Well, it's happened again...Carnival pricing (for me) cannot be beat

[tea4ular]

Try MSC.

 

I did, they're not sailing out of the port, dates, itinerary we want.

 

Thank you though. MSC is on my radar.

[zdcatc12]

We just went through the same for several cabins. New builds Carnival vs MSC vs Royal vs Celebrity. Spa class cabins. Ended up MSC with drinks & OBC & specialty restaurants less than others. It's just digging around. Called MSC gave them ballpark of what we were looking for, they asked if I could give them an hour or so, called back in 40 minutes with fabulous offer. Will let you know

 

Not sure if you have status on any cruise lines, hotels or airlines, but if you do, MSC will match your status for the first cruise.

Edited May 27, 2017 by zdcatc12
Clarification

[soapbxking]

In my opinion a spa is not innovative. I do the spa rooms as well, only those. But I believe other lines have something similar to if not identical to the T pools and the heater lounges. All lines offer some sort of spa and spa like amenities.

 

I am talking about the iFly, more specialty dining, walking the plank, surf simulator, better "broadway" shows and that ball Royal has that lifts high above the ship. But yes like the rock wall etc.

 

WHile I get each line has pros and cons, the things you just mentioned seem to be more gimmick than innovation, although they are different, they hold little appeal for me either. Being held over water in a ball? sorry but who really cares if it costs me substantially more money. Just my pennies worth!

[SNJCruisers]

Agreed. I was looking at itinerary, sail dates and spa balcony cabins as the apples.

The Bliss is a nice shiny new apple, whereas the Splendor is an old, bruised one on the clearance shelf.

 

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[AmberTeka]

I totally, totally disagree We are platinum on Carnival and Princess. 4 cruises on HAL. 3 on NCL. I on Celebrity. 1 on RCI.

 

We like Carnival. Port Canaveral is a 3 hour drive from our home. We like to play Trivia. We do visit the casino and like Carnival casinos. I am a penny slot machine player who is not a big wheeler. My favorite bet is 40 cents or under. My husband plays roulette, but plays less as he get older.

 

We NEVER get offers from Carnival. NEVER. Not casino offers. NOT VIP Club offers.

 

So HAL..............I have an offer that ends in 4 more days. I get the Mariner Discount which has to be 40% plus I get the casino discount ( 30%) on top of that. We were on the Eurodam in March, and had my daughter and her family with us. We were not even in the casino that much. We went on long shore trips at every port as it was their first visit to several. and we get that offer. I have booked one cruise already off of that offer and could go on an 11 day Panama Canal cruise for 11 days at total price of $2,300 for BOTH of Us. That is a "J" Cabin, which is inside, but very large. The Carnival Panama Canal........STARTS for an inside at $`1,200 and then $300 each in taxes as it is a partial.transit of the Canal, and Panama sticks the money knife in.......Price on Carnival, more than ..TWICE as much or more. BUT Carnival leaves from Tampa. HAL..have to go to Fort Lauderdale. Husband hates that.

 

Princess sends us offers. Either Captain's Circle or casino offers. Never the free ones. But 30% or 35% off That makes a huge difference in sailing and the type of cabin you get. And We always use Ship Excursions. We do visit the Specialty restaurants at least once. We have never had any kind of disruption. I don't drink. Husband very seldom. Always have best Cabin attendants and tip them extra. Always get the best dining staff and tip them extra.

 

We have not that many cruises away from having 25 on Carnival......NEVER an offer.

 

So.................We are going on Magic in 3 months. I booked it about 2 years ago....the day the 2017 fall schedule came out so price is OK. But now.....EVEN the New rates for 2019........are not low.

 

So in January.........HAL.again. From Tampa. Which I am looking forward too. I like HAL more and more. Not a lot to do if you don't swim or sun during day. But food is good. TV is fantastic. Huge. With new movies on demand for free. ( traveling with 6 year old grandchild..............a blessing. lots of kid flicks. Never crowded. Great staff. Beautiful ships. Love to sit in the Crow's Nest and read. Like the people. Ships are not small. Not large. Like their shops. BUT then I LIKE all of that on Carnival too, except the TV. It is awful. But then on Carnival, not in cabin much.

 

So I know I am whining. But we would sail nothing but Carnival. if prices were even somewhat comparable. But the cabin I have on HAL.......is a balcony. same price on Carnival ship at same time.......an inside. Husband has a bit of claustrophobia.

 

And MY daughter, who has been on Carnival One Time, and I paid for it......Gets offers every few months. That is galling.

So. Whine. Whine. And of course, ANY cruise........is a great vacation.

Did NOT like RCI. great staff. great people. But....Food. The entertainment. Activities. No way.

Edited May 28, 2017 by AmberTeka

[SNJCruisers]

Amber... don't you realize that Carnival does not care about those that are Diamond and Platinum. They want the blue cards.... those that are cruising for the first time and will spend on board. If they spend enough, then maybe THEY get an email offer from the beards with a rock bottom deal.

 

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[Boozebabe]

For us its several things. First I don't think I can look at another Farcas designed ship for a whole week. Just too gaudy to put up with. We prefer the decor of the Breeze but have sailed on her 3 times. We are tired of the same itineraries. How many times can one go to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Grand Turk? We are also liking the idea of more dining choices, especially for dinner. Carnival is lacking there and it all started with American Table. BLEH!! And just the idea of a new adventure is exciting to us. We have a LOT of Carnival cruises under our belts so we get a few perks. Those few perks and lower prices just aren't enough to make me book a cruise. I won't spend thousands more but will spend a few hundred more for a new experience, ports, restaurants and overall experience.

[IntrepidFromDC]

This reminds me of the time I saw "Cats" on Broadway. About 2/3 of the way through I realized it was a play about cats. Cats!

 

I kept reading post after post looking for some redeeming value only to realize it's about spa. Spa!

[SNJCruisers]

I won't spend thousands more but will spend a few hundred more for a new experience, ports, restaurants and overall experience.

Check out the NCL Escape. Have 18 Carnival cruises out of my 30th in September. That cruise will also be my third time on the Escape. With the exception of the Alchemy Bar and lunch time eating options, the Escape does everything better than any of the Carnival ships I have been on. Adult comedy shows that take reservations instead of half hour waits in line, pseudo Broadway shows instead of Playlist productions and Hasbro the game show and Howl at the Moon which blows away Carnivals piano bar.

And an included drinks package.

 

 

 

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[mpcaruth]

In my opinion a spa is not innovative. I do the spa rooms as well, only those. But I believe other lines have something similar to if not identical to the T pools and the heater lounges. All lines offer some sort of spa and spa like amenities.

 

I am talking about the iFly, more specialty dining, walking the plank, surf simulator, better "broadway" shows and that ball Royal has that lifts high above the ship. But yes like the rock wall etc.

 

We ventured away from Carnival the last two years, as we got great deals on both the Anthem of the Seas and Norwegian's Getaway. We (family of 4 with two teens) wanted to experience those innovations you point out above. The innovations come at a cost: most need reservations BEFORE you sail, with specific reservations times your cruise is not freestyle and it seems everything was planned around a reservation such as the iFly and the NorthStar (ball). Ditto for dining venue and show reservations. Other things like the plank and bumper cars were fun, BUT there was a lot of time spent waiting in long lines. Since we did not book one of the cruises months in advanced, all the good reservation slots were taken, and many activities were full... means waiting in line over an hour on embarkation day to grab the few reserved-for-onship reservation time slots. I will say that the entertainment on both ships ROCKED! But, only my daughter and myself really enjoy the shows, as the guys merely endure it for us. In summary, the innovations were nice, but the restricted schedules, lack of good reservation time slots made the vacation seem less relaxing and more rigid. Sometimes less is better.

[sierra821]

We are going on our 5th Carnival cruise next month on the Splendor. We were going to try another line but chose this cruise for the dates and itinerary. (Grand Turk, La Romana, Aruba and Curaçao) we are a little underwhelmed at the lack of upgrades on this ship but we still will have a great time!

 

 

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[sailingthrulife]

Definitely Carnival isn't on this level; not even really close. But the price difference is staggering. Norwegian Bliss 7 nights, spa balcony (trying to compare apples to apples) same itinerary, $3,299 all in; Carnival Splendor spa balcony $2,044 all in - how can I justify the $1,000 difference? I can't. Even a couple hundred dollar difference I'd have looked twice. But not for a grand. :(

I cannot agree more with you on this. We did NCL Getaway last year and it by far was well over $3K base price, and we liked the ship the very least of any we have been on so far. For us, the next cruise will be Carnival. We've cruised Princess, Celebrity and Royal as well, and would sail with them again, but not NCL anytime soon, cannot justify the cost.

[SNJCruisers]

We are going on our 5th Carnival cruise next month on the Splendor. We were going to try another line but chose this cruise for the dates and itinerary. (Grand Turk, La Romana, Aruba and Curaçao) we are a little underwhelmed at the lack of upgrades on this ship but we still will have a great time!

 

 

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During the same time frame, the Southern Caribbean itinerary is available on the Vista out of Miami and the Magic out of Port Canaveral, both with the upgrades you seek.

[LaFrimaire]

Interesting discussion. Some innovations I really don't get, like ice skating rinks or snow rooms on Caribbean cruises. Why would you want cold when cruising for heat. Also, if there are inside promenades but not promenade deck with ocean views, seems a bit redundant for a cruise. Not everyone wants a throw everything in floating resort with 4000+ people. Innovation is more than amusements. Things on other lines that do appeal are the included beverage or dining packages. However, some innovations like constant nickel and diming, reservations for everything, even YTD, or pay-for adult only areas not remotely interested in. Each line has their own unique product and style, which makes travel more interesting.

 

 

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[bUU]

Why would you want cold when cruising for heat.

One of the most common oversights in commenting about cruising is presuming that other people are cruising for the same reason you would. We're cruising to the Western Caribbean to visit ruins of an ancient civilization. If it was 30° cooler, that would be fine with us.

 

Innovation is more than amusements. Things on other lines that do appeal are the included beverage or dining packages. However, some innovations like constant nickel and diming, reservations for everything, even YTD, or pay-for adult only areas not remotely interested in.

I'm glad to see you recognize that innovation includes amusements as well as revenue enhancements.

 

Amusements (and that is a very broad category) is a very major type of innovation in any industry where the base service is pretty mature. And revenue enhancements are obviously not what passengers would be "remotely interested in"... but that's not what those innovations are for. They are intended to appeal to our baser instincts, something that most mass market customers share, for finding the lowest base fare.

 

For example, innovation in air travel could include supersonic transport, roomier cabins, etc., but practically nothing is going to happen in those respects over the next ten years or so. Almost all the rewards for innovation available to that industry are amusements and revenue enhancement. The cost/benefit of technical enhancements simply isn't there. Consumers aren't at the point where they're willing to pay the piper. Meanwhile, consumers are responding positively, even though they may not want to, to the so-called nickel and diming.

 

By extension, cruise lines are being rewarded by the market for the innovation that they're doing.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[CrzRani]

Try MSC.

 

Sorry to deviate, but what's the crowd like on MSC? I've heard it is quite different of a vibe.

[gtonda]

Not sure if you have status on any cruise lines, hotels or airlines, but if you do, MSC will match your status for the first cruise.

The match is not just for your first cruise.

 

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[Badfinger]

I literally spent from 8:30 am to 2 pm yesterday turning every major line upside down and inside out, and when it came down to it, Carnival, with a Cloud 9 spa balcony cabin, was far and away a better cost than anyone. We continue to try to sail with the others, as we like a variety. But we also have a budget, and while not tiny (it is after all a balcony, in the Cloud 9 spa area of the ship - so we won't very likely see price drops) we continue to come back to Carnival (no complaints, we are Carnival stock holders, so we get that perk too!). We don't drink, so "free" drink packages don't attract us.

 

Have I missed something?

 

Yes, a balcony is mandatory. A nice spa is very important. An up-to-date ship is important.

 

As I get along in my life, I find that the cheapest is not necessarily the best value. Check that...it usually is not the best value.

[deliver42]

When you mention ice skating rinks, etc, you make it sound like there is an extra charge. Nothing could be further from the truth. Royal charges nothing for the extras they bring on board. Whether it's for any shows or amusements, it's always free.You may have to make reservations for some, but never pay.

[tallnthensome]

NCL offers a free dining package. Yes, you have to make reservations in the specialty restaurants but at least you're given something. Carnival gives you nothing and yes, you still have to make reservations for their specialty restaurants as well. The only way CCL is a better value is if you're the type that boards the ship, doesn't consume an ounce of alcohol, takes no excursions, and never tries a specialty restaurant. Sorry, that's no fun to me. NCL offers a free perk associated with all those things. Yeah, I can sail on some old out of date Carnival ship like the Fascination and save $900 or I can sail a new NCL one like the Escape and get a beverage package for my wife and I and save $1500 on wine and drinks ....... that would cost me $900 for Cheers on CCL ....... Um ...... Yeah .......

[SNJCruisers]

The match is not just for your first cruise.

 

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It is unless you continue to cruise on them at least once every other year. If you don't, you lose your match and it reverts back to where your status would be.

 

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[crusinpsychRN]

I got a balcony on a 7 day cruise on HAL once for $1350, better than Carnival. I just didn't like the ship at all.

[glrounds]

NCL offers a free dining package. Yes, you have to make reservations in the specialty restaurants but at least you're given something. Carnival gives you nothing and yes, you still have to make reservations for their specialty restaurants as well. The only way CCL is a better value is if you're the type that boards the ship, doesn't consume an ounce of alcohol, takes no excursions, and never tries a specialty restaurant. Sorry, that's no fun to me. NCL offers a free perk associated with all those things. Yeah, I can sail on some old out of date Carnival ship like the Fascination and save $900 or I can sail a new NCL one like the Escape and get a beverage package for my wife and I and save $1500 on wine and drinks ....... that would cost me $900 for Cheers on CCL ....... Um ...... Yeah .......

 

Well I guess that explains why I love Carnival. :rolleyes: Drink maybe a beer a day, love the MDR food (although, not a foodie at all), love the Steakhouse, never have trouble getting reservations (Platinum). Over 30 cruises have NEVER taken a Carnival excursion. I cruise for the sea and the ports, all the other is just transportation and a place to shower and sleep. And Carnival does a very good job of providing that. :)

[DebJ14]

Sorry to deviate, but what's the crowd like on MSC? I've heard it is quite different of a vibe.[/quote

In the Yacht Club, it was mostly the same people you will find staying in suites on Celebrity. A nice group of pretty well off Americans. Throughout the rest of the ship, it was a mix of Americans (many of Italian descent) and Europeans. Everyone was friendly.

 

There was so much to do onboard during the day. We took Italian Lessons on the sea days which ended with an Aperol Spritz party. There were wine making sessions, an afternoon opera performance etc. There was a full production show every night of the cruise. Definitely the best entertainment at sea! Casino is non-smoking. There are smoking rooms off the casino if one has to smoke. Absolutely, the best kept and best decorated ships at sea.

 

I do have to say, it was the best dressed bunch of people I have seen on a cruise in a very long time. During the day most men had on Bermuda shorts and polo shirts or Dockers and polos and the women were in Capri pants and nice tops, maxi dresses or sun dresses. They definitely enforced the dress code in the dining room.

 

If I lived in Florida, I would sail MSC as often as possible. Best cruise we have had since a standout cruise in 2001 on Royal Olympic before they went belly up.

[angiem0217]

I agree with the OP. I have been on 10 carnival cruises. I want to go on one of the new RC ships so bad. I have 2 kids and can only cruise when school is out. Pricing a cruise for next spring break. RC Oasis of seas 7 day in a basic inside room is $4385 for 4. Vista 6 day with better ports but it is one less day is $2084 in same basic interior. I don't care what bells and whistles the ship has, I cannot justify 2300 more for a cruise. If I am going to spend that much I will fly and do an all inclusive. My kids love the waterslide and kids club on carnival. So until I can get a better price on RC, I will continue to sail on carnival.

 

 

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