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

[mz-s]

9 minutes ago, WKUTopperFan said:

Thanks for the information.  I'll look into that. I thought they only did 4 or 5 night sailings. This is cool news to me!

 

They did their first year, they've expanded their options.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 2/1/2023 at 9:52 PM, SRQbeachgirl said:

We have sailed mostly Carnival, but last week took our first cruise on an "upscale" line on Celebrity Reflection. It was the best cruise we've ever taken. Some of the differences we noted:

 

• Much better food selections and quality in the buffet - including bacon every morning and no "bacon police."
• Cabin service twice daily with turndown (and they still put chocolates on the pillow).
• Different production shows every night with MUCH better talent.
• Hardly any kids and no huge groups of family reunions, teenagers, etc taking over venues.
• Didn't have to sign anything for drinks.
• Immediate acknowledgement and service at every bar, even just for water.
• Didn't have to check out pool towels - they actually trust passengers to take as many as they want and bring them back without supervision.
• No smoking in the casino.
• No one hawking shots or sticking a camera in your face in the MDR.
• MDR has tablecloths and more attentive waitstaff (they still do crumb service!). 
• Passengers in general were more considerate of each other (getting on elevators, in buffet lines, etc).
• Only ONE ship-wide announcement each morning, from the Captain. No constant announcements about bingo, art auctions, pool games, spa sales, etc. 

 

So have we completely "jumped ship" from Carnival to Celebrity? No, since we still think Carnival is a good value. But we will definitely be looking more at Celebrity or other more upscale lines for future cruises, specially when we are seeking more relaxation than 24/7 activity.  

 

Having close to 50 under my belt on various lines, have to agree about your opinion of Celebrity.  Their new Edge Class raises the bar even a bit further than their M & S Class ships.  We sailed on the Edge for 7 days prior to Covid and on the Apex for 12 post Covid.  Had such a great time we deposited on board an 18 day B2B on their new Beyond for November.

 

Another comparable line is Princess, which we had 14 days on the Discovery last April and will knock out a bucket list cruise this summer on the Majestic for 14 days to Alaska. Their plus package is now 60 a day and includes wifi, gratuities, drinks package and upgraded desserts.

 

Carnival and MSC will continue to be the value lines, but Celebrity and Princess are a nice upgrade without rambunctious children, immature groups of teenagers and large groups that enjoy taking over venues.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 2/2/2023 at 9:44 AM, clskinsfan said:

I agree with the two replies after your post. Celebrity IS a step above the other mainstream lines. But you are going to pay for that difference. As far as what changed? Pretty much everything. They went to a new more modern model for their ships and entertainment. And the ships are pretty much dead at 11:00. Most of the activity after that time is in the Sky Lounge on the older ships. Not really our style. It is just a much more laid back experience. Their food declined noticeably over a 4 year span as well. Service is still stellar. I am not saying you will be disappointed in a cruise with them. You will most likely love everything about it if you have been exclusively Carnival. But you are also paying A LOT more for that difference. And to us the cost isnt worth it. I can sail twice on Carnival or Royal for the same cost as a single Celeb cruise. And the product is quite comparable in our opinion. 

Please show me when you can sail on the Wonder of the Seas for half the price of the Celebrity Beyond.

If you take the all inclusive pricing of an Edge Class ship and compare it to one of the 25 year old RCI ships, you may have a point.  But then, it's not an apple to apple comparison.

[UPNYGuy]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:55 PM, Eli_6 said:

I live on a private golf course/country club and there are still plenty of loud, drunk people.  People with money can be just as obnoxious.  I do, however, agree that much more attention is paid to the greens.  And there is no doubt that at the very high end (like Augusta) there is truly absolutely no comparison. 

 

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned is that on many of the high-end lines, people are avoiding children.  Viking requires 18 and up.  Another of the high-end ones is 12 and up.  Even among some of the others that allow kids, they don't have a place to leave your children or teen clubs or arcades or slides, etc.  One exception is the Ritz Carlton "Yacht Collection" cruise ship. People without kids and whose kids are grown up tend to have more money.  I also think that once you are out of that "zone", you tend to not want to deal with other people's kids who are not related to you.

 

I think many of the more upscale cruises appeal to a demographic who likes different things and isn't cruising with their kids.  For example, Cunard (although, it isn't really an upscale cruise line in the way Viking, Oceania, Silver Seas, etc. is) has ballroom dancing and even a kennel area for your dog.  HAL (although, again, not super upscale) has painting classes.  I think many of them all have a lot of informational talks that tell you about the ports. One of the small ships owned by Celebrity that goes to the Galapagos (and starts at about 15k per person) even has a marine science lab on board.  I don't think too many people cruising with their young kids or teens are ballroom dancing, sitting in on historical information session, or traveling with their pooch in tow...even if they want to be.  This to me is something that childless couples or single people or empty nesters would more do.  

 

I think of it as the difference between staying at the Holiday Inn Express and staying at some place like The Greenrbrier or The Broadmoor or even a Le Meridien, a Ritz or a Waldorf Astoria.  HIE has nice, clean rooms, decent pools, a decent breakfast with basic fare (but nothing exotic), and gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  But those other places are in a different category...most of which is completely lost if you are trying to vacation with my kids or teens.

 

I have actually heard that some of the really high end lines not only attract a more mature crowd, but almost a geriatric crowd.  We met this couple in Europe at the airport just back from their first Viking cruise. I had always wanted to do Viking until I talked to them.  They called it, and I quote, "God's waiting room." 🤣 

 

this is very true. DW and I have cruised on Oceania several times, and can vouch. We were on a reunion cruise, and it was a very senior clientele.

[AQW]

On 1/30/2023 at 7:08 AM, KmomChicago said:

 

@AQW if you are still out there, your NCL Alaska cruise is now getting closer and I would like details.

 

Sorry for the delay in responding @KmomChicago, I've been offline. I'm also afraid I won't be much help -- I couldn't tell you a thing about the upcoming NCL Alaska cruise in July other than we're going to Glacier Bay (the one thing I asked the planner to do). This is a celebration cruise for my best friend who beat breast cancer last year; her brother is planning and paying for this trip for her family and the folks who got her through the dark days. We could be on a rowboat with granola bars and juice boxes for all I care, as I'm sure you can understand! ❤️ I hope your planning is going well. 

[Caribensun]

Only m opinion;

love Royal Princess, my favorite ship over all of the newer ships as previously stated.

Princess to Alaska, I prefer Sapphire Princess or HAL smaller ships as they have an indoor pool and covered full promenade deck for walking and viewing.  HAL is best they open up the bow for glacier Bay viewing and offer pea soup and hot chocolate, Neptune suites have chairs to sit down on if needed and blankets. Also the smaller ships get the closer docks to town. Princess brings sled puppies onboard and both lines do bring rangers onboard and lectures throughout the cruises.

 

[SF Cfan]

On 2/9/2023 at 12:53 AM, Caribensun said:

Only m opinion;

love Royal Princess, my favorite ship over all of the newer ships as previously stated.

Princess to Alaska, I prefer Sapphire Princess or HAL smaller ships as they have an indoor pool and covered full promenade deck for walking and viewing.  HAL is best they open up the bow for glacier Bay viewing and offer pea soup and hot chocolate, Neptune suites have chairs to sit down on if needed and blankets. Also the smaller ships get the closer docks to town. Princess brings sled puppies onboard and both lines do bring rangers onboard and lectures throughout the cruises.

 

My wife and I are two more instant fans of Princess due to our first cruise on Royal Princess last Sep/Oct.  We are looking forward to our next cruise on Carnival but will book on Princess in the future as much as the budget allows.