WHY (in your opinion) does Carnival seem to have a low rank among many 'cruise snobs'

[Sitzmark]

If Royal giving you all of those little things is worth $1000 more then Royal is the line for you (that was the price difference the last time I compared cruises on the two lines).

 

 

I just checked out of curiosity and RCCL is only 500 dollars more for our upcoming 7 night cruise, same itinerary with 3 people.

[ryano]

I just checked out of curiosity and RCCL is only 500 dollars more for our upcoming 7 night cruise, same itinerary with 3 people.

 

 

You mean they actually talked you into getting on another cruise? :D:cool:

 

500.00 is still too much to me. There is not that much of a noticeable difference in the two lines to me. I think all mass market lines are in a race to the bottom. Every excuse anyone gives for not cruising Carnival again I have experience on Royal. every.single.one and Royals included food sucks and their drinks are too expensive.

[Sitzmark]

You mean that actually talked you into getting on another cruise?

 

 

Price would never talk me onto a Cruise and I'd rather spend a day in Walmart.

[ryano]

Price would never talk me onto a Cruise and I'd rather spend a day in Walmart.

 

 

That was supposed to be they, not that. They as in your family. I didnt think I would be reading about you going on another cruise. :cool:

[Sitzmark]

That was supposed to be they, not that. They as in your family. I didnt think I would be reading about you going on another cruise. :cool:

 

 

You probably won't again. The next vacation I get to plan.

[krehberg]

Isn't the Vista all about bells and whistles? My issue is that they are putting so much into ships that aren't quite big enough. They need a big platform if they want to compete on that level. We did Glory last year and liked the ship a lot, especially for it's size. But there is no comparison between Conquest class and Oasis class, for us, we prefer the larger ship with a better flow/layout.

 

 

Having been on Conquest class (Conquest, Freedom, Liberty and Valor) as well as the Oasis of the Seas, to point you are correct. Oasis class is an amazing ship..though I'm not a rock climber or a flowrider..so some of the bells and whistles mean nothing to me. That said, its hard to argue overall the Oasis is an impressive ship and the Aqua show is really neat and its nice to have Broadway style shows on board...but since I'm a fan of Rock, I must say the Epic Rock, The Brits and other rock based Carnival playlist productions were also entertaining. On the Valor, the show even featured a live band (Nov 2016)

 

There are problems with the Oasis class though - 1) Limited ports of call. Yea, tender ports are rarely my favorite, but that ship can't call on a tender port. 2) Chops is inferior to the Carnival Steakhouse 3)While you can purchase the drink package for just 1 in a cabin, far too many of their drink options are priced above the limit...thus I end up paying extra for most of my drinks. 3) Need to plan and make reservations for shows to guarantee a spot. It just doesn't feel as much like a vacation when I have to plan my comedy show for Wednesday at 10pm far in advance since the comedy club fits about 100 people on a 6000 passenger ship. 4) MDR experience IMO is inferior to my Conquest class experience - its more difficult to feed 6000+ compared to 3000 as some dishes suffer with higher volume, while some don't, but my service on Oasis in the MDR was worse than most of my CCL experiences 5) Solarium is not 21+ 6) Piano bar was boring

 

However, at the same time, I did love having a Pub, wine bar and Champagne bar and so many options to choose from due to size. Central Park was nice to stroll through and although so many people were on the ship, I never felt crowded.

 

I do truly like thinks about both lines and both ship classes. Most of my experience is with CCL due to convenience and timing...I won't shy away from either.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Carnival carries about 4million plus passengers every year. They have to be doing "something" right or else there must be 4 million really "stupid" folks out there.

 

An opinion on service, quality, bang for the buck is always subjective and we all know that if you have two people in a room there will always be a dozen different opinions on any one subject.

 

We should all be glad that the cruising industry has lots of available options that cater to lots of different folks with varied backgrounds, economics, and "requirements". I'd hate to go back to a time when cruising was only for the "elderly" with lots of time and money.

 

And labeling anyone a cruise snob says more about the person doing the labeling than the individuals they label and more about keeping up with the ever elusive Joneses who only exist in someone else's jealousies.

 

To be honest, most people don't really care about what other people's opinions are. If passengers don't feel they are getting a good bang for the buck they won't be back....obviously Carnival still has heaps of passengers who return again and again.

[sparks1093]

I just checked out of curiosity and RCCL is only 500 dollars more for our upcoming 7 night cruise, same itinerary with 3 people.

 

If the itinerary were right I might consider paying that much more just to try Royal for the first time, but they would have to be miles ahead in all areas in order for me to continue to pay that much more on a consistent basis. Once DW and I retire we'll have more freedom to cruise on little to no notice so we should be able to take advantage of price cuts made on longer cruises and I expect that is when we'll really be able to try other lines.

[NURSEKECK]

If you look at it logically, in the old days, 60,70, 80, 90, 2000, Carnival had the reputation for being a booze cruise, with children running loose. I have been cruising since 1973, first on Hal, my father in law was a captain, and the operating manager in NY. Now we have been on about 50 cruises : Hal, carnival princess, et al. The same company owns all these cruise lines! So it is what you make it! Looking forward to 3/26!

 

 

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[TORQ]

I can't answer your question, yet some people love to complain like, the donkey on Winny the Poo! And we all know those people, yet I try to stay clear of those! I have always had a great time on CCL and NCL. However MSC🙄 Never again! Yet I did learn the true definition of rude on the MSC DIVINA! So I'll suffer with CCL, And smile everything I board👍

[mrsfuzzmo]

My 2 cents: - Carnival is partly responsible for the reputation that they have. Their advertising reflects a fun atmosphere at budget prices which does attract many, but it's also off-putting to cruisers who expect something different from their vacation. As others have said, the product may be similar to what other mainstream cruise lines offer, but the way that it's marketed doesn't come across as a quality product, but as a cheap product. It may not be cheap, but it's perceived as cheap, specially by those who haven't tried it.

 

- Carnival in my opinion is a solid product for the price, specially what's offered on their newer ships, but it's not for everyone. As some of you know, I've spent the last few years bouncing from one cruise line to another (Royal, Holland, Princess, MSC, and coming up Disney and NCL) after many years of being loyal to Carnival. If there's one thing that I've learned is that there are a lot of different people out there who wouldn't be caught dead on a Carnival cruise just like there are a lot of Carnival cruisers out there who wouldn't be caught dead on any of these other cruise lines. They would be absolutely miserable. People have different expectations based on what they like and what they have experienced in life.

 

- Some people do care for the little things that Carnival doesn't offer. I'll use my parents for this example. They've traveled all over the world and have experienced the finer things in life. They've sailed on Carnival a few times as well (including everything from a cheap 4 nighter on the Imagination to a 12 night European sailing during the Liberty's inaugural season). But they don't like Carnival and prefer to sail on other cruise lines.

 

My mother said that the difference is in the details. For example, we sailed together on Holland America to Alaska a few years back and she was thoroughly impressed with the product while I couldn't put my finger on what was so wonderful about them, so I asked. That's when my mother pointed out the little details like the fresh flowers daily, the white gloved service, the room service delivered in fine china (not plastic), the quality of linens and bedding, the throw blankets for balcony use, the laundry delivered in tissue paper with a gold seal in a wicker basket, the full restaurant menu available for stateroom delivery. The non-intrusive announcements, the quality of everything from decor to the brand of toiletries, and dinnerware, and the level of service throughout the ship, specially at restaurants, which followed the highest level of etiquette and protocol.

 

As I said before, for most people these things may be of little to zero importance, but for those who do care, it's a big thing. My parents are at a stage in their life where those things matter but I'm not there yet.

 

- We spend a lot of time on these boards complaining about chair hogging, dress code, booze smuggling, line cutting, etc. While I understand that people want to relax and enjoy their cruise with as few rules as possible and as casually as possible, there are a lot of people who would prefer to cruise in an environment where these basic social rules are followed. You can't fault them for that. While you can find this type of behavior on any cruise line, what I've experienced during the last few years is that, the more strict and upscale the cruise line is, the less you'll encounter this type of behavior (partly because these cruise lines will have less tolerance for this type of behavior and partly because cruisers who don't like this type of structure will go somewhere else). Just reading the boards from various cruise lines here will reflect that. These are hot topics on the Carnival board but not so frequent on others.

 

- With al of this said, there's ZERO excuse to bash, put other people down, or make them inferior because of what cruise line they prefer. That's just mean spirited. But at the same time, people shouldn't take it as a personal attack when someone bad mouths their cruise line of choice.

 

We all know why we cruise and why we gravitate towards a specific cruise line over another. Who cares what someone else thinks?

 

 

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This speaks to EVERYTHING I was going to say, right down to the well-traveled parents who prefer a different level of service. Well said, TAPI.

 

 

In addition, I enjoy Carnivals "decor" much more than a HAL or Princess (I call them the Beige line). But I do have to say that on the VISTA a couple of weeks ago, I've never seen so many mullets on men as I did there. Is this style making a comeback??? My husband just laughed and said, "We are sailing on Carnival". So even we, as frequent cruisers on a number of different lines including Carnival, had some of the same thoughts. It's a matter of "style" for me. But TAPI nailed it right on the head.

[ryano]

 

- We spend a lot of time on these boards complaining about chair hogging, dress code, booze smuggling, line cutting, etc.

 

These are hot topics on the Carnival board but not so frequent on others.

 

 

 

Come on now :confused: You cant even possibly say that with a straight face? Ive been a member here on CC for 9 years now. The majority of those 9 years have been on the RC board on a daily basis. If you dont think these topics arent as hot over there as they are here, Im seriously questioning how much time youve spent on the RC forum.

 

Thats the thing that drives me crazy about the comparisons. Its like people wear blinders or something. I will say it again, the ONLY times Ive seen fighting, rude behavior and obnoxious drunks were on RC ships yet for some reason, we have a few that try and paint the picture that it would never happen on a RC ship. Just seriously confusing to me.

[Sitzmark]

read the thread about the T-Rex costumes and watch the video linked in it. That might shed some light on the reputation.

[I Luv Crusin]

It's the Walmart of cruising.

 

Why???

[poz222]

Really, does it matter what random strangers in an elevator think about your vacation choices? If a cruise line offers a cruising experience YOU enjoy at a price YOU are willing to pay with amenities (or lack of) that are acceptable to YOU then you made a good choice for YOUR vacation. What is important to one person, is useless to another. One line has better this or that, but you sacrifice other things... no cruise line has everything for everyone (otherwise there would not be any differences in cruise lines). CCL caters to an aggregate common denominator within the domestic US market... if you are outside of the average in your tastes or what you enjoy or expect (service, food, entertainment or shipmates) then you choose a cruise line that better suits your needs. CCL bets there are way more Golden Corral diners than Smith & Wollensky so that is the market they serve.... they own other lines that can serve the Others. If you are happy with the vacation you choose then don't give a darn what the "elevator" crowd says!

[cmukid87]

It has 100% to do with price. If other cruise lines were cheaper, the snobs would put their nose in the air to those cruise lines.

[siestakeys04]

Well I enjoy Carnival, do I one day want to try Disney yes but that because I love Disney. I will stick with Carnival because going on the same cruise for less than some other cruise lines does it for me.

[Cushing985]

I worked at Port Canaveral for a few months checking in Royal passengers (onboard the Oasis and the Majesty) and I didn't see any difference between these passengers and Carnival's. There are about an equal amount of slobs who I wonder how they manage to get through life, regular folks (like me) and the well-dressed who looked like they belong on a Cunard cruise. Bottom line...a sampling of the population at large.

 

Carnival is still trying to rid themselves of their reputation they achieved from their early days. Most people who cruise Carnival for the first time are shocked they don't have to step over drunks laid out in the hallways or contend with public fights especially on cruises of 7 days or longer.

 

Carnival is always our first choice but we have cruised Celebrity. For us is all about ports. We have never been disappointed with Carnival (or Celebrity for that matter).

[AZ Ocean Lover]

I've never been on a Carnival cruise, not a high end cruise (Regent, Silver Seas, etc.) but I have cruised on Princess and Celebrity. While, for the most part, Carnival cruisers seem like that are having a real fun time, and I certainly would consider a Carnival cruise, what keeps me away are the following:

1. We don't have kids. Carnival would be my first choice if we had kids. There seems to be so much for them to do. But, not having kids, we are not too inclined to spend a week or so on a ship that caters to them. Nothing against Carnival for this, in fact, I think it's a point in their favor, if you have kids.

2. While we are far from being considered non-drinkers the posts from people complaining at that 15 drinks a day is not enough scares me. We are not huge day drinkers but we can hit it pretty hard starting at happy hour on the balcony but there is no way we would function with 15 drinks in one day. I know, not everyone is consuming this amount but I don't really want to be around those that do. (I agree, that either makes me sound snobby or terribly prudish.)

3. I like more of a sedate cruise. I don't want to participate in conga lines, dancing waiters, hairy chest contests, dressing up as a dinosaur for the Super Bowl (still can't figure this one out) and that's not a knock on Carnival, but rather it is the atmosphere that Carnival is trying to create. I, for one, applaud them for knowing their customer base and creating a niche in the cruising market for those that want to participate.

 

I've thumbed my nose at the high end cruise lines because they don't offer what I'm looking for in a cruise experience either. You just have to find the line that meets your needs and no need to put down another line just because it doesn't cater to your liking.

[krehberg]

I've never been on a Carnival cruise, not a high end cruise (Regent, Silver Seas, etc.) but I have cruised on Princess and Celebrity. While, for the most part, Carnival cruisers seem like that are having a real fun time, and I certainly would consider a Carnival cruise, what keeps me away are the following:

1. We don't have kids. Carnival would be my first choice if we had kids. There seems to be so much for them to do. But, not having kids, we are not too inclined to spend a week or so on a ship that caters to them. Nothing against Carnival for this, in fact, I think it's a point in their favor, if you have kids.

2. While we are far from being considered non-drinkers the posts from people complaining at that 15 drinks a day is not enough scares me. We are not huge day drinkers but we can hit it pretty hard starting at happy hour on the balcony but there is no way we would function with 15 drinks in one day. I know, not everyone is consuming this amount but I don't really want to be around those that do. (I agree, that either makes me sound snobby or terribly prudish.)

3. I like more of a sedate cruise. I don't want to participate in conga lines, dancing waiters, hairy chest contests, dressing up as a dinosaur for the Super Bowl (still can't figure this one out) and that's not a knock on Carnival, but rather it is the atmosphere that Carnival is trying to create. I, for one, applaud them for knowing their customer base and creating a niche in the cruising market for those that want to participate.I've thumbed my nose at the high end cruise lines because they don't offer what I'm looking for in a cruise experience either. You just have to find the line that meets your needs and no need to put down another line just because it doesn't cater to your liking.

 

 

Nothing wrong with what you wrote, but I would point out some things on how I've managed to mitigate your concerns:

 

1) If you cruise at times when kids are likely to be in school, you'll find less kids on board (even on Carnival)

2) I'm like you...I can party a bit at night, but have never really liked "day drinking" and I actually think there are many like us. The concern of the 15 drink max is overblown and I've never really been bothered by overly drunk individuals..and the rare time one has created a stir, I've seen security deal with it quickly and escort them back to their room. Worst recent one was actually in port

3) Its easy to avoid all the main pool shenanigans by finding a spot in the Serenity area

[crusinpsychRN]

read the thread about the T-Rex costumes and watch the video linked in it. That might shed some light on the reputation.

 

Cracked me up!

 

Tapi, I never got plastic from room service. I do miss silly things like the sheers over the window in the balcony cabins, the nightly chocolate (after it went non mint). For a while the prime rib went to a sliver but seems to be back to a good slice. No lobster on shorter cruises is another loss. I miss the tablecloth and full set of utensils. Dumb having to ask for a spoon.

 

Still Carnival's product is good. HAL doesn't have an atrium, GS is in a dungeon looking area, couldn't get waited on in MDR. Run over by scooters and walkers. Very nice cabin, smaller but well appointed. Balcony much bigger. Food on Oosterdam was HORRIBLE.

 

Royal has beautiful ships and Mardi Gras parades. The captain drove his tiny motor scooter down the halls.

 

I hate going to Walmart but they do carry the US flag I replace frequently. No one there to help. Then there is this:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=picture+of+people+at+walmart&qpvt=picture+of+people+at+walmart&qpvt=picture+of+people+at+walmart&qpvt=picture+of+people+at+walmart&FORM=IGRE

[pearose]

The only other cruise line I have sailed on is NCL. My first two cruises were on NCL. They were fine, absolutely nothing wrong with them, but I did notice they were more "sedate" and seemed to be more for an older crowd. Carnival definitely lives up to it's name the "fun ships" in my opinion and they seem to be less expensive than other lines, which is why I have stuck with them. I think there are good and bad in all the different lines, but for the 5 out of 7 cruises I have taken so far, on 2 different lines, I'll stick with Carnival for the value. Maybe the people who look down on Carnival, do so because they are less expensive and they feel like the more you pay, the better. Or like others have pointed out, they are looking at Carnival as a 'party ship' and have never sailed on one and given it a chance. Either way, they can think/say what they want. I'll stick with Carnival for the value as my preference and they can go where it makes them happy and think whatever they want of me. It won't ruin my cruising! :D

[auscgguysgirl]

- We spend a lot of time on these boards complaining about chair hogging, dress code, booze smuggling, line cutting, etc. While I understand that people want to relax and enjoy their cruise with as few rules as possible and as casually as possible, there are a lot of people who would prefer to cruise in an environment where these basic social rules are followed. You can't fault them for that. While you can find this type of behavior on any cruise line, what I've experienced during the last few years is that, the more strict and upscale the cruise line is, the less you'll encounter this type of behavior (partly because these cruise lines will have less tolerance for this type of behavior and partly because cruisers who don't like this type of structure will go somewhere else). Just reading the boards from various cruise lines here will reflect that. These are hot topics on the Carnival board but not so frequent on others.

 

- With all of this said, there's ZERO excuse to bash, put other people down, or make them inferior because of what cruise line they prefer. That's just mean spirited. But at the same time, people shouldn't take it as a personal attack when someone bad mouths their cruise line of choice.

 

I think this is the point.

This can be said for pretty much every area of life. I mean, think about it ... how often do you go to the gas station and while pumping gas some moron blares their radio loud enough for the next block to hear. Or you go to the grocery store and people are having a reunion in the isle and get mad when you say excuse me to get by or reach something on the shelf they are blocking. Or the co-worker who chomps on chips or clicks their pen relentlessly during the day annoying everyone around them.

We always try to be mindful of others and our surroundings. I try not to do things to others that I would not want. It just seems like so many people these days don't care about anything or anyone other than themselves.

I don't think it has anything to do w/ $$$ ... I think it has to do w/ upbringing, respect and class. Unfortunately, that's something a lot of people aren't taught anymore.

[LMaxwell]

A small percentage of guests are definitely riff raff and they give the line a bad reputation unfortuntately. A friend of mine was on a cruise a few weeks ago where a rapped took over lounges late at night to have unsupervised shows, then had a brawl with other guests and security. Stuff like that gives a bad reputation even though it really makes up such a tiny percentage of guests.

 

edit: I have been trying to get a buddy first timer to go with me for a weekend cruise and after he did some searching he found fights on YouTube. So he said no Carnival. I can TRY to talk him out of that mindset, but, frankly, if that's what he thinks and I say no no no, that's all wrong, and something like that happens on our cruise I just made him waste his money. Could get riff raff on any line, but less likely as the cost goes up on other lines. Too bad because Carnival usually is good value, nice sized rooms, very good food, plenty of late night activities

[newmil]

Have sailed only 4 times, all on Royal. Leaving on our first Carnival cruise next week and I can't wait!!!! I've been warned by others who claim they'd never sail on CC, when I return I know I'll be able to tell them they don't know what they're missing!!!