A Little Worried, my Mom says....

[Tapi]

My parents won't sail on Carnival anymore (they've tried it several times, from a quick Cozumel 4 nighter to a Mediterranean 12 nighter and they just don't like it). Plain and simple, Carnival doesn't match what they look for on a cruise. It's nothing against Carnival. Their personalities just don't match what Carnival offers.

 

With that said, what your mom's idea of the best cruise line is may be completely different than yours. The only way to know which cruise line is for you is by trying as many as you possibly can. Don't stick to just one, at least until you've had a chance to compare a few.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Tapi

[richstowe]

Don't listen to your MaMa, esdoorn (at least about cruising) :p

If you absolutely need to rely on CC opinions for decision making on "which cruise line," a better tactic would be to take an hour or so and read the CC threads associated with specific cruise lines. You will quickly find common issues/behaviors that typify each line.

 

While one or two lines will have a lot of booze questions (including quite a few about how to smuggle it on the ship) and complaints about nickle/diming charges for everything, another line or two may speak often of the thankfully restrictive smoking policy and consistently excellent food with mostly inclusive amenities.

 

Reading enough cruise-line-specific threads will definitely give you an idea of which cruise lines will meet your preferences and expectations.

 

One caveat: don't expect a "luxury" version of performance and quality for an "economy" price. But then, one piece of advice: if you are a savvy researcher and shopper, look at "premium" lines if you want the most bang-for-your-buck.

I have never heard the advice that you should judge a cruise line by the topic covers in CC . Honestly I think its a reasonably subtle jab at Carnival re booze questions and smuggling . I also question your comment that premium lines give you a higher "bang-for-your-buck" especially for a new cruiser .

[Mr2Scents]

Go and enjoy your cruise. Next time try Celebrity, then try Royal. Make up your own mind. We're leaving in two weeks and can't wait to be on our Carnival Cruise.

[KatPem]

It depends how open minded you are. Just tell your mom she can be glad she isn't going with you and leave it at that. Personally, we have only cruised Carnival cause when we have been able or wanted to go, we couldn't get a better deal elsewhere. We are not partiers, we have gone twice on spring breaks. We haven't seen the drunks, but I also stay out of the bars and casino, where many will be if there are any. Go and have a blast.

[caitmac1]

My mom was a bit snobby about the cruise I went on in September but I know she was glad I had fun. When I have her budget, I will try some of her cruise lines, but right now, HELL no. (She's smething like 4x on Silver Seas and 2x on Viking. Not in my budget right now, or my friends' budgets. :P)

 

Edited because it choked and ate my last paragraph, apparently.

 

Cruises are what you make of them. Is it going to be a 5 star experience? Nope. But it will be a good solid cruise with friendly service, decent but not gourmet food, and sounds like some awesome ports!

Edited November 20, 2015 by caitmac1
computers are evil

[CJHAN]

I have been on 4 cruises and have a 5th booked. In that time I have never seen drunks though of course people drink never seen a fight, had bad food or felt like I didn't get what I paid for. I have never had bad service or a bad experience at all for that matter. I thinks some people like to bash other lines to make themselves feel better about the choice they made. Have fun its vacation.:D

[CJHAN]

One other thing I noticed. When I last cruised I had a friend on a RCCL ship that sailed the same day from the sane port and went to all the same ports. When it was over and I went back and looked at the pics she posted on FB i noticed that other then the actual decor of the ship she took a lot of the same pics I did ate the same food and had similar entertainment. Point being I cant imagine there is that much difference between line.

[jimdalva]

I'm one of those drunks your mom warned you about. I cruise to have fun, and if you fall in with us drunks ,you'll have fun. When you have had enough, just walk away, I promise we wont follow you.;)

[carolinaviking71208]

I think the question to ask your mom is, "have you ever sailed Carnival?" I doubt she has.

[Guest]

Think mom might be a tad elitist.

[laumicmah]

First cruise was a Disney cruise and then after that came 7 Carnival cruises. Yes, Disney was a great cruise but not as great a difference from Carnival that would justify the price difference. Nope! My mom was also a Celebrity lover and I took her on Carnival and she was very pleasantly surprised. She would go on Carnival again.

[silversneakers]

......that my wife and I will be very sorry to have booked a Carnival Cruise. She said that Carnival will be filled with loud drunks, the food will suck and why didn't I take her advice and book with Celebrity.

 

Is there that big of a difference between Carnival and Celebrity?

 

 

 

Our hope is for a decent room, decent food, nice staff and enjoy our ports of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. The major reason for booking with Carnival is it fit our holiday schedule the best.

 

I have been on several different cruise lines and when people ask me which one is the "best" I always tell them that at times it's the passengers, or the crew, or the ship, or the ports, or the cabin location that makes the cruise what it is. Carnival is really a good value for the money. If you are not travelling with children or don't like a lot of kids around, I would stay away from holiday, summer and spring break vacations and that is for any value priced cruise line. Holland American and Celebrity tend to cater to an older population where Carnival and Royal Caribbean are a cross-section of age groups. By the way, you will love Half Moon Cay. In my opinion, if the ship would just stay there I would be a very happy person!

[Havingfun2010]

......that my wife and I will be very sorry to have booked a Carnival Cruise. She said that Carnival will be filled with loud drunks, the food will suck and why didn't I take her advice and book with Celebrity.

 

Is there that big of a difference between Carnival and Celebrity?

 

 

 

Our hope is for a decent room, decent food, nice staff and enjoy our ports of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. The major reason for booking with Carnival is it fit our holiday schedule the best.

 

There are lots of differences between cruise lines. I have not yet been on Celebrity, but from my personal experience, Carnival has the worst food, substandard entertainment, and lots more drinking and it is the only cruise line that I have witnessed any "incidents".

 

I would have listened to your Mom on this one.

[Pops, Esq.]

Interesting that many of the responders here start by saying: " While I haven't sailed on Celebrity" and then justify that Carnival must be better because of value or pricing.

 

Toss all their comments out, they become a meaningless comparision, since all they are doing is comparing Carnival to what they can afford or are willing to pay. And then they say, lower your expectations for Carnival, but insist it must be better than the line they haven't set foot on.

 

I think that's a pretty harsh reading of the posts so far. While many haven't sailed Celebrity, most don't compare the two lines at all, but merely counter the OP's mom's opinion that Carnival is full of drunks and she will regret her choice. They are comparing the OP's mom's version of Carnival against what they have experienced themselves. While any "comparison" could be meaningless, the opinions have value.

[bigdog1958]

......that my wife and I will be very sorry to have booked a Carnival Cruise. She said that Carnival will be filled with loud drunks, the food will suck and why didn't I take her advice and book with Celebrity.

 

Is there that big of a difference between Carnival and Celebrity?

 

 

 

Our hope is for a decent room, decent food, nice staff and enjoy our ports of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. The major reason for booking with Carnival is it fit our holiday schedule the best.

 

Carnival alcohol package has a limit of 15 drinks a day.. Celebrity has no limit on their alcohol package, so to me, you certainly have more opportunity to see drunks on celebrity then carnival. There is no doubt that Celebrity cruise is more upscale then carnvival, but there is nothing wrong with a carnival cruise and I am sure you will enjoy it.

[Tapi]

 

Our hope is for a decent room, decent food, nice staff and enjoy our ports of Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau.

 

 

Nassau sucks, whether on Carnival, Celebrity or any other cruise line. [emoji6]

[Tapi]

Is there that big of a difference between Carnival and Celebrity?

 

 

There will be very noticeable differences between these two cruise lines, but whether you notice or care for them is a completely different story. Many times you'll read comments from people saying that "cruise line A and cruise line B are more alike than different" which in my opinion translates into "I don't care for or notice what differentiates the two".

 

 

I'll give you this example. My parents joined us 2 years ago aboard our first Holland America cruise to Alaska. For a few days after we boarded the ship, I looked around and asked myself what was so different and nice about it. I just didn't see it. That is, until I looked at my 73 year old mother and saw her look of satisfaction and approval. So I asked her what she was seeing, and that's when she pointed out the fresh flower arrangements throughout the ship, the white gloved service, the multimillion dollar art collection throughout the ship, the room service delivered in fine china, the enrichment activities and lectures, the brand and quality of the silver and dinnerware in the dining room, the laundry service delivered in wicker baskets, folded and wrapped in tissue paper with a gold seal, the quality of the linens in the staterooms, the throw blankets for balcony use, the teakwood lounge chairs (instead of plastic) along the promenade, the unobtrusive announcements (not every 30 minutes advertising bingo, free liquor tasting or inch of gold sales like on Carnival) etc, etc.

 

For me (and probably for many other budget minded cruisers), those details don't make a difference, or are even noticeable. But for those cruisers who do care, these differences make a HUGE impact on their travel experience.

 

If, like you said, all you need is a decent room, decent food, and nice staff, Carnival will not disappoint. If you realize after this cruise that you may be a bit more discerning than you think, the good news is that there are plenty of other cruise lines that will deliver a more upscale experience, but you will pay accordingly.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Tapi

[graphicguy]

Benn on both Celebrity (Solstice) and Carnival. Truth is, Celebrity was my least favorite cruise (which was still good, BTW). As far as drunks are concerned, of course there were some on both cruises.

 

The biggest entertainment venue on the Celebrity cruise was the "glass blowing" exhibit. I'm sure some found it fascinating, but I compared it to watching grass grow. They sold the glass creations after creating them. Now, watching the drunk people try to outbid each other for a piece of glass was quite entertaining.

 

Fact is, Celebrity and Carnival, 80% of the time, are similar. Carnival usually has things going on constantly, trivia, pool games, etc. Celebrity is much more laid back.

 

Food will be similar on both.

 

All these new ships that both lines have come out with are beautiful.

 

As others have said, a cruise is what you make of it. You'd have to try really hard not to have a good time on one, regardless of the line you choose to cruise.

[JMKreno]

I don't drink or tolerate drunks very well, and I love Carnival. I've considered cruising other lines, and I will some day, but I'm enjoying Carnival's product so much that I see no reason to switch.

 

This is also my family and I in a nutshell. We live in Nevada, see drunks PLENTY in downtown Reno and Las Vegas, HATE dealing with drunks (neither my wife or I drink much alcohol) and have access to world class hotels and restaurants, and yet I LOVE Carnival. We have yet to find a reason to leave, and IMHO, little else on other lines is convincing me to switch. I can go eat at 5 star restaurants on a whim (I consider myself financially comfortable enough to not stress the cost of a high-end restaurant, so I really only worry about food quality and service) but I generally don't go to them because I am a hamburger, hot dog, and pizza kind of person. I would, in a heartbeat, eat an In-and-Out or Fatburger vs some fancy steak or lobster at a high-end restaurant. I also don't like people doting to my every need as I feel uncomfortable and just need the basics like a clean room, hot meals (someone else cooks), and pleasant attitudes. Carnival delivers these in SPADES. Also, TBH, I have had some pretty crappy service and meals at very expensive, high-end places and I know that is not the norm so I don't know why Carnival people get "annoyed" by a random act of bad service when 95% of their cruise was great.

Edited November 20, 2015 by JMKreno

[cruzeluver]

We have multiple cruises on both lines and like both, for different reasons.

 

There are erroneous stereotypes flying around about both lines.

 

Carnival is not necessarily the drunken party crowd. That is dictated far more by length of cruise and time of year than anything else. A three night cruise over Spring Break is going to be loud and rowdy regardless of the line. We were docked in Cozumel next to Celebrity Constellation this past March which was on a five night Spring Break cruise and talking to some of the passengers they said it was awful with unruly idiots everywhere.

 

Celebrity is not just for the older crowd. I was 36 on my first Celebrity Cruise and loved it. We have been on several more since. More and more they are trying to attract a younger, more hip crowd that appreciates a more upscale experience.

[mzlinda]

I've been on 5 Carnival cruises, all 5 or 7 nights, and the only time I saw an obnoxious drunk was one night in the piano bar. I'm sure there were plenty of drunk people on all 5 cruises but I didn't notice them. Just like at home, if you don't want to hang out with obnoxious drunks, don't hang out in the bars really late at night. I keep reading that the short 3 and 4 night cruises are more likely to be drunk fests, especially during college spring breaks, and that seems logical to me.

 

I just sailed that itinerary on the Fantasy earlier this month and I liked it. As others have mentioned, Half Moon Cay is gorgeous. There are a handful of excursions but no one is hounding you to buy stuff or get your hair braided. We played in the water all day. Lunch was provided. We had a fantastic day and it didn't cost a dime. There aren't many times when I get off the ship where I can say that. Grand Turk was also great. We walked to the right of the ship to collect some big shells, then grabbed some loungers by the pool at Margaritaville. We planned to take an ATV excursion but it was cancelled at the last minute. As for Nassau, we took a short horse and carriage ride around downtown, walked around the shopping area for a while, stopped at Hard Rock for a cocktail and free wifi, then got back on the ship. It's nice to spend a little time in the ship when other people are off it.

 

I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Have a great cruise.

[jinglesmountjoy]

Comparing Carnival and Celebrity is like comparing Embassy Suites to the Four Seasons. Carnival delivers a good product. Celebrity delivers an excellent product. I will be on Carnival in January and Celebrity in April. The price is totally different. I cruise Carnival for value and Celebrity for a more upscale experience. I have been on many Carnival cruises (Platinum) and disagree that all it is is a drunk fest. Different demographic but a different price point. Try Carnival and have fun. :):)

 

Freddy is exactly right. I think Carnival used to be known for a bit more drinking than others but I've noticed that they seem to be changing their image... Carnival (and all cruise lines) realize that family vacations are a huge market with a lot more potential for upselling. Of course there are likely going to be a few more "fun seekers" on Carnival simply due to its demographic but I think her perspective seems a bit skewed. You'll love it.

[evandbob]

Nassau sucks, whether on Carnival, Celebrity or any other cruise line. [emoji6]

 

Tapi, ever go to Cable Beach in Nassau? It's usually not a ship excursion and you may have to get there on your own, but it's a very nice beach with 3 hotels and a casino along its shores.

[evandbob]

I've been on 5 Carnival cruises, all 5 or 7 nights, and the only time I saw an obnoxious drunk was one night in the piano bar. I'm sure there were plenty of drunk people on all 5 cruises but I didn't notice them. Just like at home, if you don't want to hang out with obnoxious drunks, don't hang out in the bars really late at night. I keep reading that the short 3 and 4 night cruises are more likely to be drunk fests, especially during college spring breaks, and that seems logical to me.

 

I just sailed that itinerary on the Fantasy earlier this month and I liked it. As others have mentioned, Half Moon Cay is gorgeous. There are a handful of excursions but no one is hounding you to buy stuff or get your hair braided. We played in the water all day. Lunch was provided. We had a fantastic day and it didn't cost a dime. There aren't many times when I get off the ship where I can say that. Grand Turk was also great. We walked to the right of the ship to collect some big shells, then grabbed some loungers by the pool at Margaritaville. We planned to take an ATV excursion but it was cancelled at the last minute. As for Nassau, we took a short horse and carriage ride around downtown, walked around the shopping area for a while, stopped at Hard Rock for a cocktail and free wifi, then got back on the ship. It's nice to spend a little time in the ship when other people are off it.

 

I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Have a great cruise.

 

I've seen drunks on Carnival, on Celebrity, on NCL, on Princess and Disney. I've smelt weed being smoked on all these lines too.

 

HMC is a nice port, was "natural" when I first went there, no cabanas or bar. GT I usually avoid the crowds and mosey down the beach a few minutes to Jacks Shack or another beach vendor. Nassau I like Cable Beach.

[Doggielover68]

I don't drink and I can't stand being around drunk people. That being said, I have been on 2 carnival cruises (and have 4 more booked!) and have loved both of them. We went on one 4 day Royal Caribbean and there were far more drinkers and obnoxious people but we still had a great time. From my understanding, shorter cruises can have a slightly more noticeable "party" atmosphere. Also it depends on the time of year. We go when schools and colleges are in session and avoid holidays.

 

 

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