Carnival vs Celebrity: A comparison

[OCA REP]

Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines

 

Excellent summation!

[Gone Fishing]

Here's a "service" story about Carnival. Don't recall what ship it was but DH asked for another serving of the entree.

 

The waiter RAN to get it for him. Not walked quickly, not trotted but a full out run to the kitchen (galley).:eek::D

 

And our table mate was told "no" we do not offer a second lobster tail. (after I talked her into asking for one :o)

 

Yes, I know people have seconds all the time and Yes, I did talk to the maître d' and Yes, the waiter apologized later.

 

Same ship was told "No" when we asked for turndown service and a towel animal for our daughter. Cabin steward said they were not allowed in cabins after 6PM. ummmm ok? :rolleyes:

 

Every cruise is different and service varies widely.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Gone Fishing

[CRUZBUDS]

Bad service can pop up on any line. Hands down the worst waiter we ever had in 35 or so cruises was the waiter on our first Celebrity cruise. Several of our best have been on Carnival.

 

In our experience the service has been terrific on both lines. It is more polished and a bit more professional on Celebrity. :)

[Iamcruzin]

Carnival is the Carnival Corp's "entry level" line. They market to people looking for "low prices" and "Fun". They market to those poor folks who just want to get on a ship, go places, get entertained and eat and drink...and don't pay much attention to much past that.

Is it the "Walmart of Cruise Lines"? It certainly is...

Both Carnival and Walmart are designed to appeal to the masses...and both are very good at and very successful at doing that. They sell a lot of cruises to a lot of people...And Walmart sells a lot of merchandise...and McDonalds sells a lot of meals...It's not bad business...But it is also not necessarily high quality. Most people make trade-offs. Money means something...and they are willing to settle for a lot of things...And wise retailers know that you can make a lot more money selling to the 99% for low prices than to the 1% for high prices--Your target audience is bigger...

 

So, really, I DO get it...

 

But I think a comparison should be a fair comparison...

And, having ACTUALLY CRUISED on Carnival several times, I think I am, unlike what you put forth in your post, highly qualified to challenge the OP here on this one.

 

I have to agree and add that NCL and Carnival are a better comparison. More Apples to Apples. Having sailed only one Carnival cruise back in 1986 the only thing that seems to have changed is the size of the ships. They were doing the hairy chest contest way back then too. It wasn't entertaining when I was 25 and it's not show stopper at 55 either. Both lines have their market but I would never compare the two lines saying one is better than the other. They are both completely different experiences. Like Jane I would sail both lines for different reasons. If I was traveling with my sons who are 20 and 23, Carnival, NCL and Royal Caribbean would be my choice. They have been on three Princess cruises when they were younger and they really enjoyed them. However I wouldn't take them on a Princess or Celebrity cruise at their ages now. I have been looking at Carnival lately because it is one of the few options we have if we want to be able to drive to port. I would never expect to have the same cruise experience as I have had on Princess or Celebrity.

[pwapwa47]

I'm still laughing about the "Fellow cruisers" section and its conclusion "Winner: Carnival."

 

So for my first cruise critic post I choose to respond to your statement. How rude and pretentious of you!! Perhaps it was people like you that led the poster to come to the conclusion that Carnival was the winner of the Fellow Cruisers category.

 

I must add that surely you can find better things to do while currently on your Seabourn Cruise than to come on cruise critic and make snide comments.

[richstowe]

Many of the best times I've EVER had cruising have been on a Carnival cruise.

 

When DH and I cruise we go on Celebrity - quieter, reserved and romantic. Better food but not a huge difference. Service levels the same on both lines. Love the limited smoking. Suites are an enhanced experience.

 

Celebrity is our line of choice but I would not hesitate to book Carnival again if it meant sailing with friends.

 

Most here who refer to Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines - have NEVER been on a Carnival cruise. [/b] [/color]

 

OCA REP "Misquoting" Jane2357

"Carnival as the "Walmart" of lines"

Excellent summation!

Congratulations OCA REP for the most creative misuse of another members original quote .

[Mynki]

I completely understood your point of view but I think because a high category of cabin makes up a smallish part of the passenger base of a lot of lines (although I understand on Celebrity it is slightly higher). It means per sailing the majority of guests will have my view if that makes sense?

 

Carnival are actually introducing an exclusive grade of cabin on the Vista called Havana suites. Guests who book a Havana room get their own area and pool (at least til 5pm) and other bits and bobs. The rendering of the designed rooms is actually quite stunning and the Cabanas are a Puesdo balcony style I have not seen yet on any ship. As it stands now I know Carnival suites are really not all that fellow cruisers tell me apart from the owner's suite which is worth a google.

 

I am booked in a 'secret' inside thats got a massive window cabin...as per usual.I adore finding secret bargain cabins. As long as I see the sea I am fine in my cabin as thats what I am there for...and the ports of course.

 

There were about 20 channels I think. There was a random channel called PrimeTV and 2 ESPNs , large range of News channels and I forget what else. When our TV was on it was either playing music or watching Top Chef most of the time. :)

 

That reminds me though...I really liked the national newspapers put out each morning.

 

Well love or loath Celebrity you have to agree, the Celebrity board is probably the most entertaining on this forum! :D

 

Devils advocate hat on again...

 

I wouldn't say people will have your view as people are all different. They'd have a limited experience of Celebrity, but they still may be enjoying themselves more than any suite passenger for all kinds of reasons. Any kind of holiday is what you make of it after all.

 

Right now I have family members wanting us to join them on a P&O cruise sailing out of Southampton. I'd like to spend time with them, bu the truth is I can't see one single thing about P&O that makes me want to sail with them. They're too British for my liking and too formal from what I gather. My family members see Celebrity as expensive with rubbish entertainment. Their blinkered view is largely based on what they were told by one fellow passenger sailing on a previous P&O cruise with them.

 

The truth is X has a sailing in November from Southampton to Miami, 15 days costs just $999 in a balcony room or around £46 per person per night in real money. Those watching the pennies can sail on the same sailing enjoying a night in New York and a night in Kings Wharfe Bermuda for $799 or around £34 per person per night. That's less than a B&B here...

 

OK, that's an exception to the rule and TA's are always cheaper than other cruises, but that's a trip on the Eclipse, a 5.5* ship at rock bottom, bargain basement prices.

 

In October, there are med cruises in suites at around £110 per person per day too. Yet my family see them as expensive and poor value.

 

As I've said before, I'm no X cheerleader, but I can see why many aspire to become Elite or Elite + because if they book these cheap TA deals, they've got free drinks, laundry and internet access all thrown in too so I can appreciate why the cheerleaders may want to stick with this particular line.

 

The Celebrity Captains Club really does take some beating if you compare the perks to other lines.

 

So, taking my devils advocate hat off now and posting as me, I don't buy on price, I buy on value, and appreciate it as much as the next person, bearing in mind what I've just posted I wouldn't write off X just yet as I haven't seen deals that good with Carnival.

 

And for those thinking I'm just another X cheerleader I'm currently looking at Azamara next year as I want to try a 'perceived' better cruise line. :D

[OCA REP]

Congratulations OCA REP for the most creative misuse of another members original quote .

 

"Thank you... thank you very much!"

 

As someone who has sailed on both Carnival and Celebrity, I consider them different animals and hard to compare. My shortened quote might be a generalization, but I thought it fit perfectly. :) Once we sailed Celebrity, we never returned to Carnival and realized we had matured beyond the product they offer... and that maturity has nothing to do with our age!

 

To each his own, I suppose.

[Oskial]

I figure I might as well put my two cents worth in on this topic.

 

Our first cruise was a 7 night cruise on the Carnival Legend. They must have done something right because we did a second cruise on the Imagination. The point is that these two cruises have made us love cruising. I wouldn't hesitate to use Carnival again as long as the itinerary was what we were looking for and the price was right. I find that Celebrity, we have only sailed on the Equinox, is a much more relaxed atmosphere than Carnival. As others have said before me, Carnival is more up-beat and Celebrity seems more sedate. I can equate the two by remembering my first car. A 6 cylinder 1964 Chevy II. I loved that car. I drive a much nicer car now but that doesn't take away the memories I have of that Chevy II. The same goes with this topic. What's not to like?

[cruise kitty]

 

 

Final scores: Carnival 8 points Celebrity 6 points

 

Carnival wins!

 

As you can see it was quite close but Carnival seems a better fit for us and we both agreed that even though we loved the ship and the food we would rather book Carnival than Celebrity especially with the overall atmosphere of the cruises. We are both young, like to stay up and cruise for ports so I guess we already knew before we sailed especially when you consider Carnival's great prices. However we are still very keen to sail RCL and NCL as they seem to fit our personality too. I think we would sail Celebrity again for the right price but would choose other lines before them. If only Carnival bought the Equinox with its chefs and food we would be laughing! We would love to see the Officers vs Guests on Carnival too. The main thing we learnt that there was so many similarities between the lines that good marketing doesn't want you to know. Now we have sailed the supposedly 'low end' and 'top end' of the major lines we can happily choose things in between with a possible view to even consider Princess one day.

 

So...there it is. Sorry for the off grammar/spelling mistakes I am dyslexic and when I speed type things happen. :)

 

I am happy to answer any questions.

 

Hi, thanks for your review, I really enjoyed it. :) I would imagine that a Carnival cruise in Europe would be very, very different that their usual U.S. based type cruise, mainly due to the passenger mix.

 

I have to admit to sometimes reading the Carnival boards with a bit of fascination, especially the photo reviews, it's a glimpse into a very different world for me.

[keithm]

Only "doesn't wash" if you completely ignore the actual verifiable numbers...

Take the gross tonnage--a measure of volume/space and divide it by the number of passengers (also figure in that, due to marketing, the typical Celebrity ship sails with right around the double occupancy number--as many solo travelers as 3rd and 4th berths filled--while the typical Carnival cruise usually sails with close to full capacity---all 3rd and 4th berths filled due to greater marketing toward families with young kids and budget conscious folks sailing four to a cabin)...

 

So, the typical Celebrity M-Class ship will sail with 1,950 passengers in 91,000 gross tons (a space per passenger ratio of 46.67 gross tons per passenger), the typical S-Class with 2,850 passengers in 122,000 gross tons (42.8)...

 

As a comparison, the Carnival Imagination sails with 2594 passengers in 70,000 gross tons (26.98)...The Carnival Conquest sails with 3700 passengers in 110,000 gross tons (29.76)...The Carnival Dream with 4310 passengers in 130,000 gross tons (30.16)...

 

The numbers aren't even close...

 

You are choosing to be blind to the crowding and other issues based on your own feelings...but totally blind to the facts...

 

If you really think the dining rooms on Celebrity are more crowded, there is probably no hope for you...

 

Whether the "waiters are friendlier" is completely subjective...

 

Look, if you want to ignore facts, let's just make it straight out blunt opinion. I tried being nice...and using only supportable arguments...but...gloves are off...here it goes:

 

Carnival is the bottom feeder of cruise lines. They cut corners everywhere in order to achieve higher profits on lower fares. The service is the worst in the industry. The ships are the most crowded in the industry. The constant marketing onboard is horrific. The decor is two tones worse than a Tijuana bordello. I've cruised on four of them. My wife refuses to EVER let me book another. She says they could give it to us for FREE and she'd refuse to go.

 

Comparing them to Celebrity is a joke...Determining them to be superior to Celebrity is beyond a joke...

 

Even my 30 year old nephew who regularly cruises Carnival with his buddies so they can drink a lot and pick up girls knows that Carnival sucks...

My simple answer is go to YOUTUBE..type in "cruiseship fights" & watch the fun. By FAR the majority is on Carnival..Now why is that I wonder?

Edited August 30, 2015 by keithm
spelling

[Cindy]

My husband and I have taken 5 Carnival cruises...two with a large family group, one with another couple, and 2 that were just us. Although we enjoyed aspects of all of them, we are in agreement the only way we would choose Carnival again is if we were cruising with a group and that was the choice. For just the two of us, there are cruise lines where the ambience, service, and activities are a much better fit.

 

The two biggest factors for me in not wanting to take another Carnival cruise are 1) Ship crowding and 2) Lack of activities and entertainment that interest me.

[coldweathergirl]

We're elite on Celebrity and have done a few Carnival cruises in the past. We did one when our kids were little and it was ok. We also did the inaugural sailing of the Carnival Magic in Europe and it was fabulous.

 

Last winter we had an open week between a couple of Celebrity cruises so decided to do Carnival again as it was a steal of a price for a balcony on the Breeze. BIG MISTAKE. NO COMPARISON.

 

On Carnival these are some of the things we noticed that made us regret taking the cruise. The wait for elevators on embarkation day was extremely long as their staff were using the majority of passenger elevators to deliver luggage. We were cut off by their staff numerous times when walking down the hall. Staff rarely said hello and seemed almost disgruntled. We often saw staff sneaking into corners on their phones or leaning on their mop not working and just chatting with other staff. A piece of pizza had fallen on the floor and no one seemed to care about cleaning it up. Numerous staff walked past and ignored it. Towels are only available by the main pool cabana and need to be signed out. There were numerous other pools and hot tubs throughout the ship but no towels in any of these locations. The buffet paled in comparison to Celebrity. The food in the MDR was poor quality. I don't go on holidays to eat chicken fingers or meatloaf. The smell of smoke in the casino was awful and it went through the the ventilation system resulting in our cabin also smelling of smoke at times. You need to keep a keycard in the card slot to keep power and ventilation on in your cabin. The dress code is quite lax. We actually saw people in the casino in their bathrobes and people in the buffet in the evening with a bikini and no coverup. I could go on and on with the differences.

 

We will never sail on Carnival again. Each day when we were on that past Carnival sailing and would see Celebrity in port we wished that we had booked the Celebrity sailing instead.

[Velvetwater]

Maybe our Carnival satisfaction is also down to longer cruises=better passengers? However we are thinking of cancelling our Vista cruise and booking a 7 night NOLA cruise (I think its the CCL Dream)with a 7 night stay in NOLA too as we were wondering whether its worth doing another Med cruise and its prices are excellent at the moment.Theres not many suitable Asian cruises next year in August otherwise we would have done that.

 

I read reviews on all mainstream lines and most of them look fab...the more I think about it tbh (including my own cruises) I think there are so many similarities its down to presentation/price that divides the masses.

 

Just happy to sail...thats me. :)

Edited August 31, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Mynki]

 

I read reviews on all mainstream lines and most of them look fab...the more I think about it tbh (including my own cruises) I think there are so many similarities its down to presentation/price that divides the masses.

 

 

With us it's value not price. Presentation and marketing is quite easy to see through if you use forums / facebook / youtube etc. So disagree with the above, mainstream cruise lines are not all the same.

[mcrcruiser]

My husband and I have taken 5 Carnival cruises...two with a large family group, one with another couple, and 2 that were just us. Although we enjoyed aspects of all of them, we are in agreement the only way we would choose Carnival again is if we were cruising with a group and that was the choice. For just the two of us, there are cruise lines where the ambience, service, and activities are a much better fit.

 

The two biggest factors for me in not wanting to take another Carnival cruise are 1) Ship crowding and 2) Lack of activities and entertainment that interest me.

 

Couldn't agree more about the 2 items you listed .We love Trivia & Celebrity has several Trivia games each day;) .The space ratio in public areas is much tighter on Carnival ships .Princess also has ships with tight public space ratios:eek: .We find that HAL is actually the better for space ratio's ;however ,there ship board activities are slower .

[PTMary]

I figure I might as well put my two cents worth in on this topic.

 

Our first cruise was a 7 night cruise on the Carnival Legend. They must have done something right because we did a second cruise on the Imagination.

 

You and I have had very different experiences. After our first Carnival cruise, we gave up on cruising completely. "If this is what the cruise experience is, it isn't very good" is what I felt when finally getting off that ship. My husband agreed. It was over a dozen years before we tried another cruise at the insistence of a couple we often vacationed with. That time it was on Disney Magic. We were blown away at the difference. Much more refined, much better service, better food, better amenities, no more garish cheap Las Vegas type of decor, and just as important, a much better class of people. We have since cruised every year, and on several different cruise lines. But you will never catch us on another Carnival cruise again. It is by far the furthest from what I consider a good cruise product than any of the others we have tried since. Celebrity remains our favorite, with five cruises so far.

 

The old saying definitely fits: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Edited August 31, 2015 by PTMary

[Velvetwater]

With us it's value not price. Presentation and marketing is quite easy to see through if you use forums / facebook / youtube etc. So disagree with the above, mainstream cruise lines are not all the same.

 

I dont think its the case of researching and 'seeing through' I think its more of a psychological hook tbh. Its quite interesting as well to see the different perceptions of Carnival in Europe compared to the US.

 

In fact these forums and the reviews made me see the varying similarities more than anything else as well as being on board the marketed low end/ high end lines on the mainstream market. Don't get me wrong, there are lines with a more elegant 'finish' but in my head I wonder if its worth the extra money that could be spent having fun/shopping in port.

 

Although I have noticed Celebrity cruises are good prices next year and many of the routes I liked were cheaper than RCL. The Vista is still cheaper than the Equinox/Constellation Summer Europe sailings next year though. Although Celebrity is our only viable option if we want to do Antarctica.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Mynki]

I dont think its the case of researching and 'seeing through' I think its more of a psychological hook tbh. Its quite interesting as well to see the different perceptions of Carnival in Europe compared to the US.

 

In fact these forums and the reviews made me see the varying similarities more than anything else as well as being on board the marketed low end/ high end lines on the mainstream market. Don't get me wrong, there are lines with a more elegant 'finish' but in my head I wonder if its worth the extra money that could be spent having fun/shopping in port.

 

Although I have noticed Celebrity cruises are good prices next year and many of the routes I liked were cheaper than RCL. The Vista is still cheaper than the Equinox/Constellation Summer Europe sailings next year though. Although Celebrity is our only viable option if we want to do Antarctica.

 

Unfortunately I think you've misunderstood me on both points there.

 

I meant seeing through the marketing and branding of the cruise company.

 

We don't pick a cruise because it's cheaper, but because it offers better value. Hope that makes sense. Also, there are several cruise lines sailing to the Arctic.

 

HAL do and they have the best itineraries by a country mile and then some if compared to Celebrity or Carnival. Though their ships don't have the same appeal to us as Celebrity ships do. They are however a line we'd sail with again though, purely because of their fantastic itineraries.

 

In fact my main criticism of Celebrity is that their itineraries could be a lot more interesting. Hopefully they'll address this when their new Edge class vessels come onboard.

[pwapwa47]

Years ago I started cruising on Carnival. Took what I thought was a step up to Royal Caribbean. Tried three cruises on Celebrity - first on Galaxy which I was not impressed with the condition of the ship followed by two ill fated trips on Summit and Millennium which were both interrupted with pod problems.

 

Having lost confidence in Celebrity we found ourselves trying Oceania and Regent. Loved the small ship concept and stuck with Oceania for a total of 10 cruises. Our interests changed and we left cruising and started doing land trips in Europe which we found to be more intensive than the single day port stops with limited or no night time in ports.

 

Had the opportunity to take a Carnival cruise again in June with 7 other couples for a celebration and found it very interesting to say the least. When I got to the cabin I sort of laughed and said "......well this is going to be wast of money....". It was a typical Ocean View but I was struck by the total lack of ambiance compared to what we had seen on our last Oceania cruises. We shrugged and said "....well its just Carnival.....". By the end of the cruise our opinion had totally changed. The food was awesome. The lobster, although only available on one night, was the absolute best I have had at sea and could be reordered as many times as we pleased. We found an atrium bar where a fellow played an acoustic guitar and sang. We found a piano bar that was equally as fun and relaxing. We passed many other venues where people looked to be having an awesome, albeit loud, time - not our cup of tea - but fun for others. You could involve yourself in the crazy activities or sit by a quiet adult only pool called the Serenity pool. We chose the latter. The cabin comfort and service was excellent. Other than the first day we never saw our attendant. We gave him the ground rules on day one which was quite simple - if you see the make up cabin sign come in and take care of it. No sign - stay away. We left at 7 for breakfast and when we returned around 8 our cabin was spotless. We left for dinner around 8 and when we returned the lighting was dimmed and the beds turned down. The ambiance grew on us to the point it didn't matter anymore.

 

Long story short we were impressed enough to book the same cruise again at a price that truly seems remarkable for a quick 5 night cruise. The cruise is what you make of it. If you look for things to dislike you will find them on any ship. I came on Carnival pre-conceived it was going to be horrible, looked at my room and pretty much confirmed my worst fears were going to come true. We changed our attitude and resolved to enjoy ourselves and we had an excellent time. Is this now my ship of choice - NO but I would not dish it either. Is Celebrity my ship of choice - NO - I gave it three tries and was disappointed each time.

 

Cruising going forward I would stick with Oceania but would not hesitate to recommend Carnival as an option at a cost that is quite affordable. The extra dollars for Celebrity, IN MY OPINION, just doesn't get you to a level that is worth it when for a few dollars more you can have so much more. I think most people are hung up on the image of Carnival, as I was, and would be pleasantly surprised if they tried it with an open mind.

Edited August 31, 2015 by pwapwa47
change words

[Velvetwater]

Unfortunately I think you've misunderstood me on both points there.

 

I meant seeing through the marketing and branding of the cruise company.

 

.

 

No thats not what I meant either...

 

What I am saying is a certain 'sales pitch' of something can trick consumers into thinking they are getting better quality (therefore good value) than they are. Things like food packaging and sportswear are obvious examples but it also applies to holidays.

 

The drinks on Celebrity are an example. The very same cocktails at a bigger price with some drinks on Carnival actually being stronger but because Carnival stick tacky stuff on the top it seen as 'cheap'. Same goes for the products in the Bathroom..Celebrity presents it in little packaging and branded but its the same stuff you get stuck to hotel shower and Carnival cabin bathroom walls.

 

As you can see in my review the main winners for Celebrity were ship decor, food and entertainment....the latter being a definite better quality but Carnival's new ships certainly seem to look better and the food while better on Celebrity had similar catering companies it seemed with some items such as the mini square desserts, frozen fish and pasta sauces et al.

 

Hope that makes sense?

 

Not saying Celebrity is ripping folk off and is exactly the same as Carnival just saying it does a good job of dressing things up quite frequently.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Mynki]

No thats not what I meant either...

 

What I am saying is a certain 'sales pitch' of something can trick consumers into thinking they are getting better quality (therefore good value) than they are. Things like food packaging and sportswear are obvious examples but it also applies to holidays.

 

The drinks on Celebrity are an example. The very same cocktails at a bigger price with some drinks on Carnival actually being stronger but because Carnival stick tacky stuff on the top it seen as 'cheap'. Same goes for the products in the Bathroom..Celebrity presents it in little packaging and branded but its the same stuff you get stuck to hotel shower and Carnival cabin bathroom walls.

 

As you can see in my review the main winners for Celebrity were ship decor, food and entertainment....the latter being a definite better quality but Carnival's new ships certainly seem to look better and the food while better on Celebrity had similar catering companies it seemed with some items such as the mini square desserts, frozen fish and pasta sauces et al.

 

Hope that makes sense?

 

Not saying Celebrity is ripping folk off and is exactly the same as Carnival just saying it does a good job of dressing things up quite frequently.

 

How do you know the toiletries are exactly the same? :)

 

Admittedly we've only ever booked AQ or above and I believe the AQ rooms have upgraded toiletries to other cabins with suites using bvlgari products. So a comparison is difficult when comparing line for line.

 

My trips have all included drinks packages too, the Baltic cruise we booked today included a premium drinks package, so quality wise and overall value the trip is enhanced and expectations are met.

 

I'm starting to think you can objectively compare a cruise to a cruise, but not really a mainstream cruise line to cruise line without the comparison being flawed in many ways.

[SantaFeFan]

Not saying Celebrity is ripping folk off and is exactly the same as Carnival just saying it does a good job of dressing things up quite frequently.

 

I would much rather cruise with a line that "dresses things up" than lines like Carnival which from my experience does the exact opposite. ;)

 

But, like everything else in life, people have different tastes. I rarely dine at Denny's. I just never feel satisfied when I walk back to my car at the end. It certainly is a "get what you pay for" product. Still, some people think it is perfect for them, so Denny's appears to fill a need.

 

I feel the same way about Carnival. They just don't have that extra level of class and refinement that I prefer. I am perfectly happy to pay a bit more to get what I want instead of taking the bargain route and, like Denny's, don't feel satisfied when I walk back to my car at the end. My money is too important to me to waste on an inferior product.

[Velvetwater]

I would much rather cruise with a line that "dresses things up" than lines like Carnival which from my experience does the exact opposite. ;)

 

But, like everything else in life, people have different tastes. I rarely dine at Denny's. I just never feel satisfied when I walk back to my car at the end. It certainly is a "get what you pay for" product. Still, some people think it is perfect for them, so Denny's appears to fill a need.

 

I feel the same way about Carnival. They just don't have that extra level of class and refinement that I prefer. I am perfectly happy to pay a bit more to get what I want instead of taking the bargain route and, like Denny's, don't feel satisfied when I walk back to my car at the end. My money is too important to me to waste on an inferior product.

 

I don't think 'all fur coat and no knickers' approach works for me when choosing a holiday.

 

I have also never got the comparing Carnival to Walmart/Denny's/McDonalds thing as in the general holiday market a cruise is still considered a more luxurious holiday option by many...no matter what line your on. A better comparison would be Carnival being something like Cafe Rouge (a french restaurant chain) /Tesco and the Crystal/Seabourn being a Michelin star establishment/Waitrose.

[Pushka]

Unfortunately I think you've misunderstood me on both points there.

 

 

 

I meant seeing through the marketing and branding of the cruise company.

 

 

 

We don't pick a cruise because it's cheaper, but because it offers better value. Hope that makes sense. Also, there are several cruise lines sailing to the Arctic.

 

 

 

HAL do and they have the best itineraries by a country mile and then some if compared to Celebrity or Carnival. Though their ships don't have the same appeal to us as Celebrity ships do. They are however a line we'd sail with again though, purely because of their fantastic itineraries.

 

 

 

In fact my main criticism of Celebrity is that their itineraries could be a lot more interesting. Hopefully they'll address this when their new Edge class vessels come onboard.

 

 

For Alaska I had the same conundrum. I like the Celebrity product but for me Glacier Bay was a must. Leaving me with Princess, NCL and HAL. Looked at HAL and NCL and just didnt click. However the August 1 Itinerary on Equinox was rather excellent. I think they do the Med well.