Carnival First Impressions: Fancies and Fears

[theplanner2010]

So having been on a few great RC cruises, but in the mood to try something new, we are taking our first family Carnival cruise on the Magic in July. Having absolutely no first-hand experience with Carnival I have developed a list of things I am anticipating and and a (shorter) list of things I am not looking forward to based solely on my research and reading these forums.

 

Can’t wait to try:

 

Our first waterslide at sea.

RC has the flowrider, but that never interested me or hubby and even with private lessons my teenager thought it was meh…

 

Our first ropes course at sea.

I have a big fear of heights but for some reason I do ok on ropes courses (unlike zip lines…looking at you RC) and love to challenge my fear with them so this should be fun for the whole family.

 

Dot eyes on the towel animals.

This is so silly, but it makes them look so much cuter than the ones RC does with no dots…and cuter is better right? I know my girls will think so.

 

The towel animal party on the lido.

I sure hope we figure out when this is and don’t miss it!

 

Checking out FTTF benefits.

Like everyone I hate lines and lugging a carryon bag around the day of embarkation always annoys me so I am looking forward to getting aboard quickly and dropping our stuff off in the room.

 

Extended balcony.

Ooooooh a lounger on the balcony….extreme anticipation! I was sorely tempted to get a hammock to try like some of the review photos I have seen but I think I’m cool with the lounger.

 

Looking for flying fish.

Now I don’t know if this is something only people in the cove balconies have reported seeing a lot, but I never remember reading so many comments about flying fish as on these Carnival boards…and I have spent lots of time on the RC boards. Am I missing something? Maybe they are attracted to the whale tail? Is is possible to see them from the extended balconies?

 

Singing at the Piano Bar.

I never saw this on RC. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have it but I never noticed it on any of our RC cruises if they did. Now that I have read so much about it on the Carnival boards I can’t wait to drink and sing along….my kind of simple fun and no waiting like karaoke!

 

New food venues.

Guys, Blue Iguana, Brunch, pasta lunch, BBQ and maybe a first ever splurge at the steakhouse if I can turn of my cheapometer….they all sound delicious.

 

New ports.

Never been to 3 of the 4 ports on our cruise: Belize, Roatan and Costa Maya and have great private excursions planned at each. Going to start a new thing I saw my niece do and collect a bag of sand from each island we visit then layer them all in a jar. It looks really neat to see all the different colors and textures of sand when they are next to each other. Wish I would have started this 8 ports ago! Oh well, I’m sure we’ll make it back to all of them again eventually!

 

Singing/Dancing Waiters

We have My time Dining…will we see this or is that only for the regular seatings?

 

Volleyball at Sea

Hoping they have the court converted from basketball for this at least some of the time or have a VB tournament. I have a club player who thinks this is AWESOME!

 

Sea day Brunch

This one is self-explanatory…that menu looks awesome and allows us to sleep in and then enjoy.

 

Chocolates on the Pillow

Just kidding! Tee hee! I know this is one of the dreaded cost cutting measures that has caused much beating of breast and gnashing of teeth…so I will be bringing my own bag of Andes mints per the advice of a CC post. (I may or may not actually put them on our pillows at night depending on whether they survive the snacking on our 8 hour drive to Orlando)

 

Not looking forward to:

 

Loading up with insect repellant.

I’m sure this doesn’t need an explanation and certainly not Carnival-specific.

 

Lines and beepers at MTD.

I have to say that RC does this really, really well. We have never waited more than 5 minutes on RC and I have read many accounts of long waits with Carnival….hope it’s not as bad as all that!!

 

Not getting the soda pass for my kids for the first time.

We do this every year, but being the mean mom that I am have told them they can have a soda a dinner and that’s it. This is such a port intensive cruise I don’t think we will get our money’s worth from the passes (at least that’s the excuse I give them ….really I just don’t want them drinking soda ALL DAY). RC has a non-alcoholic beverage package that includes soda, fresh juice, bottles water and virgin frozen drinks and I found that to be a great value (yes we shared shhhhhh).

 

The smokey casino.

We are both ex-smokers so like all good hypocrites it bothers us twice as much as other people to smell it ha ha! Hopefully we can squeeze in a bit of slots before we can’t stand it anymore.

 

So-so entertainment.

I am really hoping it is not as dull as everyone says it is. We have really enjoyed the RC shows. That being said, I find that the shows take up a lot of time and your schedule is always revolving around them. If the shows do stink, I think we will try to just do simple family things like ping pong, dive in movies, shuffleboard…it might be more fun than the constant schedule of dinner and show…again, especially with the already hectic port intensive itinerary.

 

Let me know if there is anything else you think I should be anticipating/dreading….(cue the wisecrackers!!:D)

[Mommabear2Five]

You will love the Seaday Brunch! Try the Kickin' Tomato soup - it's my favoirte!!

 

Mahogony Bay is beautiful, but gets crowded. Get there early to get a spot. And do try the chair lift!

 

Have a great cruise!

[SadieN]

Lines at MTD is hit or miss. Depends on the hostess and the pax on your sailing. Example--- sailed on the Miracle out of Long Beach in October, November and January. The first cruise we always got a beeper no matter when we arrived around 7. The second cruise wasn't much better. The third cruise there was a different hostess and we were seated with barely any wait at all. Only difference we could tell was the third cruise's pax and hostess were willing to do shared tables

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[acjahart]

Don't forget tea time. Even with the new limited selection of free teas is still something we always enjoy.

[Keith1010]

Have a great time.

 

Keith

[dbrucern]

Have a great time but sorry no Chocolate on the pillows anymore.

[mississauga]

So having been on a few great RC cruises, but in the mood to try something new, we are taking our first family Carnival cruise on the Magic in July. Having absolutely no first-hand experience with Carnival I have developed a list of things I am anticipating and and a (shorter) list of things I am not looking forward to based solely on my research and reading these forums.

 

re: Towel animals on Lido Deck: they are usually on the last port day. However, I would verify with the towel attendant to make sure you do not miss them.

 

 

Singing/Dancing Waiters

We have My time Dining…will we see this or is that only for the regular seatings?

 

Yes, the dancing and singing are in the YTD dining room also. Hopefully you are dining at the time. They usually schedule it between the main course and dessert in the assigned dining but since many are at different stages of their meal, it's hard to say when it happens if you are YTD. From experience, it is usually about an hour and 15minutes to 1 1/2 hours after the YTD opens for early dining. We have always dined early so not sure about the timing for the late diners

 

Lines and beepers at MTD.

I have to say that RC does this really, really well. We have never waited more than 5 minutes on RC and I have read many accounts of long waits with Carnival….hope it’s not as bad as all that!!

 

We have never had to use a beeper. We tend to go early and sometimes there is a line to wait to be seated

 

Not getting the soda pass for my kids for the first time.

We do this every year, but being the mean mom that I am have told them they can have a soda a dinner and that’s it. This is such a port intensive cruise I don’t think we will get our money’s worth from the passes (at least that’s the excuse I give them ….really I just don’t want them drinking soda ALL DAY). RC has a non-alcoholic beverage package that includes soda, fresh juice, bottles water and virgin frozen drinks and I found that to be a great value (yes we shared shhhhhh).

You are allowed to bring a 12 pack case of soda for each person. You can also order pre cruise or on board, 12 bottles cases of water for $3.99

 

 

So-so entertainment.

I am really hoping it is not as dull as everyone says it is. We have really enjoyed the RC shows. That being said, I find that the shows take up a lot of time and your schedule is always revolving around them. If the shows do stink, I think we will try to just do simple family things like ping pong, dive in movies, shuffleboard…it might be more fun than the constant schedule of dinner and show…again, especially with the already hectic port intensive itinerary.

 

We don't all hate the entertainment. I for one enjoy the shows. Your kids may like the Hasbro Game Show which involves particants from the audience.

 

Let me know if there is anything else you think I should be anticipating/dreading….(cue the wisecrackers!!:D)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Raxter54]

If your party is in to snorkeling, you must go to West Bay/Tabyana Beach on Roatan. The coral reef is only 25-30 yards from shore, and it is fantastic.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Raxter54

[WPTNGirl]

We usually have a Lido balcony and I almost always see the flying fish.

[Yvonne]

We've been on both cruiselines and enjoy both. I have to be honest and do feel that Royal is a step up from Carnival, but is more expensive so we have been choosing Carnival lately for that very reason. I'm sure you will love having a lounger on your balcony. We had an aft stateroom on the Conquest and I loved having a lounger and being able to see from side-to-side, it was awesome and wish we had an aft balcony room for our Dream cruise.

 

We have had excellent luck with anytime dining on Carnival, we've never had a beeper or had to wait for a table more than 5-10 minutes and most times we are seated right when we walk up. But we tend to eat dinner early (6:00 or so) so maybe that's why. I do remember one night we waited in line 20 minutes but that was an Elegant Night and we went around 7:00 so it was much busier. We had lousy luck with anytime dining on our Royal Monarch cruise. Went down the first night early and was completely turned away, they said they wouldn't have any available tables until after the show in the theater and that was more than an hour and a half wait so we just went to the buffet. Very disappointing. :(

 

The towel animal display on the loungers by the pool is such a sight to see, so cute! :)

 

One of our favorite things about Carnival is the Comedy Club. They have both family friendly shows and adult. If you're interested in this get there early as it fills up fast.

 

Hope you enjoy your Carnival cruise! Hope you do a review after you get back too!

[MsSoloTravel]

I love your post, you seem like good people! I have only sailed carnival but haven't sailed a ship with a ropes course. I can't wait. I have 3 booked on the Dream and can't wait. There's so much I missed on my previous cruises that I hope to catch for the first time like sea day brunch, towel animal parade, and the piano bar. And my first time in a cloud 9 stateroom.

 

I've never been big on the production shows but am a huge fan of comedy. I go every night there is a show and am in heaven!

 

You definitely have the right attitude and I have no doubt you and your family will have a blast!

[crusinpsychRN]

The towel animal invasion just brings a smile to anyone's face.

 

Alchemy Bar martini tasting is fun.

[IDKaren]

Have an amazing time! You sound like the type of person who will make your own fun and turn lemons into lemonade! Be sure to come back and give us your thoughts. U may want to consider putting your sand on your body...ours was confiscated by security reentering the ship on a recent cruise:(

[Rosethorn40]

Thought I would share a photo of the towel animals on the lido on our Magic cruise. It was a sight to see!

 

[aztekpm]

Don't forget the Dr. Seuss Breakfast, $5 per person, but very worth it!

[NWACruiser]

Punchliner Comedy Club

 

If you want to avoid the lines at the comedy club, head down to the piano bar about an hour before the show you want to see. While singing along you can monitor the line as it grows and determine when you want to get in the line. We made the mistake of waiting until the line went in and tried to get a seat. We went right back to the piano bar as there were no seats available.

 

YTD

We tried YTD on a 4-day cruise on the Ecstacy. It was fine, but we missed having the same wait staff every night. We did arrive a few minutes before the MDR opened and never had to wait more than a few minutes to get through the line. With Same-Time Dining, we just went in when we were ready.

 

Steakhouse or Cucina del Capitano

We have not cruised on a ship with the Italian diner, bu t we did eat at the steakhouse on the dream. It was well worth it. The Italian restaurant is open at lunch as a Pasta Bar for free. We ate there several times on the Dream. You have to try the lasagna. It is nothing like you find in the US.

 

Piano Bar.. or as my DW says, I know where HE is...

If you love the piano bar at Pat O'Briens, you will love the piano bar on the ship. One thing to note, there are a few songs that get a little risque that they will sing (Ce Lo Green's "FY" is an example.) These types of songs are sung later in the evening.

 

Casino (Or where I know where SHE is)

It is smoky, and can be a problem as you must pass through it on Deck 5 of the Dream class ships.

 

Smoking only can happen in the casino and sports bar. If you are a smoke, you can also go port side on Deck 5 or starboard on one of the upper decks. I had a deck 8 port side balcony on our last cruise and never had issues smelling smoke on the balcony.

 

Entertainment

I have never cruised other lines, so I can't really compare, but I do think Carnival's shows are fun. It is not Broadway style plays, but more like a family-friendly Las Vegas style show where singing is the main driver of the show. They pick a style for a show (Motown, Country, British Invasion, etc) and create a show around it. And yes, the music is played live by a band in the orchestra pit.

[riffatsea]

Hi,

We have also enjoyed Royal Caribbean but they left California so we are now quite happy with Carnival.

The dress code for "elegant night" is easy to follow and DH doesn't need a jacket at all!

Just a tip about ATD, you can get the same wait staff each night. Just ask to be seated in the same area and they will get to know you and your preferences. We tend to eat early and have never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated.

Yes, there are dancing/singing wait staff for everyone .

It is fun but I wouldn't be upset if we missed their short performance.

Do try to see the comedy performers in addition to the musical shows. We have enjoyed the shows and don't miss the larger casts that some complain about!

We like the new special effects and like the energy of it all!

You sound like you have a great attitude and I know you'll enjoy your trip! Remember if there's something you need or something you don't like tell someone about it! No one can fix things if they don't know they are bothering you.

[tropicaledrink]

Just wanted to also chime in on YTD - we've done it on 3 cruises now (Dream, Liberty, and Pride), and only had one bad experience where we waited for a long time - and to be honest, I think that had more to do with hostess staff on the Liberty than anything else. The wait staff was great! we've only been handed a beeper 3 times, and the other times we waited about 5 minutes or so. Not bad.

 

I actually enjoy the shows for what it's worth. They are cheesy and campy, but it's part of being on a cruise!

 

Most of all, have fun! And please do update us when you come back!

[hpugirl27]

So having been on a few great RC cruises, but in the mood to try something new, we are taking our first family Carnival cruise on the Magic in July. Having absolutely no first-hand experience with Carnival I have developed a list of things I am anticipating and and a (shorter) list of things I am not looking forward to based solely on my research and reading these forums.

 

 

 

Singing/Dancing Waiters

We have My time Dining…will we see this or is that only for the regular seatings?

 

Yes, they have the singing/dancing waiters for YTD as well. You might end up missing it if you happen to be there super early and eat fast, or if you dine very late.

 

 

Sea day Brunch

This one is self-explanatory…that menu looks awesome and allows us to sleep in and then enjoy.

 

Yes, be excited! This is delicious and my favorite dining experience of the cruise. If any of you are mac and cheese lovers, be sure to get it!!!

 

 

 

 

Lines and beepers at MTD.

I have to say that RC does this really, really well. We have never waited more than 5 minutes on RC and I have read many accounts of long waits with Carnival….hope it’s not as bad as all that!!

 

We always do YTD and out of 3 cruises, have only had to use a beeper one day. We tend to eat pretty early, around 6pm. It is usually always busier on formal nights, but again....we've never had to wait long.

 

 

 

So-so entertainment.

I am really hoping it is not as dull as everyone says it is. We have really enjoyed the RC shows. That being said, I find that the shows take up a lot of time and your schedule is always revolving around them. If the shows do stink, I think we will try to just do simple family things like ping pong, dive in movies, shuffleboard…it might be more fun than the constant schedule of dinner and show…again, especially with the already hectic port intensive itinerary.

 

This is coming from a girl who used to live in Las Vegas and loved their shows: I think Carnival shows are mostly great. Now, don't expect Vegas, but my husband and I thought they were entertaining and really well done. We also really enjoy the comedy club. There is usually at least 2 comics on the cruise, and we tend to find that one is really funny, while the other not so much, but that's just personal opinion. Either way, we make sure not to miss the comedy club or shows on our cruises.