Atmosphere on Carnival Alaska Vs. Carnival Caribbean

[msbmommy99]

 We have cruised on Carnival several times and enjoyed our cruise. The last time we sailed on the Dream (7 day) we had a terrible experience. We were trying to let our kids (Ages 7 & 10) swim in the pool and a drunk guy started yelling at our kids and swearing at them.  It was not an adults only area so our kids had a right to be in the pool.  He really upset our 7 year old to the point of tears and she would not get in the pools after that.  We told the security team, that was walking by, what happened and they did nothing.  That left a bad taste in our mouth with Carnival.  We haven't sailed with them since.  My husband does not want to be on a party boat.  That particular cruise seemed to be a drunken party the whole time.  I want to book the June 2021 Alaska cruise out of San Francisco.  We definitely want a balcony room.  Is the atmosphere different on an Alaskan cruise versus a Caribbean cruise?  What are some of the biggest differences in things to do since being in a pool probably won't happen since the temperature of the water might be too cool?  Any advise bout Alaskan cruise?  Also I have heard Aft balconies are bigger and better.  Are they better?  We have only sailed mid ship so I don't know about the ocean and feeling the waves more.  Thanks in advice for your help!  

[silvercrikhix]

We found the Carnival Alaska cruise to be a much different atmosphere than Carnival Caribbean Cruises. 

A bit older crowd, people get more tired out from all the excursions so it’s quieter at night.  

There are still plenty of activities going. 
There was a least one heated pool going and all the hot tubs. 

That issue you had previously is very inappropriate & disturbing. 
If you ever have a issue like that again, go to guest services and insist on meeting with the “hotel director”. 

We had a real issue once and that meeting took care of it real quick. 

[PhillyFan33579]

2 minutes ago, silvercrikhix said:

There was a least one heated pool going and all the hot tubs.

Which Carnival ship has a heated pool?

[silvercrikhix]

12 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Which Carnival ship has a heated pool?

Oh no, maybe it wasn’t ...but there was at least one pool open. Covered one in back maybe? 

[msbmommy99]

Thanks silvercrikhix!  I appreciate your response.  I am hoping to change my hubby’s mind on this Carnival cruise!  

[tallnthensome]

Check out the Alaska forum as well. Lots of info in there. Look at many cruise lines Carnival is usually at the bottom where Alaskan cruises are considered. They won’t be as full of drunks by the pool, simply put.

[wo5m]

16 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Which Carnival ship has a heated pool?

The Spirit Class ships have Heated pools.

[marshhawk]

The Spirit class has an indoor pool, covered and that area was very warm, which perhaps heats the pool.

I loved our Carnival Alaska trip, mainly because Alaska is so fantastic!  The crowd was older, there are classes and lectures, and they brought in local story tellers and musicians.  Alaskan cruise did not bring the drunks, or the gambling (at least I never got to the casino).  The thing about an Alaskan cruise is that you are there to see Alaska!  You are not there to go party in the sun.  We went in the month of September in 2017, we had snow in the Yukon on the 9th (our anniversary).  When we went outside we were bundled to the hilt, so hot chocolate and coffee was great, but you want to be outside.  This was the best cruise that we took-ever!  And if it wasn't so far from home, I would do it again. 

 

When you cruise from San Francisco you will have more days at sea, so that first day there may be folks with a buzz on, but they will remind you, fall in the water and you have less than three minutes to survive.  We got to go to Glacier Bay on that trip, and because of the thawing we went into a channel that hadn't been entered in, in over 5 years.  Folks can all say that the other cruise lines are better because they have more experience in Alaska, but you cant beat being the first ship into an area that folks haven't seen in years.  If you can afford the cabin you want on an Alaskan cruise through Carnival- take it!  Just remember to plan to take excursions to actually see Alaska, dont stay on the ship, or make the "cruise" the important part-Alaska is the destination!

[mar214]

We have cruised to Alaska, New England and Canada as well as Caribbean cruises. It is a very different vibe on those cooler destination cruises. Passengers are not sitting around drinking to keep cool on a hot sunny sea day-it is usually too cold to even hang out on a lounger. When we cruised to Alaska, we were covered with several blankets watching the scenery and sea creatures with binoculars.  We were also busy with the nature lectures and related activities. Anyone who dared to use those hot tubs dreaded getting out. I don't think you will be dealing with what you experienced on your earlier cruise. Go and enjoy the experience of cruising to Alaska. You won't believe how beautiful it is.

[GLCM GUY]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with your kids and the annoying drunk.  We cruise with Carnival all the time and have seen very little of that bad behavior.  We did Alaska in July on the Legend and had a wonderful time.  The ship went to Glacier Bay National Park which was spectacular.  As to on board activities there were Rangers narrating and a naturalist who spotted wild life and gave briefings about the various places we were going.   There were also lots of Carnival activities.  I think you and your family will love it.

[silvercrikhix]

5 hours ago, wo5m said:

The Spirit Class ships have Heated pools.

Thanks wo5m. I thought it was heated. 

[Luv2cruz1000]

I agree ,Alaska is a little less about partying and more about the scenery. We could hardly leave the deck! Pools are not as busy as it is cooler. We always do the shows and didn't do many as you are tired from the days. Carnival does not usually do Glacier bay and the year we went Endicott arm was the alternative as not many ships got into Tracy Arm.

Carnival was a cheaper alternative than other lines and we felt we got a taste of Alaska. 

Don't worry about the line ,look at the ports, and if the cost is prohibitive, consider carnival,be prepared,Alaska ,once you see it....you will want to go back!

[Tapi]

We actually found that Carnival was more expensive than other cruise lines in Alaska, and for a worse itinerary. It’s supply and demand. Carnival, until this upcoming season, only had one ship in Alaska, while other cruise lines have as many as 8-9 ships In Alaska each. We went with Holland America because of pricing and because it went to Glacier Bay.

 

When we first started comparing prices, Holland wasn’t necessarily the cheapest, but as we got closer to sailing, prices started dropping. We ended taking advantage of several promotions and price drops. We got a kids sail free promo, we were upgraded for an ocean view to a balcony when prices dropped inside penalty, and they even gave us onboard credit. 

 

So shop around and don’t stick to just Carnival assuming that they may be cheapest. 

Edited November 10, 2019 by Tapi

[oakridger]

On 11/7/2019 at 6:15 PM, msbmommy99 said:

   Also I have heard Aft balconies are bigger and better.  Are they better?  We have only sailed mid ship so I don't know about the ocean and feeling the waves more.   

 

If you sail out of San Francisco to Alaska, the coastwise route can often be pretty "bumpy".  If you have any issues at all with motion sickness I would recommend a more mid ship cabin over an aft for this itinerary!  

 

~Nancy

[jimbo5544]

On 11/8/2019 at 3:48 PM, tallnthensome said:

Check out the Alaska forum as well. Lots of info in there. Look at many cruise lines Carnival is usually at the bottom where Alaskan cruises are considered. They won’t be as full of drunks by the pool, simply put.

Well that certainly is a view

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, Tapi said:

We actually found that Carnival was more expensive than other cruise lines in Alaska, and for a worse itinerary. It’s supply and demand. Carnival, until this upcoming season, only had one ship in Alaska, while other cruise lines have as many as 8-9 ships In Alaska each. We went with Holland America because of pricing and because it went to Glacier Bay.

 

When we first started comparing prices, Holland wasn’t necessarily the cheapest, but as we got closer to sailing, prices started dropping. We ended taking advantage of several promotions and price drops. We got a kids sail free promo, we were upgraded for an ocean view to a balcony when prices dropped inside penalty, and they even gave us onboard credit. 

 

So shop around and don’t stick to just Carnival assuming that they may be cheapest. 

Fair points, the leaders (from an objective viewpoint) are Princess and HAL.  HAL goes places on a land based side that others do not, but Princess really is the “king” (pun intended) of Alaskan cruise travel.  From our viewpoint, the one ways on the inside passage (north bound being the preferred) , offer the best options.  Round trips, Carnival is competitive.  

Edited November 10, 2019 by jimbo5544

[Tapi]

21 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Round trips, Carnival is competitive.  

The two main reasons why we eliminated Carnival right away were because at the time, all Carnival offered was a Tuesday departure, making it a bit harder to take time off work (Saturday/Sunday departures worked better for us). Second because we wanted Glacier Bay and Carnival sailed to Tracy Arm instead for most of the season.

[jsglow]

I'm going to steer you to Princess for Alaska.

[Nic6318]

On 11/8/2019 at 2:46 PM, msbmommy99 said:

Thanks silvercrikhix!  I appreciate your response.  I am hoping to change my hubby’s mind on this Carnival cruise!  

 

 

Hi

 

The main difference with the Alaskan cruise is that you are going to have more intense port experiences. Even on board when you are cruising Glacier National Park you are very much in awe with your surroundings. 

 

Big difference is that people are wearing more clothes and not as much of a likelihood of someone just sitting by the pool and getting drunk. On that point I have to mention, idiot drunks can be found anywhere, not just on cruise ships. At least on Carnival they have to opt in to get the alcohol package, where if you notice many other of the mainstream cruise lines are making those "unlimited" alcohol packages an included "freebie". 

 

have a great cruise

[kctwinmommy]

Agree with the others! Definitely a different experience! It's way more about the ports, and you spend a lot more time "doing" things, at least we did. For us, a Caribbean cruise is more relaxing, beach time. But in Alaska, we were on the go pretty much all day when we were in port. And while we never had any issues like you mentioned on your previous Carnival cruise, we still didn't have it in Alaska either. We've enjoyed all of our Carnival ones, as well as RC and MSC.

 

For more specific questions about the ships, ports, and itineraries, you're better off asking in the Alaska group page.

[scpirate]

14 hours ago, Nic6318 said:

 

 

Hi

 

The main difference with the Alaskan cruise is that you are going to have more intense port experiences. Even on board when you are cruising Glacier National Park you are very much in awe with your surroundings. 

 

Big difference is that people are wearing more clothes and not as much of a likelihood of someone just sitting by the pool and getting drunk. On that point I have to mention, idiot drunks can be found anywhere, not just on cruise ships. At least on Carnival they have to opt in to get the alcohol package, where if you notice many other of the mainstream cruise lines are making those "unlimited" alcohol packages an included "freebie". 

 

have a great cruise

If you do a mock booking of those other Cruise lines that offer "free" drink packages .you will see they don't pass them out like candy.you have to spend a good bit of money to get the "free" drink package.it looks good in advertising but you have to read the fine print.

[scpirate]

16 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Well that certainly is a view

A view shared by many.if I could figure out a way to turn my carnival gift cards into cash without losing my donkey I would cancel my carnival Cruise in 2021 and give celebrity my money.

[stobe1]

I am a Carnival "cheerleader" and loyalist, but I have to be fair and say that HAL, Princess, and NCL offer better itineraries and more competitive pricing than Carnival does in Alaska.

 

Look at other lines if you are wanting to sail to Alaska. 

[Nic6318]

6 hours ago, scpirate said:

If you do a mock booking of those other Cruise lines that offer "free" drink packages .you will see they don't pass them out like candy.you have to spend a good bit of money to get the "free" drink package.it looks good in advertising but you have to read the fine print.

 

Hi

Of course you are paying for everything. Nothing is free. They are in business to make money.

 

For many, they see the word "free" (especially when associated with alcohol) and that's good enough for them. They won't look any further. That's why it's advertised that way. 

 

The thought that alcohol related stupidity could only happen on Carnival is just wishful thinking.

[naxer]

We did the Splendor Journey cruise to Alaska out of LA, and also happened to do the Splendor for a Caribbean cruise  from Miami a year earlier.

 

The atmosphere was different, more sedate, but the fun stuff was still fun.  It was pretty much the same mix of people, only fewer kids.  Of course Journey Cruises skew older due to the time and expense.  There's something profound about standing on a deck with hundreds of others, kind of cold, drinking hot chocolate, watching the glaciers and mountains go by.  I think people doing an Alaska cruise are motivated to get something different out of it than a Caribbean Cruise, whichever cruise line they choose.

 

There's a lot to Alaska, and tradeoffs have to be made as to what a person can see or do in a week or two.  It's all magnificent, and the weather will be unpredictable.  Carnival did an excellent job delivering what we were after.