Your Favorite Carnival Ship?

[DenaInWyo]

Another vote for Spirit class ships.  I've only been on Miracle and Legend so far but both were my best cruises.  Ironic that for being "small" ships, the common areas are so much larger than the big ones.  There's just a different vibe too.  You're more likely to run into the same crew and passengers and the social part of things is a lot more fun.  The food in the MDR on Miracle was the best we've had on a Carnival ship.  Not one single complaint about any staff, ever.  

 

I've never had a bad cruise, but my least favorite so far has been the Vista.  Not likely to sail on that class again, or anything larger than Conquest class, for that matter. Vista really gave us the feel of being packed onto a box at sea, milked of our cash, then booted off for the next herd.  And I'm weird..I like the décor of the older ships.  Vista felt like an office building.  JMO, I know lots like her.

[hurricane0226]

Loved the Miracle, with the grapes hanging in the dining room, had the best Alaskan cruise on her, which was also a Premier cruise, won some great prizes.

[SNJCruisers]

Thank goodness there are people that still have a hankering for Joe Farcus and his Pepto Bismol inspired look.

And of course those who are stagnant and like to look backwards and reminisce instead of looking forward and evolve with their tastes.  Everybody is different and that's why some enjoy Gelato, while others will always eat plain vanilla ice cream.

[amcankid]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Thank goodness there are people that still have a hankering for Joe Farcus and his Pepto Bismol inspired look.

And of course those who are stagnant and like to look backwards and reminisce instead of looking forward and evolve with their tastes.  Everybody is different and that's why some enjoy Gelato, while others will always eat plain vanilla ice cream.

Geez.  Talk about a cryptic post. Can’t tell if you’re complimenting or slamming those who like the old Farcus look.

Personally, the loud look never bothered me, and although my upcoming Mardi Gras cruise might make me love the “modern” look, the old Carnival ships will always have a special place in my heart. 

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, amcankid said:

Geez.  Talk about a cryptic post. Can’t tell if you’re complimenting or slamming those who like the old Farcus look.

Personally, the loud look never bothered me, and although my upcoming Mardi Gras cruise might make me love the “modern” look, the old Carnival ships will always have a special place in my heart. 

Not slamming, just glad that there are people that still like the archaic look and reduced size and amenities of the Fantasy Class and Spirit Class ship's.  Unless there was a particular itinerary that I wanted to visit that only used old small ships, then anything under 100 K in size is in my rear view mirror.  As I have aged and matured so have my tastes when it comes to cruising.  On Carnival, more than likely everything below the Excel Class is now a memory for me that will not be repeated. 

 I still remember back in around 2002 when I cruised on the Destiny for the first time when she was the first cruise ship anywhere that was over 100 K tons.   Then RCI passed Carnival when it came to innovation and they haven't looked back.  The Excel Class is a game changer for Carnival and brings them into the 21st century when it comes to state of the art ship's.   Luckily for Carnival there are still many fans of the older ladies in the fleet.  I am just not one of them.

[jsglow]

12 hours ago, DenaInWyo said:

Another vote for Spirit class ships.  I've only been on Miracle and Legend so far but both were my best cruises.  Ironic that for being "small" ships, the common areas are so much larger than the big ones.  There's just a different vibe too.  You're more likely to run into the same crew and passengers and the social part of things is a lot more fun.  The food in the MDR on Miracle was the best we've had on a Carnival ship.  Not one single complaint about any staff, ever.  

 

I've never had a bad cruise, but my least favorite so far has been the Vista.  Not likely to sail on that class again, or anything larger than Conquest class, for that matter. Vista really gave us the feel of being packed onto a box at sea, milked of our cash, then booted off for the next herd.  And I'm weird..I like the décor of the older ships.  Vista felt like an office building.  JMO, I know lots like her.

Interesting that you say that.  I could definitely see how with a full load the Vista class would be uncomfortably crowded.  Had that same sense as you that all the new venues were 'onboard spending generators'.  It was fantastic with 2150 last week but on a summer vacation cruise? Never. 

[jsglow]

10 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Thank goodness there are people that still have a hankering for Joe Farcus and his Pepto Bismol inspired look.

And of course those who are stagnant and like to look backwards and reminisce instead of looking forward and evolve with their tastes.  Everybody is different and that's why some enjoy Gelato, while others will always eat plain vanilla ice cream.

I don't think folks are necessarily hankering for Farcus.  I think many are saying that they prefer a smaller ship experience rather than going to sea on a floating Vegas hotel.  You'll never catch me on a ship with a multi-level go-cart track.  I enjoy my very best sea days on a tall masted Star Clipper or a Windstar motor yacht visiting wonderful, off the beaten path destinations. On Carnival, the best way to replicate that is on their somewhat smaller, older ships.  You enjoy what you want, others will do the same, and everyone is happy.  

Edited October 5, 2021 by jsglow

[Saint Greg]

Nothing can top what Mardi Gras is doing right now. I just wonder how it's going to be with 2k more passengers.

[asalligo]

Carnival Pride. The reason is all about public space per cruiser and the efficiency of the Sprit Class design. 

[Oletruckdude]

18 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Thank goodness there are people that still have a hankering for Joe Farcus and his Pepto Bismol inspired look.

And of course those who are stagnant and like to look backwards and reminisce instead of looking forward and evolve with their tastes.  Everybody is different and that's why some enjoy Gelato, while others will always eat plain vanilla ice cream.

One is not mutually exclusive of the other. I like looking back and reminiscing of time spent on the Fantasy, and I also look forward to my next cruise on the Magic. Looking back doesn't preclude me from "evolving" . Also, I happen to like gelato AND vanilla ice cream. 

As you said, everyone is different. One's reason to cruise isn't superior or inferior to another's. Just different. You enjoy your way, I'll enjoy mine.

Kind regards.

[sgttami]

2 hours ago, Oletruckdude said:

One is not mutually exclusive of the other. I like looking back and reminiscing of time spent on the Fantasy, and I also look forward to my next cruise on the Magic. Looking back doesn't preclude me from "evolving" . Also, I happen to like gelato AND vanilla ice cream. 

As you said, everyone is different. One's reason to cruise isn't superior or inferior to another's. Just different. You enjoy your way, I'll enjoy mine.

Kind regards.

Agree. 

 

I look back on my first cruises that were on another line and love the old days when people got dressed for dinner and there were no alternative restaurants.  The shows were great and midnight buffets were every night and they gave out passenger lists and souvenir menus to take home.  I loved visiting new places and going on different excursions and coming back to a quiet ship.

 

A few cruises later, there were rock climbing walls, ice skating, water slides and things I wasn't interested in. Alternative restaurants were new and I did go but couldn't figure out why they had to be added when the dining room food was perfectly fine.

 

I don't need to cruise on a ship with 5,000 people to evolve to another level of cruising.  They'll all be sitting on deck with their heads buried in their phones and not saying a word, downloading apps on where they'll go to dinner on the ship that night.  

 

I'll take the old days any day and will continue to sail on the smaller and older ships.  The big ones weren't fun for me.

 

I like vanilla ice cream AND gelato too.....LOL

 

 

[jasong38501]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:14 PM, jsglow said:

Another thing I find interesting is how two Conquest boats (Freedom and Glory) still get fairly prime slots while the others have clearly moved down the pecking order.

 

I assume you are referring to Conquest and Liberty doing the 3/4 routes out of Miami and Port Canaveral respectively. I am not sure I would call that down the pecking order considering the competition Royal is throwing at those two routes currently.

Conquest is up against Freedom OTS. Liberty is up against Independence OTS. Both of Royals ships are newer than the ship Carnival is putting up for competition. And if memory serves me correctly Royal let both Mariner and Navigator do these runs after their big "amplifications". I think these routes are more lucrative than you are giving them credit for.

[jasong38501]

My favorite ship to date is a toss up between Magic and Dream. I absolutely love this class of ship. For me Dream probably has an edge just because the color scheme is much more my taste (reds vs blues and greens). Looking forward to a chance to try the Breeze, was booked on her in Oct 2020 but of course that got cancelled.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

Mardi Gras for the latest layout and design.  Has a nice modern decor and many different areas to enjoy.  The food choices are much better than what we’ve had on any other carnival ship or any other line.  But all that being said, we have enjoyed each of the different carnival classes for what they brought to the line at the time.   We absolutely loved the Spirit even with the decor that wasn’t really our favorite.  

[SNJCruisers]

9 hours ago, Oletruckdude said:

One is not mutually exclusive of the other. I like looking back and reminiscing of time spent on the Fantasy, and I also look forward to my next cruise on the Magic. Looking back doesn't preclude me from "evolving" . Also, I happen to like gelato AND vanilla ice cream. 

As you said, everyone is different. One's reason to cruise isn't superior or inferior to another's. Just different. You enjoy your way, I'll enjoy mine.

Kind regards.

One thing we do have in common is that our first Carnival cruise was on the Jubilee, except mine was in July of 1986 when she was brand new.

[jsglow]

14 hours ago, jasong38501 said:

 

I assume you are referring to Conquest and Liberty doing the 3/4 routes out of Miami and Port Canaveral respectively. I am not sure I would call that down the pecking order considering the competition Royal is throwing at those two routes currently.

Conquest is up against Freedom OTS. Liberty is up against Independence OTS. Both of Royals ships are newer than the ship Carnival is putting up for competition. And if memory serves me correctly Royal let both Mariner and Navigator do these runs after their big "amplifications". I think these routes are more lucrative than you are giving them credit for.

What I'm speaking about jasong is the Carnival pecking order.  I'm not really considering their direct competition.  When you're relegated to the 3/4 day routes out of MIA and PC, you're about one step away from Mobile (sorry my Alabama friends).  Those runs may be nicely profitable but Carnival traditionally puts the butt end of their fleet in those slots.  And as I think about it, Liberty has clearly fallen behind the old Fantasy class Elation which operates as the #3 ship out of that port.

[jasong38501]

51 minutes ago, jsglow said:

What I'm speaking about jasong is the Carnival pecking order.  I'm not really considering their direct competition.  When you're relegated to the 3/4 day routes out of MIA and PC, you're about one step away from Mobile (sorry my Alabama friends).  Those runs may be nicely profitable but Carnival traditionally puts the butt end of their fleet in those slots.  And as I think about it, Liberty has clearly fallen behind the old Fantasy class Elation which operates as the #3 ship out of that port.

I suppose we will just have to disagree on this. I am sure Carnival uses factors such as direct competition and profitability instead of a predetermined pecking order in determining where to place a ship. I actually just replied to this because I wanted anyone reading this board that might not have tried Carnival or even cruising to know that I personally do not consider either Conquest or Liberty to be the "butt end" of Carnival's fleet. The Conquest class is the class of ship that got me hooked on cruising and hooked on Carnival. They might be missing some of the latest features available on the newest ships Carnival is bringing out, but they have all of Carnival's "Funship 2.0" upgrades that will keep you busy and entertained on a 3 or 4 day cruise.

[jsglow]

13 minutes ago, jasong38501 said:

I suppose we will just have to disagree on this. I am sure Carnival uses factors such as direct competition and profitability instead of a predetermined pecking order in determining where to place a ship. I actually just replied to this because I wanted anyone reading this board that might not have tried Carnival or even cruising to know that I personally do not consider either Conquest or Liberty to be the "butt end" of Carnival's fleet. The Conquest class is the class of ship that got me hooked on cruising and hooked on Carnival. They might be missing some of the latest features available on the newest ships Carnival is bringing out, but they have all of Carnival's "Funship 2.0" upgrades that will keep you busy and entertained on a 3 or 4 day cruise.

No worries.  I'm simply saying those are the ships they aren't spending $ on these days.  I too like the Conquest Class.  But you must admit that the Sunshining of the Destiny class boats is where the upgrades are happening on the older segment of the fleet along the placement of those ships in relatively prime slots (like MIA #2) while the Conquest essentially replaces an old, now chopped Fantasy class boat in Alang is telling.  Have a great next cruise!

  

[jasong38501]

6 hours ago, jsglow said:

No worries.  I'm simply saying those are the ships they aren't spending $ on these days.  I too like the Conquest Class.  But you must admit that the Sunshining of the Destiny class boats is where the upgrades are happening on the older segment of the fleet along the placement of those ships in relatively prime slots (like MIA #2) while the Conquest essentially replaces an old, now chopped Fantasy class boat in Alang is telling.  Have a great next cruise!

  

Conquest replaced Victory in Miami, it isn't shopped up, just remade. And what is Radiance which just got her 200 million makeover replacing? She is doing the 3/4 day run in Long Beach replacing two now chopped up ships. And what did Sunshine replace when she moved to Charleston? Ecstasy which is now the oldest ship since the one she replaced in Charleston is now chopped up. Sunrise is the ship that replaced Sensation in Miami. Are you saying Sensation had a relatively prime slot in Miami and then got sent to Mobile?

Edited October 7, 2021 by jasong38501

[nottypixz]

The MIRACLE, by far ... probably, tho, any Spirit Class ship, although I haven't had the pleasure of the Legend or Pride yet (both were booked, and cancelled due to COVID).  Splendor coming in second, and the Fascination (sad face) coming next. -- for many of the reasons already mentioned, the Spirit Class has, well, PERSONALITY!🤪

  

Sadly, some of the bigger ships (I really liked the Dream, tho), particularly the Vista class, have lost some of the uniqueness that brought the Fantasy and Spirit Class alive (I also like the Conquest Class ships)!  I just got the vibe of upscale "hotel" on Vista Class, not a one-of-a-kind WOWZA kind of neon, themed ship vacation that previous classes exude from every pore beginning with their design elements.  Those were the ships that made me fall in love with cruising.  

 

I do agree with others that there is no comparison to Sunshine's Serenity Deck ... worthy of passing up on a port to spend the day at the waterfall! 

 

So add to the YES tally for MIRACLE!   Will be on her for Carnival's Sailbration in March! #can'twaittocruise!

[SNJCruisers]

43 minutes ago, nottypixz said:

I just got the vibe of upscale "hotel" on Vista Class, not a one-of-a-kind WOWZA kind of neon, themed ship vacation that previous classes exude from every pore beginning with their design elements.  Those were the ships that made me fall in love with cruising.  

Another lover of Joe Farcus and his regurgitated Pepto Bismol color scheme of the Fantasy Class and Spirit Class ship's.  Better cruise on them as often as you can since the Fantasy Class ships will be shipped to Turkey or India for scrap within the next few years and the Spirit Class will probably be Sunshined to be able to remain profitable and sail the secondary markets that Carnival serves.

The Breeze was the first non Farcus ship with soft Caribbean hues that were the polar opposite of all of the previous Carnival offerings and brought them into the millennium as true competition with the other mass market cruise lines.

The Excel Class whether you like it or not is a true game changer for Carnival and will make more money for the corporation in the long run than any Fantasy Class ship from Farcus ever did.

[nottypixz]

44 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Another lover of Joe Farcus and his regurgitated Pepto Bismol color scheme of the Fantasy Class and Spirit Class ship's.  Better cruise on them as often as you can since the Fantasy Class ships will be shipped to Turkey or India for scrap within the next few years and the Spirit Class will probably be Sunshined to be able to remain profitable and sail the secondary markets that Carnival serves.

The Breeze was the first non Farcus ship with soft Caribbean hues that were the polar opposite of all of the previous Carnival offerings and brought them into the millennium as true competition with the other mass market cruise lines.

The Excel Class whether you like it or not is a true game changer for Carnival and will make more money for the corporation in the long run than any Fantasy Class ship from Farcus ever did.

I plead happily guilty to this accusation.  But I respectfully disagree with the total assessment:  it was the Fantasy Class and their many ships that drove Carnival's early successes.  There is a loyal following for those ships that will continue long into the future.  While I applaud a for-profit company driving revenue, diversity in offerings (as in styles of ships) will continue to drive revenue overall as the classes will appeal to a wider audience.  Over time , of course, older ships will be retired.  I, for one, will miss Farcus' designs.  This is my opinion.  I won't be swayed by others' opinions in this matter but support their perspectives. 

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, nottypixz said:

  There is a loyal following for those ships that will continue long into the future.

How can there be a loyal following for the Fantasy Class that will continue long into the future when within X number of years they will be sold for scrap and taken apart in Turkey or India?

[KmomChicago]

On 10/4/2021 at 2:11 AM, Hunter69 said:

Legend..

Spirit Class Ships, best layout & Best Space to Passenger ratio..

Legend cause it's the Ugly duckling of the Spirit class..

Why would Legend be the Ugliest of the 3 spirit class ships? Is it the wacky Merlin type theme? We just stayed at Excalibur this past June in Las Vegas and like whimsy. We also sailed Mardi Gras in August and of course it was beautifully and tastefully appointed, but tacky is good too.

[KmomChicago]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:30 PM, SNJCruisers said:

Thank goodness there are people that still have a hankering for Joe Farcus and his Pepto Bismol inspired look.

And of course those who are stagnant and like to look backwards and reminisce instead of looking forward and evolve with their tastes.  Everybody is different and that's why some enjoy Gelato, while others will always eat plain vanilla ice cream.

 

What about liking all of it?