oddly enough staff told us the ship was 2/3 Europeans (mainly Brits) which is different for us as we are used to sailing with a Majority of US folk. It seemed that overall the Celebrity cruisers had a bit more money than Carnival cruisers and spent more but as we did unusual, longer Carnival cruises this was not too noticeable. The Celebrity cruisers and Carnival cruisers were as friendly as each other and conversations flowed freely at dinner and other venues. Unfortunately both lines had a handful of cruisers that we saw being rude to others/staff and chair hogging was ridiculous on Celebrity as was parents keeping an eye on their unruly kids. As much as everyone seemed to get on on Celebrity we noticed that hardly any 'groups' seemed to form and there was less of a community feel. On Carnival people were forming close bonds and becoming firm cruise friends and hanging out all the time but it seemed everyone stuck to their own on Celebrity. Now this could be due to the ship size or my fellow countrymen being a little shy....who knows. I will say though that we met wonderful folk on all our cruises.

 

Winner: Carnival

 

 

I am happy to answer any questions.[/color]

I appreciate your in-depth analysis and was glad you included "Fellow Cruisers" as a section . I have never had a bad cruise and that certainly includes Carnival . I have spent too much time defending Carnival both in life and here on CC . I have generally not been successful in changing anyone's opinion . Many feel it is low-class without having actually sailed Carnival .:confused:

We enjoy most everyone we've cruised with but honestly we relate more closely to Celerity fellow passengers . Frankly that goes for all the other cruise-lines we have been on .

Carnival offers a great product often at a great price . I believe it must (not always) offer these discounts in order to fill their ships . Through no fault of this brand , I demand a "discount" to sail Carnival partially due to its passenger mix. There are many who share my opinion .

Edited August 24, 2015 by richstowe

[Mynki]

I appreciate your in-depth analysis and was glad you included "Fellow Cruisers" as a section . I have never had a bad cruise and that certainly includes Carnival . I have spent too much time defending Carnival both in life and here on CC . I have generally not been successful in changing anyone's opinion . Many feel it is low-class without having actually sailed Carnival .:confused:

We enjoy most everyone we've cruised with but honestly we relate more closely to Celerity fellow passengers . Frankly that goes for all the other cruise-lines we have been on .

Carnival offers a great product often at a great price . I believe it must (not always) offer these discounts in order to fill their ships . Through no fault of this brand , I demand a "discount" to sail Carnival partially due to its passenger mix. There are many who share my opinion .

 

We've not sailed Carnival. However I think I'm just about old enough and wise enough to understand that who you are with and what you make of your vacation is the most important thing.

 

Bruin Steve does add some very pertinent points though and adds an element of objectivity on how to compare cruise lines. I appreciate what the OP has tried to do, and thank her for trying, but it's far too much of an opinion to be used as a useful tool in making a comparison. that said, if read in conjunction with many other line x vs line x type reviews then those considering the various lines will be helped overall. For the record, I'm certainly no Celebrity cheerleader by the way as my previous posts will show.

[nurseact]

Wow, Frist off I'd like to say tough group to just be trying to give a friendly comparison/opinion. I thought you did a great job, and basically it boils down to your experience on that one cruise that you have just taken and how you were treated. I have been on at least 15 cruises on many different line NCl, Carnival, Princess and the last 4 or 5 on Celebrity. I have loved and had a good time on all the ships, however, at this time Celebrity is my favorite, not to say that on different cruises there weren't some "issues" like on one of the cruise we at 45-50 were some of the youngsters on the trip and thing were closed up as tight as a drum by midnight. I would also like to add that I have a cruise coming up in Dec on Reflection with our 30 year old son and his girlfriend and I'm a little worried that they will not find it as "fun" as we do. In conclusion I thing your cruise is what you make it, don't worry about the food, there plenty, who cares what the person sitting next to you is wearing, make due with 6 in more or less in storage just plan on having a great time with the person you love isn't that what it all about in the end?

[TLCOhio]

That's surprising...Silhouette is usually quite lively ...but we did find Reflection to have the most "party" atmosphere...guess it depends on when you cruise & the itin the ship is sailing. We do like a quiter pool....so if we are using the outdoor pool, we go out early...and find another spot when the DJ and games start up...just our preference.

 

Great above points and by others on this interesting thread. Much of the DIFFERENCES with this "discussion/debate" might be about the added factors for . . . where you are sailing, timing of the cruise and the length of the cruise. Regardless of Carnival versus Celebrity.

 

As an example, regardless of cruise line, there would be a big, BIG difference with the audience/population on a seven-day Caribbean cruise at a prime school break time . . . VERSUS . . . a 14-day Australia to New Zealand cruise as I have detailed below on my live/blog. Fewer younger people can do a late January cruise of this longer length. That will affect the mix and age of the on-board crowd, plus so much of the ship's "vibe", action, etc.

 

Lots of factors at play and to consider!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 116,935 views for this posting.

[cruzeluver]

Multiple cruise on both and still like both. Carnival has been stepping it up lately and their newest ships are vastly different from the older ones. Hard to lump them all in together. If I want quiet, sedate and more about relaxation, we book Celebrity. When we want a more active ship we will go with Carnival. I am certainly not sailing exclusively with any one line. Would be bored to death with "the same old same old".

[Mynki]

Multiple cruise on both and still like both. Carnival has been stepping it up lately and their newest ships are vastly different from the older ones. Hard to lump them all in together. If I want quiet, sedate and more about relaxation, we book Celebrity. When we want a more active ship we will go with Carnival. I am certainly not sailing exclusively with any one line. Would be bored to death with "the same old same old".

 

Me too. I think some people get suckered in with one particular brand. We don't know where we'll be cruising on 2016 and so I've looked at the Celebrity sailings for that year extensively. Too much actually. So much in fact I've realised that range their itineraries could be improved. Then again taking into consideration their targeted demographics, compared to someone like HAL, it's easy to understand why they don't offer too many extended cruises...

[TLCOhio]

Multiple cruise on both and still like both. Carnival has been stepping it up lately and their newest ships are vastly different from the older ones. Hard to lump them all in together. If I want quiet, sedate and more about relaxation, we book Celebrity. When we want a more active ship we will go with Carnival. I am certainly not sailing exclusively with any one line. Would be bored to death with "the same old same old".

 

Mynki: I think some people get suckered in with one particular brand.

 

Appreciate your great and wise point about: "Would be bored to death with 'the same old same old'." Glad to hear that Carnival is upgrading with some of their newer ships. Maybe' date=' if and if, Carnival could be an option to consider, depending on where we want to do and where we want to sail. BUT, from encountering some of the passengers from Carnival ships in some Caribbean ports, the "mass" on these larger ships would require a little "adjustment" on our end. We can [b']"go with the flow"[/b] and this thread has opened us up to consider their options if the pricing, port and timing offerings fit our interests/needs.

 

Great above observation by Mynki. We are "flexible" and have sailed with four different cruise lines.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 203,311 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Edited August 24, 2015 by TLCOhio

[Velvetwater]

Indeed a tough crowd as one poster noted. :D

 

I never said anything was cold hard facts I just gave an opinion...especially for cruisers our age with similar tastes.I never take reviews from what fodors or whatever says..or even Cruisecritic for that matter. We are all individuals that like going on a lovely boat and floating about everywhere and are different people. I would happily sail most of the major lines and that includes Celebrity.

 

As I said intitally I have always done quite unusual and special longer cruises with Carnival so maybe that really does change things a bit? Sailing from New Orleans on a typical 7 day is high on my to do list though. A massive consideration for my overall review/winner is also the price...Carnival gets more for your money in my personal opinion. I was quite surprised to see our Equinox cruise the price it was and I am glad I did it.

 

Ah, well for those of you that enjoyed reading I am glad and for those of you that didn't....well...Εγώ δεν θα μπορούσα να φροντίδα. ;)

Edited August 24, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Mynki]

Indeed a tough crowd as one poster noted. :D

 

 

 

I think I understand the reasons behind that. Why do you think it could be?

[Pushka]

Carnival is marketed by (some?) TA's in Australia as being the base entry cruise line, and for younger people.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Pushka

[Velvetwater]

Carnival is marketed by (some?) TA's in Australia as being the base entry cruise line.

 

HR Dave (The one always in the shows :) ) said that too and every time I hear it doesn't ring true when you see all the cruisers that have been sailing with them for years and people that go back and forth. Also I have found most UK cruisers seem to start with P&O and Thomson.

 

I have always put RCCL, NCL AND Carnival on the 'targets families and younger people' as a group. That makes them my top 3 picks as well.

 

Carnival is almost invisible as choice in the UK because Royal and others got the market whilst Carnival concentrated on the US. Not sure whats going to happen with the Vista next year as there is now a UK based marketing team now. Every time I told people I was cruising with Carnival it was 'ooooo a cruise..lovely' which was the same this year...along with 'never heard of them'.

 

I still remember the TV advert that sold us our cruise as that was our first discovery of Carnival.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Pushka]

In Australia, RCL is promoted heavily for families. Carnival for party and singles. Solstice is the only X ship in Australia and that is marketed to families and couples. P&O doesn't have a great image here. No NCL ships here, nor Thomson.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Pushka

[Velvetwater]

. P&O doesn't have a great image here

 

Oh wow, thats interesting as I knew they had a whole separate brand over there.

 

A few of our older family members cruise with them and are happy but we feel we have been americanised now. :)

 

I wonder why they have a bad rep?

 

No-one knows about Thomson except Brits and I haven't met anyone that likes them. The term 'overpriced rustbuckets' comes up as its often about £790 (AUS$1500) for a week on a tiny ship built in the 70s.

 

RCL is exceptionally popular over here...and Princess does very well.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Velvetwater

[hcat]

Indeed a tough crowd as one poster noted. :D

 

I never said anything was cold hard facts I just gave an opinion...especially for cruisers our age with similar tastes.I never take reviews from what fodors or whatever says..or even Cruisecritic for that matter. We are all individuals that like going on a lovely boat and floating about everywhere and are different people. I would happily sail most of the major lines and that includes Celebrity.

 

As I said intitally I have always done quite unusual and special longer cruises with Carnival so maybe that really does change things a bit? Sailing from New Orleans on a typical 7 day is high on my to do list though. A massive consideration for my overall review/winner is also the price...Carnival gets more for your money in my personal opinion. I was quite surprised to see our Equinox cruise the price it was and I am glad I did it.

 

Ah, well for those of you that enjoyed reading I am glad and for those of you that didn't....well...Εγώ δεν θα μπορούσα να φροντίδα. ;)

 

Guess you are not providing the translation!

 

interesting discussion but with only three cruises listed as being sampled, only one on Celebrity, it can only be a snapshot!

 

Happy cruising to all....just booked on Princess today for some variety!

[rockdoctor]

I love all the detail in this thread. But I have trouble putting Carnival and Celebrity in the same sentence. Even my 30 something son doesn't like Carnival. There's fun and there's fun.