OPINIONS NEEDED: Carnival fans who have tried "upgraded" lines. . . what is the advantage and is it worth it?

[Itried4498]

58 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You're comparing an apple to an orange with your Prima vs Mardi Gras.  Use a bare bones rate that NCL has as a comparison since that is perks free.  And the 24 hour pub they have on board will blow the doors off of anything on the 6.00 room service from Carnival.  I've also cruised on NCL 4 times and Carnival over 20.

Data from websites that have tracked cruise fares for decades demonstrates that Carnival is the price leader.  That’s not always going to be the case — our last three cruises were on RCL, as they were booked last minute and RCL had a better price — but if you plan your cruise in advance and follow fare, it’s almost certain that Carnival will have the best price.

 

Big ships with lots of amenities are nice, but if you’re not interested in these amenities they have no value.  Ultimately, everyone cruises for different reasons. 
 

[Joebucks]

9 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You're comparing an apple to an orange with your Prima vs Mardi Gras.  Use a bare bones rate that NCL has as a comparison since that is perks free.  And the 24 hour pub they have on board will blow the doors off of anything on the 6.00 room service from Carnival.  I've also cruised on NCL 4 times and Carnival over 20.

 

FYI, on that particular cruise the "sail away" rate is "sold out". I'll take your word for the pub food. 

[BlerkOne]

10 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

Data from websites that have tracked cruise fares for decades demonstrates that Carnival is the price leader.  That’s not always going to be the case — our last three cruises were on RCL, as they were booked last minute and RCL had a better price — but if you plan your cruise in advance and follow fare, it’s almost certain that Carnival will have the best price.

 

There will be exceptions, but Carnival is number one.

 

10 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

 

Big ships with lots of amenities are nice, but if you’re not interested in these amenities they have no value.  Ultimately, everyone cruises for different reasons. 
 

Some of remember cruising before there were all the distractions and diversions and haven't forgotten why we love cruising in the first place.

[CruizinSusan70]

11 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

Data from websites that have tracked cruise fares for decades demonstrates that Carnival is the price leader.  That’s not always going to be the case — our last three cruises were on RCL, as they were booked last minute and RCL had a better price — but if you plan your cruise in advance and follow fare, it’s almost certain that Carnival will have the best price.

 

Big ships with lots of amenities are nice, but if you’re not interested in these amenities they have no value.  Ultimately, everyone cruises for different reasons. 
 

Fully agree that Carnival is the price leader more often than not but of course there will always be exceptions.  Since Carnival is the price leader there will always be the accompanying problems that are attached such as the recent fights on the magic out of NYC and the Elation out of Jacksonville.  This is not something new since it's been happening periodically for years.  Carnival is not the only line this occurs on, but it does seem like it's the line that it happens the most on and being the price value leader would be the primary reason for it happening.

 

Since you mention big ships with lots of amenities, Carnival is lagging behind as usual since the Excel Class are the first ships over 134 K tons in the fleet.  Royal Caribbean currently has 18 ships in their fleet that are larger than the Vista Class ships, let alone the Spirit, Fantasy and other classes in the Carnival line.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

FYI, on that particular cruise the "sail away" rate is "sold out". I'll take your word for the pub food. 

The sail away rates are usually only available as soon as bookings open up or through various agencies that gobble them up.  If not sold, those cabins on temporary hold are put back into inventory to be sold to the general public.   But, if you like to imbibe and go to a specialty restaurant, the perks included rate is the better value since you get the drinks package for 20 bucks a day.

[thunderingherd11]

On 7/3/2022 at 4:07 PM, KmomChicago said:

Hello friends. Kmom here.  I'm looking for experienced, semi-loyal Carnival cruisers, who have generally been happy with the brand, who have also tried or transitioned to the next tiers of cruising. I am interested in all levels - next level mainstream like HAL or Princess, for example, premium like Cunard or Oceania, again just examples, luxury like Azamara or Regent Seven Seas, etc., Euro river cruises, expedition cruises, basically anything that you considered an upgrade from Carnival. 

 

Since preferences are so personal, here's the TLDR that might help identify if there is any value for us to even consider upgrading in the future. 

 

• DH and I have cruised Carnival four times since the restart last summer. I think we have had enough for now, but the itch will return at some point.
• We are extremely laid back, American working class people who really don't like to dress up on vacation.
• The highest tier cruise lines I have sampled are Disney (1990's) and Celebrity (2001).  They were fine but not enough different from Carnival for the $$, IMHO.
• Our favorite ship was Oasis of the Seas.  Our other RCI cruise (Adventure) was fine but again not enough different to justify a higher price than Carnival.
• This might sound stupid, but honestly I cannot quite grasp exactly what people are doing all day on luxury small ships to justify their prices. 
• All cruise food I have ever had, worst to best, has been more than good enough for me. 
• I can easily pack for a 7 night cruise on Carnival in a single carry on bag and I love that.
• I really don't care if there is "visible rust" on the ship, dated decor, or cosmetic wear and tear. Yes I see it, I just don't much care.
• I am not looking to travel with classier co-passengers. I think I would just feel like a pauper-in-disguise among the aristocrats.

 

Would there even be any point in a better cruise line for us? I am willing to pay more for better stuff, but I really have to be able to understand where we are getting the value. 

 

 

 

 

Gosh, it sounds like I wrote this post.  lol

 

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, thunderingherd11 said:

Gosh, it sounds like I wrote this post.  lol

 

I can assure you the responses have been a lot better than the opening post! These folks have provided a veritable gold mine of details you won't find anywhere else under one roof!

[RoperDK]

So, I have to admit that I read the first and last page of this thread.  However, I feel that I understand the feelings that KmomChicago is expressing.  We have cruised on Carnival for over 20 years and have 25 cruises with Carnival under our belt.  In the last few years we have been disappointed in Carnival's product.  We don't like to dress to the nines and put on airs, but I do want good food and service.  Our only post covid cruise was on Mardi Gras and we have one more booked.  If it doesn't get better, we are done with Carnival.  We have cruised on Princess several times and it wasn't our cup of tea.  Food and service moderately better, but no fun.  It was boring to us.  I would try Celebrity, but we probably prefer to dress too casually and what the heck are we going to do all day?  Lounging and reading aren't our top priority.  We went back to Royal after our Mardi Gras experience and haven't looked back.  It is more expensive, but I feel the food and service quality is worth it.  Their loyalty tier and casino benefits are great and help bring the cruise prices in line.  We are not luxury cruise line folks, but have to admit that a European river cruise would be amazing.  Try another Oasis or Quantum class cruise and see how it compares.         

[KmomChicago]

3 hours ago, RoperDK said:

So, I have to admit that I read the first and last page of this thread.  However, I feel that I understand the feelings that KmomChicago is expressing.  We have cruised on Carnival for over 20 years and have 25 cruises with Carnival under our belt.  In the last few years we have been disappointed in Carnival's product.  We don't like to dress to the nines and put on airs, but I do want good food and service.  Our only post covid cruise was on Mardi Gras and we have one more booked.  If it doesn't get better, we are done with Carnival.  We have cruised on Princess several times and it wasn't our cup of tea.  Food and service moderately better, but no fun.  It was boring to us.  I would try Celebrity, but we probably prefer to dress too casually and what the heck are we going to do all day?  Lounging and reading aren't our top priority.  We went back to Royal after our Mardi Gras experience and haven't looked back.  It is more expensive, but I feel the food and service quality is worth it.  Their loyalty tier and casino benefits are great and help bring the cruise prices in line.  We are not luxury cruise line folks, but have to admit that a European river cruise would be amazing.  Try another Oasis or Quantum class cruise and see how it compares.         

I have come close to booking Quantum class a few times but some other factor always barely knocked it out of contention. I think there’s at least a 50-50 chance we’ll do another RCI and most likely Quantum or another Oasis class. 

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Try another Oasis or Quantum class cruise and see how it compares.         

Spent 12 days recently on the Oasis after spending 14 on the Mardi Gras earlier this year.  The Oasis was OK, but it's a one and done.  Even though it was amplified, it's still a ship that is 13 years old and is showing it's age and doesn't have the modern touches of recently built ships.  Haven't written RCI off since we have a sailing on the Anthem next year and a B2B on the Wonder in 2024.

[shipgeeks]

On 7/10/2022 at 11:02 AM, trvlgirlmq said:

 

Yes, in Europe tap water is not served. You are expected to purchase bottled water (still or sparkling) or wine (which is less expensive than a soda here sometimes).  In France if you ask for a carafe d'eau they will bring a small bottle of tap but it's barely enough to get you through a meal. This is just a different way of living and should not be looked down on.  I'm sure when European's come here and see our outrageous portion sizes they are appalled too.  We love travelling to Europe and have been to several countries and experienced wonderful food, sites and experiences.

I believe if you book an MSC European cruise in the US, water will be included.  But as noted, in a European restaurant, you will not get a glass of water with your meal.  You will need to order water, sparkling or still.

I suspect you can fill your water glass as many times as you want at the buffet, as you would do here on US cruises. 

[karmamule]

On 7/9/2022 at 4:21 AM, KmomChicago said:

@CruizinSusan70 you’re hitting on a huge point here regarding port of departure. 
 

One of my biggest “problems” with my current cruise pattern is my frustration in getting to port. It adds so much expense and stress that it impacts every other aspect of the vacation. I am just completely fed up with flying and with driving longer than about 4 hours. Seems like I’m exhausted and crabby at least the first full day of the cruise and then I get home exhausted and crabby from traveling back.
 

I have work colleagues in Philadelphia and I can’t understand why they fly to Florida for vacations when they could cruise practically from their backyard!!  I know, they do it because they’re not me and they want something different!! 😂

 

We have 4 cruises coming up between now and end of 2023, and I'm eager for each for different reasons. The last of the bunch in October of 2023 is an 11 day Canada/New England leaving from Boston and I cannot tell you how THRILLED we are that a 30 minute car ride will get us to our ship. We don't have lots of great cruising options in Boston, so the closest we normally do is NYC area. We're getting to know a few spots in Florida very well too. 😁 But, yeah, there's always so much energy that goes into getting to our departure port for us.

 

It's going to be beyond wonderful to have something leaving right from home.

[shipgeeks]

On 7/10/2022 at 12:41 PM, BlerkOne said:

Don't even think about ordering iced tea in the UK. 🙃

Or on a British cruise line such as Fred. Olsen!

[shipgeeks]

On 7/8/2022 at 3:58 PM, UPNYGuy said:

 

this is part of the thing I LOVE about MSC. The staff will be blunt with guests being idiots. I have seen it repeatedly. On Divina, the desk attendant answered a call from a guest that kept calling down and tried to get his cabin moved. I was in front of her to witness this. She proceeded to tell him the following: "Sir, you have called me repeatedly and the answer is still no. I can also see you are one of our black members. Being you are so familiar with our ships, I suggest familiarizing yourself with our deck plans so you book a cabin you will be happy with, instead of calling down here trying to get a free upgrade".

 

They arent afraid to say it like it is.

I was both tickled by this, and a bit dismayed by some of the reactions.

For those unfamiliar with MSC, Black is the ultimate loyalty level.  I can picture the passenger on the phone saying "I'm Black (or Black Card), and I demand that you fix this right now!", just as a Carnival cruiser might say "I'm Platinum and.....".

There are a couple of regular posters on the MSC forums who constantly complain about calling guest services with no results, and yet continue to book multiple MSC cruises.

Our own experiences with MSC:  They have become our favorite cruise line.  Whether or not OP would agree I can't predict.  Officers and crew were friendly and accessible. Food was fine. Entertainment was very entertaining.  With the high numbers of non-Americans aboard, it felt much more like being "away" than on most of our cruises, even though we were in the Same Old Caribbean. Lots of music and dancing.  Maybe not so much Trivia or similar, due to the multiple languages.  Announcements were in several languages, but very brief; no Bingo/Art Auction/pool party announcements.

Now, our couple joke, when something here goes spectacularly well, is "Must be the Black Card".

[CatsinShow]

I'm not really loyal to any cruise line tbh. I'm a single,30 something and I found overall NCL was the best for me for meeting people and for entertainment but average to below average food ( the food on Princess and CCL imo is better). I did just take a Princess cruise. It was definitely subdued compared to Carnival and quieter with less kids. A bit nicer imo to see people dressed up. It just makes it a little bit more upscale and special. I typically avoid Carnival if they don't have an outdoor adult only pool. I don't want to be around kids and babies. I find both disgusting. 

[Tradestock]

My husband and I have sailed HAL.  We chose HAL because it was less expensive than Carnival for the same itinerary.  Initially, Carnival's stateroom price was less than HAL.  HAL was offering a promotion for the drink package, so once all the costs and fees were added HAL received the booking based on total cost for the cruise. 

 

We enjoyed the HAL cruise very much.  It was a longer cruise so we appreciated the ability to pack light and purchase a laundry package, daily Mass with a priest on board, a dance club that could play a variety of passenger requested music such as AC/DC or Journey much later in the evening, and no CD announcements over the ship's intercom unnecessarily waking us up to spend money (Captain only).  Additionally, we enjoyed participating in a 5K on the ship to raise money for cancer research.  In our opinion, the buffet and MDR on HAL were more a showcase of quality food, than a focus on quantity food.

 

We will consider the increased cost of other lines for ship only destination travel, such as Antarctica or the Amazon River.  The travel market is competitive and if we can fly, drive, bus, or train to a destination and have a similar or better experience, we will choose the most cost effective option.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Tradestock

[Damikaan]

I haven't been on a Princess cruise in many years so I don't know what has changed, but overall it has been my favorite. Lately I have done mainly Carnival cruises because I can drive to the ports and the post covid prices have been amazing. But until 6 or 7 years ago I mainly sailed on Princess (I would have been in my forties at the time.)

 

A few of the things that I love about Princess are on embarkation day you can eat lunch in the dining room which is so much more relaxing than the buffet after a day or two of traveling and the process of getting on board. I find the entertainment to be more varied on Princess than on Carnival. I've seen some great comedians on Princess that are hilarious without being raunchy. They have a lot of fun games scheduled during the daytime such as majority rules, family feud, etc. On some Princess ships, when the horn blows leaving port, they play The Love Boat theme song on the horn. The food in the dining room is excellent on Princess. A few times a week, they have different desserts they call "chocolate journey" which are incredible!!!!!

 

My husband and I also enjoy the Oasis class ships on Royal Caribbean. We didn't care for the food as much, but the shows are  unique and entertaining. We saw full Broadway type productions of Cats and Mamma Mia, shows similar to Cirque du Soleil, high dive shows, and ice skating shows. We also loved the Central Park area. The one drawback to the Oasis class ships are that there's not a lot of places overlooking the ocean, it is more inward focused, but I recommend trying it at least once.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Damikaan
Break into paragraphs

[CruizinSusan70]

17 hours ago, karmamule said:

We don't have lots of great cruising options in Boston, so the closest we normally do is NYC area. 

Just to give you a heads up, in August of 2022 and 2023, the Celebrity Summit is scheduled to do a Bayonne to Iceland and Iceland to Boston B2B sailing, stopping in Canada, Greenland and Iceland.  Assuming it may do it again in 2024, it could be something you may be interested in, whether as a one way 12 day  from Reykjavik to Boston or a B2B 24 day cruise starting in Bayonne.

[karmamule]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Just to give you a heads up, in August of 2022 and 2023, the Celebrity Summit is scheduled to do a Bayonne to Iceland and Iceland to Boston B2B sailing, stopping in Canada, Greenland and Iceland.  Assuming it may do it again in 2024, it could be something you may be interested in, whether as a one way 12 day  from Reykjavik to Boston or a B2B 24 day cruise starting in Bayonne.

 

Much as I'd love to do a 24 day, the 12 day ending in Boston could be good. That would be about the same length as our 11 day in 2023 and at least we'd end in Boston. Thanks!

[UPNYGuy]

On 7/11/2022 at 3:02 PM, KmomChicago said:

 

I also assumed HAL was slightly more upscale than Carnival / RCI / NCL. . . no?

 

not really. HAL is a mass market line, as are Celebrity and Princess. Oceania, Azamara, and Viking really are the premium tier, and the next step. 

[HxFx]

On 7/6/2022 at 4:47 PM, KmomChicago said:

I think they just mean, some of us want to be mostly left alone, and even on vacation, can somewhat just take care of ourselves.

I agree. I don’t want the constant attention of the staff and I like to do things myself. What has made me skew more towards suites and considering luxury lines (or the ship within a ship concept) is mostly to have more space in the pool area, better dining options, and priority for getting off and on the boat. I think Celebrity is a good option for a more elevated experience. We booked our 2nd Celebrity cruise for next spring. This time in a suite. I am looking forward to the dedicated, elevated dining experience (Luminae) and private lounge/sun deck. I’m sure I will venture to the other areas (often) but it’s nice to know I have a calm area if I need it. It’s port intensive (out of San Juan) so I will welcome the one sea day to just relax by the pool.

 

I was in a mini suite on NCL Breakaway in May and I thought the outdoor areas often seemed very crowded and awkward but the evening time in the bars and restaurants were nice (though they have some strict shoe requirements for men that were odd considering their boasting of being a more casual cruise experience). They had great talent for the production/stage shows, beating both Carnival and Celebrity, but I thought Carnival’s venue-rotating performers were better. Lunch offering was not great. I love Indian food and was disappointed in the buffet selection that I’ve heard great things about. The Haven pool area does not impress me and I don’t think it is a good value to me for its cost. I think the Prima class could change my opinion though (just not sure I’m ready for that price point).

 

I still like the Carnival experience (especially lunch options!) but finding a ship that has more pool areas with fewer people (regardless of age) has me looking for those ships with better serenity and Havana areas. I have not done the Havana area before and think I would only consider it on the Vista Class ships. I was supposed to go on Legend during COVID and am anxious to try the Spirit class Serenity area. I was on Mardi Gras and loved all the pool options but even with 50% capacity, it could be hard to find a lounger in the sun (but easy in a shaded area which I do want sometimes). I wouldn’t consider paying for their Havana area but maybe the Excel Suite. Although, on Elation, I actually enjoyed sitting up by the waterworks area since cooling off with a giant bucket of water is fun and it was less crowded in the lounging area. I don’t mind kids when they are in their element just having fun. It’s just annoying when they are jumping over you into the pool or hogging the hot tubs.

[KmomChicago]

10 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Just to give you a heads up, in August of 2022 and 2023, the Celebrity Summit is scheduled to do a Bayonne to Iceland and Iceland to Boston B2B sailing, stopping in Canada, Greenland and Iceland.  Assuming it may do it again in 2024, it could be something you may be interested in, whether as a one way 12 day  from Reykjavik to Boston or a B2B 24 day cruise starting in Bayonne.

That sounds like an incredible once in a lifetimer. 

[ninjacat123]

On 7/4/2022 at 12:20 PM, KmomChicago said:

I've noticed this year that long, complicated trips are starting to feel more tiring than exhilarating so flights as far away as Europe are quickly losing their appeal, not to mention the astronomical costs and continuing worries about Covid rules. 

Hi Kmom!  My family of four just got back from Europe and we each had a carry on and a backpack for 11 days there.  Made a big difference with air and train travel.  We were in Amsterdam and Paris, went to museums, fancy dinners on the river and Eiffel Tower and not once were we asked to mask up or show our covid vaccination cards.  Had the best time and the food was wonderful!  Just wanted to tell you in case you are considering a European adventure! Sorry the pic won't cooperate 🙃

[karmamule]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

Hi Kmom!  My family of four just got back from Europe and we each had a carry on and a backpack for 11 days there.  Made a big difference with air and train travel.  We were in Amsterdam and Paris, went to museums, fancy dinners on the river and Eiffel Tower and not once were we asked to mask up or show our covid vaccination cards.  Had the best time and the food was wonderful!  Just wanted to tell you in case you are considering a European adventure! Sorry the pic won't cooperate 🙃

Me looking at that picture... 😄

 

 

[CruizinSusan70]

10 hours ago, karmamule said:

 

Much as I'd love to do a 24 day, the 12 day ending in Boston could be good. That would be about the same length as our 11 day in 2023 and at least we'd end in Boston. Thanks!

No problem, just paying it forward.