R/C twice, looking at Carnival. Opinions?

[bar1068]

13 minutes ago, mizLORInj said:

Agree that I'd go on a newer/fresher Carnival ship before an old one.   We enjoyed Carnival Horizon last year (technically not new but completely re-done) and it was very nice.   

We have sailed RC, Carnival and Norwegian more than other lines, and have had a good time on every one.  Little things may be annoying here or there, but I don't diss any line or ship.  And obviously, if you look at the cruise history below, we like variety.   We also want to try out MSC maybe next winter to see what it's like.

My opinions:   Food comparable although RC gets edge (even NCL gets edge over Carnival), however, Carnival's steakhouses (NOT included in fare) are excellent.  Nice variety that is included in your fare, though.    Entertainment is better on RC and Norwegian than Carnival.  Newer cabins on all of the ships are very nice and feel more spacious.  

We've not had what we would consider a bad cruise yet.

Have fun on which ever you choose!   🙂

 

Hmmmm....not sure what you may consider new, but Horizon is Carnivals newest NOT refurbished ship, was a new build, of the  Vista Class ships. Ship was released maybe 18 months ago...it that.

Edited March 25, 2019 by bar1068
spelling

[mizLORInj]

7 minutes ago, bar1068 said:

Hmmmm....not sure what you may consider new, but Horizon is Carnivals newest NOT refurbished ship, was a new build, of the  Vista Class ships. Ship was released maybe 18 months ago...it that.

Oh DER right.   😋  I was thinking of Sunshine I guess--the re-done Destiny.

 

Horizon is only about a year old I think--we were on its very first sailing out of NYC in May 2018. 

 

[tomika75]

21 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

I think everyone should try a different line.  We have been on Royal 2x, Norwegian 1x, and Carnival 3x, with a Royal Cruise booked for next year.

 

Honestly, Carnival cruises are not my favorite.  But we will sail Carnival if the price and itinerary is right.  We have never experienced an overly rowdy crowd on a carnival cruise.  No more or less kids than Royal, and we never saw people outrageously drunk.   A few things though having just sailed carnival recently on their "newest and best" ship, the Horizon.

 

First the BAd:

-The buffet food variety is HORRIBLE.  There are like 8 choices and they are the same at every single station, and there were virtually zero desserts.  It was bizarre.

-The entertainment shows are not up to par with any of the other lines, especially Royal. Not even close.

- There really isn't the "wow factor" to the ships like there is with Royal.

-The clientele is definitely not the classiest.  Sorry.  (ex. I didn't see a single soul bother to dress up for formal night. PJ's at dinner, etc.)  This will differ by ship/port/itinerary, but tends to be true overall. 

- The balcony in the regular balcony rooms is very small.  (narrow).

 

A Few things we like about Carnival:

There alcoholic drinks are very very good.  Like excellent.

The rooms are very nice and you can get a suite/much bigger room on carnival for the price of a regular RCI room

The OTHER free food options (besides to buffet) are VERY good.  Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana, etc.

The specialty restaurants are excellent, just like the other lines.  And the MDR food is no better or worse

Their kids clubs have been unbelievably amazing

Their movies under the stars every night are our favorite.  They do them every night with blankets and popcorn

 

We found Norwegian to be more similar overall to Royal.  However their alcoholic beverages are HORRIBLE... premade watered down drinks accros the board due to Norwegian's "free drink package" .

 

 

 

[tomika75]

21 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

-The clientele is definitely not the classiest.  Sorry.  (ex. I didn't see a single soul bother to dress up for formal night. PJ's at dinner, etc.)  This will differ by ship/port/itinerary, but tends to be true overall. 

 

What is a single soul brother?

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, tomika75 said:

What is a single soul brother?

Read again.  Carefully.

[tomika75]

I read it more than once, which is why I asked. Thank you.

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, tomika75 said:

I read it more than once, which is why I asked. Thank you.

They said "soul bother", not "soul brother".

Edited March 25, 2019 by time4u2go

[tomika75]

Thank you, the word was misspelled I see

[bar1068]

19 minutes ago, mizLORInj said:

Oh DER right.   😋  I was thinking of Sunshine I guess--the re-done Destiny.

 

Horizon is only about a year old I think--we were on its very first sailing out of NYC in May 2018. 

 

LOL!! I was going to say..you SURE you weren't on the Sunshine?!?!? Yea, Horizon is just over a year sailing. We were booked on it's TA that terminated in NYC, but had to cancel. Been on Sunshine 4 times though!!

[ShillyShally]

46 minutes ago, mizLORInj said:

Oh DER right.   😋  I was thinking of Sunshine I guess--the re-done Destiny.

 

Horizon is only about a year old I think--we were on its very first sailing out of NYC in May 2018. 

 

We enjoyed Sunshine - helped we had who we consider the best piano guy of all the cruises we've been on!  Daughter who went with us on Sunshine also went on Horizon in January - she enjoyed that one too, liked the new features, didn't 100% love the layout but Carnival does some creative layouts.  

[marton2]

We alternate. one cruise RCI, the next Carnival. We are going on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas in April 2019, and have already booked Carnival Mardi Gras for April 2021. We book early to get the cabin we want. Carnival Vista, Horizon and Mardi Gras have the Havana areas. We book the Havana Cabana, a "balcony" which is more of a porch/lanai. The Havana bar and pool areas restrict access and only allow those staying in Havana staterooms access until 7pm each night. It seems as if you have the whole ship to yourself. Breakfast buffet set up nearby each morning and the specialty coffee/ MILKSHAKE area is just around the corner.  We enjoy both of these cruise lines. If you go Carnival, and there are just two of you.... you'll appreciate the Havana class staterooms.

[CDNCRUIZR]

We cruised on Carnival Liberty a few years ago on a 12 day cruise. We were pleasantly surprised. We prefer RCCL for their ship designs, entertainment and décor but we found the food on Carnival as good or better than Royal. We enjoyed the DIDJA (as in did you ever try) menu items every night in the MDR. It was fun to try different food items (like shark, frog legs) every evening. We preferred their steakhouse restaurant over Chops. We really enjoyed Guy's Burger and Blue Iguana Cantina. We usually cruise with Royal but would cruise with Carnival again depending on the itinerary/price.

[jetta8300]

On 3/25/2019 at 4:35 PM, tomika75 said:

Thank you, the word was misspelled I see

 

I didn't misspell anything.  I meant nobody BOTHERED to dress up.  Like not one single person showed up on formal night in anything other than pool clothing or PJs.  It was very strange.   We just brought cocktail dresses, nothing super fancy, and we felt like we were going to the prom compared to everyone else on the ship.

Edited March 26, 2019 by jetta8300

[Paris334]

Each time we sail Carnival we say we won't sail them again.  (With the exception of our honeymoon, which was FABULOUS back in 1996!)  But we've been on them four times so I guess we do go back!  I agree that RCI, Carnival and Norwegian are all quite similar with various things to like about them and their ships.  Our main reason is that with the exception of that 1996 cruise, we've had pretty poor service. We are not snobs and actually prefer to be left alone - we are uncomfortable being hovered over, etc.  We stood at an (empty) Carnival bar for over 10 minutes once while the two bartenders chatted, apparently needing that much time to wrap up their conversation before they could be bothered to find out what we wanted.  (And they only wrapped it up because I interrupted to ask them if they were open!)  There were other instances of great service, as well, but there was much more lack-luster service than we've received on other lines and this is what prompted us to say we wouldn't do it again.  Having said that, I get the feeling that the "good" staff is moved to the longer sailings on the newer ships so I'd still be willing to give them another shot, especially on a new ship.  (However, as others have noted, the new ships are similarly priced with the other lines so maybe I'm not as willing to take the chance??)

And I agree with others that the level of party is closely tied to the length (and likely price) of the cruise.  I've seen poor behavior and sad drunkeness on RCI, Norwegian and Carnival.  (In fact, I've probably seen it more on NCL and RCI as Carnival usually is more affordable and therefore I'm more likely to be on a 7-night cruise!)  I've also noted that service level seems tied to the length and age of the ship.  (Not for sure - but it's where I picked up my hunch that good performers are moved to newer ships with longer itineraries.  A Holland America employee confirmed this once after I told him my theory.) 

[Ralphinsc]

We have sailed Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean almost evenly. 

 

Things we love about each line:

 

Carnival:

-Free food options like Guy's Burgers and the Blue Iguana cantina are excellent. 

-The fun atmosphere on deck for sea days and at parties is infectious and really enjoyable. 

-The Alchemy bar is my favorite bar on any ship. IT has it's own cult following. Still keep up with my favorite bartenders.

-The Piano bar and the Comedy Club on Carnival are both so much fun. 

-Consistently the best budget friendly line

 

Royal:

-Wow factor. Absolute wow factor. Especially the Oasis class ships. Nothing like it at sea. So much to do.

-Main dining is the best of the three lines IMO

-Great dining options for specialty dining

-Entertainment in the Oasis class ships in unbeatable. So much variety and of such a high caliber

-Probably the most expensive on average of the three when you count in the prices of the newer ship itineraries

 

Norwegian:

-The sheer number of dining options are unsurpassed

-They were our first love and introduced us to modern cruising

-Some fun and innovative ships, included perks in the rooms make them very competitive price wise.

-Their Haven rooms and multi-class cruising concept is a big plus for the suite cruisers.

 

Personally, I'd pick whichever one has the best looking itinerary, dates, and prices for me. We currently have cruises upcoming on both Carnival and Royal and had to cancel a Norwegian this year just because of a scheduling conflict. Enjoy them all!

[bostonfred]

Choose an itinerary you like or a ship that interests you. We have sailed a half dozen of the major lines and they all treat you great. Don’t limit yourself to one line, there is a lot of great variety out there.....don’t get married to a cruise line because of the perks...happy sailing

[ryano]

Carnival Magic is a great ship!  Ive been on her twice. It was even better when Dr E was onboard.  For me personally, I like Royal ships better but Carnivals "fun ship" atmosphere, included dining options and food in general.   Guys burgers = better than Johnny Rockets (to ME)  and included, The pizza was much better than Sorrentos.  There is also the blue iquana and Guys BBQ that is included on Magic.  The Windjammer on Royal was better than Lido buffet, the MDR is a tie but the specialty dining is where Carnival excels.  The steakhouse was MUCH better than my last two Chops experiences.   I would agree in that they are both more alike than different in general though.    Service has been wonderful on both lines. 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by ryano

[CruisingNole]

Carnival has several new (and completely redesigned) ships in the works. Sunrise will be sailing this year and Radiance (2020) both look really nice. There’s also Mardi Gras which is going to probably be the biggest competitor the Oasis class has seen.

 

Royal absolutely sucks when it comes to fast casual dining. I was excited to see Playmakers and Fish and Ships...until I found out it was a la carte. These types of restaurants are free on Carnival and are really good (Guys burgers, blue iguana, etc).

 

That being said, if you take an older Carnival ship on a 3 or 4 night Bahamas trip for $200, you’re going to get a lower class party crowd. But on the same note, you’ll also get that on a similar Royal sailing. It’s just the nature of the quickie “booze cruises.”

[ShillyShally]

12 hours ago, Ralphinsc said:

We have sailed Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean almost evenly. 

 

Things we love about each line:

 

Carnival:

-Free food options like Guy's Burgers and the Blue Iguana cantina are excellent. 

-The fun atmosphere on deck for sea days and at parties is infectious and really enjoyable. 

-The Alchemy bar is my favorite bar on any ship. IT has it's own cult following. Still keep up with my favorite bartenders.

-The Piano bar and the Comedy Club on Carnival are both so much fun. 

-Consistently the best budget friendly line

 

Royal:

-Wow factor. Absolute wow factor. Especially the Oasis class ships. Nothing like it at sea. So much to do.

-Main dining is the best of the three lines IMO

-Great dining options for specialty dining

-Entertainment in the Oasis class ships in unbeatable. So much variety and of such a high caliber

-Probably the most expensive on average of the three when you count in the prices of the newer ship itineraries

 

Norwegian:

-The sheer number of dining options are unsurpassed

-They were our first love and introduced us to modern cruising

-Some fun and innovative ships, included perks in the rooms make them very competitive price wise.

-Their Haven rooms and multi-class cruising concept is a big plus for the suite cruisers.

 

Personally, I'd pick whichever one has the best looking itinerary, dates, and prices for me. We currently have cruises upcoming on both Carnival and Royal and had to cancel a Norwegian this year just because of a scheduling conflict. Enjoy them all!

Thank you for this - we haven't done NCL yet but have friends who have loved them and some of the perks included do seem to make them worth the price to try!

[jetta8300]

20 hours ago, Paris334 said:

Each time we sail Carnival we say we won't sail them again.  (With the exception of our honeymoon, which was FABULOUS back in 1996!)  But we've been on them four times so I guess we do go back!  I agree that RCI, Carnival and Norwegian are all quite similar with various things to like about them and their ships.  Our main reason is that with the exception of that 1996 cruise, we've had pretty poor service. We are not snobs and actually prefer to be left alone - we are uncomfortable being hovered over, etc.  We stood at an (empty) Carnival bar for over 10 minutes once while the two bartenders chatted, apparently needing that much time to wrap up their conversation before they could be bothered to find out what we wanted.  (And they only wrapped it up because I interrupted to ask them if they were open!)  There were other instances of great service, as well, but there was much more lack-luster service than we've received on other lines and this is what prompted us to say we wouldn't do it again.  Having said that, I get the feeling that the "good" staff is moved to the longer sailings on the newer ships so I'd still be willing to give them another shot, especially on a new ship.  (However, as others have noted, the new ships are similarly priced with the other lines so maybe I'm not as willing to take the chance??)

And I agree with others that the level of party is closely tied to the length (and likely price) of the cruise.  I've seen poor behavior and sad drunkeness on RCI, Norwegian and Carnival.  (In fact, I've probably seen it more on NCL and RCI as Carnival usually is more affordable and therefore I'm more likely to be on a 7-night cruise!)  I've also noted that service level seems tied to the length and age of the ship.  (Not for sure - but it's where I picked up my hunch that good performers are moved to newer ships with longer itineraries.  A Holland America employee confirmed this once after I told him my theory.) 

 

We were on the Horizon in October and bar service was horrible.  It was my sister and brother in law's first cruise, and they bought the drink package.  They were annoyed the entire time because they paid for the package yet couldn't find a bar tender to serve them a drink.  The bars were ether not open, not staffed, or completely overwhelmed.  We knew each time someone wanted a drink it would be a 45 minute ordeal.  This is the newest and best ship, so trust me, that didn't help.

 

Same with the food... it's their best ship and yet it was the absolute worst buffet situation we have ever seen.  There were literally 8 of the same high school cafeteria quality selections at a bunch of different stations.  On embarkation day, everyone was wandering around asking each other, "is there any OTHER FOOD at any other stations??? They are all the same???"  And they had one dessert station for the whole ship. Which consisted of ONE single person, that had to actually cut you a slice of cake, that you had to wait in a 100 person line for.  No desserts sitting out to grab anywhere.

Edited March 28, 2019 by jetta8300

[ltlslick1]

Have done both lines, both offer a similar product.  More recently have been more loyal to Royal Caribbean, generally speaking I think the ships have slightly more to offer.  Personal preference but I slightly miss the night time activity of Carnival, it always seemed to have a bit more of a night owl crowd.  Don't think you can go wrong either way.  Some of Carnival's newer ships certainly look worth investigating.

[dreadpirate3]

We've sailed with RCCL exclusively and had booked a CCL cruise on the Elation out of Port Canaveral for spring 2020. 

 

Unfortunately, Carnival does not seem to invest as heavily in maintaining their older fleet and after having multiple friends and work buddies tell me they sailed the Elation and similar in the class and of the sewage smells, rooms in disrepair, and lack of space on the lido deck for the number of people on board, we decided to eat the cost of the deposit and cancel. My vacation time and money is precious, and I would sail a newer ship with Carnival, NCL, or MSC, but I won't book a ship older than 10 years with Carnival.

[CruisingNole]

16 minutes ago, dreadpirate3 said:

We've sailed with RCCL exclusively and had booked a CCL cruise on the Elation out of Port Canaveral for spring 2020. 

 

Unfortunately, Carnival does not seem to invest as heavily in maintaining their older fleet and after having multiple friends and work buddies tell me they sailed the Elation and similar in the class and of the sewage smells, rooms in disrepair, and lack of space on the lido deck for the number of people on board, we decided to eat the cost of the deposit and cancel. My vacation time and money is precious, and I would sail a newer ship with Carnival, NCL, or MSC, but I won't book a ship older than 10 years with Carnival.

 

Personally, I wouldn’t book any ship on any line older than 10 years unless it’s had an extensive dry dock. There are too many new and “refurbished to like new” ships out there.

[moesyk4]

We have done everything from a bunk bed on the lowest floor of one of Carnival's oldest ships to Royal's Freedom of the Seas the first year it came out and NCL's Getaway last year. 

We have enjoyed each and every cruise and agree with the previous posters...they are probably more alike than different. Here are the biggest differences you would notice on Carnival ships:

1) The older ships really can't compare activity wise to really any of RCCL's ships. That isn't a bad thing, just be aware that the options will be basic. We had a great time relaxing and doing the organized activities, but you just aren't going to find rock walls, waterslides, etc. on a lot of them. I do believe many have been remodeled to include many of these, so YMMV.

2) The entertainment, frankly, isn't great. Stage shows I mean. They used to be SO much better...10 years ago we did a back to back with the Triumph and Freedom of the Seas and we both agreed the entertainment on the Triumph was much better than the FOTS. The next time we went, however, they had cut out all the live music, all of the stage backgrounds, etc. It was just a few dancers with jazzy lights. Again, the newer ships may be different. It definitely wasn't a dealbreaker for us, but again, just something to be aware of.

 

We found the food to be very comparable, the staff to be exceptional, the ships to be clean and well cared for, and I do not remember seeing a single person falling down drunk. You will be fine!

 

NCL would be another great choice...we lucked out and got a phenomenal deal on a spa balcony with the unlimited alcohol, specialty dining package, etc. The ship had SO much to do we never got close to bored, the food was great, the drinks were great, etc. O'Sheehans, their 24 hour sit down restaurant, made RCCL's evening selection look pathetic! Freshly made mojitos...yum. Shows were great as well!

[Ralphinsc]

2 hours ago, dreadpirate3 said:

We've sailed with RCCL exclusively and had booked a CCL cruise on the Elation out of Port Canaveral for spring 2020. 

 

Unfortunately, Carnival does not seem to invest as heavily in maintaining their older fleet and after having multiple friends and work buddies tell me they sailed the Elation and similar in the class and of the sewage smells, rooms in disrepair, and lack of space on the lido deck for the number of people on board, we decided to eat the cost of the deposit and cancel. My vacation time and money is precious, and I would sail a newer ship with Carnival, NCL, or MSC, but I won't book a ship older than 10 years with Carnival.

 

We really enjoyed our last cruise on the Elation. It was what we expected for the price point, which was the lowest per night average of any cruise we had been on. A fun hopping little ship that is super easy to get around on and never really felt crowded. I'd book a three or four day Bahamas cruise on her tomorrow if the dates and prices wound up right. Sorry your friends had bad experiences, but there's a reason that Carnival is re-investing in their Fantasy class ships and not getting rid of them. There's still very much a market for sub-Panamax cruise ships on the budget end.