Carnival Radiance July 18-22: Thoughts and Tips from our first (last?) Carnival cruise

[Joe817]

4 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

I am trying t find out if the MDR is open on embarkation day or do you have to go to the buffet or one of the smaller restaurants??

Thanks in advance 1st 4 day cruise on Carnival..going with 9 in family..

Jancruz1

For dinner only. It's not open at any other time on embarkation day. 

[KarmaCruisers]

Honestly right now any carnival cruise out of LBC is going to be 100% packed. California is full of people and carnival will do anything to sell their ship 100% out.

it sucks but get a balcony and just avoid public areas.

[Jancruz]

57 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

For dinner only. It's not open at any other time on embarkation day. 

Best place to eat if I dont like buffets..??

Jancruz1

[cruisingguy007]

8 hours ago, Nike4000 said:

Interesting review OP. Wife and I will be sailing on the Radiance next month and are eager to see if our experience matches yours. However, we typically avoid crowds (especially in the hot tub) and prefer sitting in a comfy chair reading a book in a quiet corner somewhere. So, it should be a fun comparison!

 

Also, regarding the plebes wearing jammies and, {{shudder}}, FLIP FLOPS to the MDR. <-- Please note the sarcasm in that line.  Who cares? I refuse to let anyone else's sartorial choices dictate my enjoyment of a meal on a cruise. I prefer to focus on the people I'm with and enjoy their company & the food I order. For comparison, last weekend we ate dinner at Fogo de Chão, an upscale Brazilian Churrascaria, and there were people wearing shorts, flip flops, hats, etc. Even nice restaurants on land have guests who don't follow the dress code. Should the manager have sent them back home to change their wardrobe?

 

I concur with your assessment, however, I would not consider Fogo de Chão to be upscale. It's about as upscale as Sizzler lol.  

[MattVegas]

1 hour ago, Jancruz said:

I am trying t find out if the MDR is open on embarkation day or do you have to go to the buffet or one of the smaller restaurants??

Thanks in advance 1st 4 day cruise on Carnival..going with 9 in family..

Jancruz1

MDR is not open for lunch but it is open for dinner. Everything on Lido is open for lunch. 

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, MattVegas said:

MDR is not open for lunch but it is open for dinner. Everything on Lido is open for lunch. 

Thank you

The adult only Serenity lounge does it have to be booked ahead??

Jancruz1

[pc_load_letter]

I was thinking about some tips for Carnival cruisers the other day but did not think it warranted a new thread.

 

Tip, for those bringing kids on and you intend to have them play in the pool, please give them some pool toys to bring along.

 

I feel so bad for these kids who get there, get their water wings on, and have nothing to do but swim from side to side. Especially for the younger kids. The older kids can at least get a game of Marco Polo going.

 

I dunno, growing up the best pool toy I had was the colored rings that sank to the bottom and you had to fetch them. Hours and hours of play.

[cruisingguy007]

2 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

I was thinking about some tips for Carnival cruisers the other day but did not think it warranted a new thread.

 

Tip, for those bringing kids on and you intend to have them play in the pool, please give them some pool toys to bring along.

 

I feel so bad for these kids who get there, get their water wings on, and have nothing to do but swim from side to side. Especially for the younger kids. The older kids can at least get a game of Marco Polo going.

 

I dunno, growing up the best pool toy I had was the colored rings that sank to the bottom and you had to fetch them. Hours and hours of play.

 

Come on man, everyone cheats at Marco Polo, might as well just play tag, it's the same thing essentially. 😁

 

Having a bunch of kids diving down under the water in a crowded pool isn't the best thing safety wise. Some of the kids can barely swim, their parent(s) aren't watching them and I've seen some uncomfortable things that send me into lifeguard mode. Maybe some of those soft water balls for catch or a small water basketball type thing would be cool and interactive for a group type setting and would be conducive to getting everyone involved and making new friends. Or even a water volleyball session. That could be fun for adults as well. Beats standing around peeing/drinking and complaining about kids splashing in your drink and using the pool as a pool instead of a place to stand, drink and pee 😝. The "get off my lawn folks" turn into the "get out of my pool folks" and ruin the fun. 

[Despegue]

Please do NOT bring nor use pool toys in the various pools onboard. The pools are NOT suited for diving, which is forbidden by the way, are too small and crowded for free play.

For Water Fun, you have the Waterworks onboard , which is a safe and fun-designed water area specifically designed for small and large kids.

 

best regards

Capt. Despegue

 

[ABQrobin]

12 hours ago, Jancruz said:

I am trying t find out if the MDR is open on embarkation day or do you have to go to the buffet or one of the smaller restaurants??

Thanks in advance 1st 4 day cruise on Carnival..going with 9 in family..

Jancruz1

restaurants are closed embarkation day due to lack of staff... most of the crew is busy loading and delivering luggage all morning, so the buffet area is all that can be open.

[pc_load_letter]

3 hours ago, Despegue said:

Please do NOT bring nor use pool toys in the various pools onboard. The pools are NOT suited for diving, which is forbidden by the way, are too small and crowded for free play.

For Water Fun, you have the Waterworks onboard , which is a safe and fun-designed water area specifically designed for small and large kids.

 

best regards

Capt. Despegue

 

 

Thank you captain obvious. A person can fetch items from the bottom of a pool without diving in.

 

And I have been with kids who played in the waterworks for all of an hour. Did slides a couple times and that was it. Some kids prefer pools, especially if they don't have them at home.

[sheriday1980]

10 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

I was thinking about some tips for Carnival cruisers the other day but did not think it warranted a new thread.

 

Tip, for those bringing kids on and you intend to have them play in the pool, please give them some pool toys to bring along.

 

I feel so bad for these kids who get there, get their water wings on, and have nothing to do but swim from side to side. Especially for the younger kids. The older kids can at least get a game of Marco Polo going.

 

I dunno, growing up the best pool toy I had was the colored rings that sank to the bottom and you had to fetch them. Hours and hours of play.

 

I plan on bringing a couple floating toys and a couple "retrieving" toys. Although she loves waterslides, she's also happy to practice her real swimming and play with a little floating shark.

[UPNYGuy]

if you want to avoid this type of demographic, avoid the short cruises. You get this on any cruise line because the lead-in rates are low. We just did a 10 day on Carnival and did not see this at all. If you REALLY want to do a shorter cruise, book one on a more expensive ship. 

[UPNYGuy]

On 7/26/2022 at 8:02 PM, cruisingguy007 said:

 If you give Panorama a chance, you'll notice a lot less of that

 

Correct! Especially when you book in the Havana area. you are looking at around $1500 for an interior cabin for a week (and more if you want a cabana or balcony), vs $1500 for a suite on Radiance for a short sailing. Much different experience. 

[Jancruz]

Can someone tell me how you get to the Adult only Serenity area on the ship..do you have to make a reservation??

Thanks,

Jancruz1

[amster65]

A three day cruise is not a cruise, its a boat trip.

[ABQrobin]

30 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Can someone tell me how you get to the Adult only Serenity area on the ship..do you have to make a reservation??

Thanks,

Jancruz1

Its usually on the top aft section of the ship, outdoors, no reservations.  Some larger ships have a food area there including the bar, with their own selections found just there.  We liked the Serenity on the Vista as they had a great salad bar at lunch.  

[sailingwithfriends]

On 7/26/2022 at 7:00 PM, MattVegas said:

First, to set a baseline: this was our second cruise ever... the first being a trip to Alaska with Princess. We had intended to book the exact same itinerary - and dates - with RCL, but because of our group's ages and cabin requirements we had to go with Carnival and their more lenient booking policies for the under-21 crowd. My wife and I were traveling with four teens (19, 17, 17, and 15). We booked three 'spa balcony' rooms close together on the port side of deck 10. 

 

Pre-Cruise: We opted for the at-home proctored Covid tests from eMed. Super simple, easy to use, and affordable. Highly recommended. And using the Verifly app to have everything sorted in advance made check-in at the terminal a breeze. One fail on my part: I did not print our boarding passes at home. This meant we had to stand in another line and delayed our entry to the terminal by about ten minutes. We also forgot to bring face masks - but there's an employee out front that will provide you with one.

 

Embarkation Day: The whole process was very easy and well organized. We had requested an early boarding time, which I would suggest - it makes lunch a lot more enjoyable. This cruise was at capacity, so long lines were common for food. Embarkation day is a good time to try Big Chicken or the BBQ place, because they are located further aft than all the other food options and the crowd isn't familiar with the boat yet. We walked right up to Shaq's at noon, no line at all. By the time we were done and walking forward to explore the boat, the line for the burger place was about 100 people long. 

 

Food: As advertised. Chicken/Burgers/Blue Iguana were all quite good. MDR was variable in quality but most dishes were successful. Fahrenheit 555 was booked solid a couple of days before departure, so book that early if you want to eat there. We did order a couple of steaks from there as an add-on in the MDR and they were fantastic. The 'Indian vegetarian' option that is on the menu nightly was completely inedible. The ability to reserve your 'any time' table through the app was a welcome way to avoid standing around in line outside the restaurant.

 

Staff callouts: Annalynn was our server on the first night. She remembered all six of our names throughout the cruise when we would see her in other areas of the ship, despite only having us that one time. She is incredible. Bambang is another MDR server who we loved. Our room steward, Ganda, and his assistant Andi are amazing. Zsolt, the Hungarian wizard behind the bar at Alchemy, was great as well. This is, by far, the best bar on the ship. Gabe, the cruise director, is a hoot. Also a hell of a dancer.

 

MDR Dress Code: This is where things start to go sideways for me. Carnival needs to either enforce their dress code, or do away with it altogether. It is nothing more than a suggestion. On 'Cruise Elegant' night, we saw baseball hats, t-shirts, flip-flops, a muscle shirt, even a teen in pajama pants. The hands-off approach to this issue is a brand decision, and it dumbs down the experience for everyone. One of the comedians called this a 'section 8 cruise' in his act. It felt like it much of the time. There were a lot of times during this four days that I felt like I was in a Walmart. I f%$#ing hate Walmart.

 

Catalina: The tender process is a total mess if you wait until the numbered group tickets are gone. We stood in a winding line through the hallways of deck one for 40 minutes. My advice is to go early. If you're going to rent a golf cart, make a reservation (one of the companies allows this on their website). They were all rented out when we finally got onto the island and there was a line of 30 groups waiting for carts to come back. Cute place, though. The brew pub is awesome and has a unique beer that is brewed with local wild black sage, picked on the hills above town. Highly recommended.

 

Ensenada: well covered by others on these boards. It's what you make of it. Be prepared to stand in a shockingly long security line if you return to the ship at the end of the day. Photo below. That night, Gabe hosted a dance party on the deck. It was well attended and lots of fun.

"Fun day at sea": It was pretty weird to be on a cruise ship that was just floating in the same place all day. This is clearly a three-day itinerary that they're stretching out to make a little more money.

 

(lack of) Oversight: The hands off approach around the dress code is, unfortunately, seen in other areas of the ship's operations. Security seems non-existent. There was an altercation between passengers, screaming profanities at one another and spitting on one another in the center of the Lido deck one afternoon. It went on for several minutes with no intervention. It was appalling. Speaking of the Lido deck, see the attached photo of one of the hot tubs, which by my count had 23 people in it. Including two kids eating ice cream cones. And clearly a life guard above thinks this is all just dandy. Kids running up and down the halls yelling at 3AM on two of the four nights. Groups of kids blocking the stairs by using them as a seating area on multiple occasions. There was just a ton of behavior that was completely disrespectful and selfish. This behavior is tacitly accepted by Carnival - they are sending a message that they won't interfere with your FUN... and you get to decide what fun means to you.

.

 

Maybe we're not in Carnival's prime demographic. I don't know. But none of this felt refined to me in any way. If the ship wasn't booked so full, maybe it would have been better. I don't know. What I do know is that their current business model feels like a race to the bottom. And if you don't expect your guests to act with class... many of them will not. I don't see a scenario where I would sail with them again.

We sailed this 5 day cruise on the Radiance in March. Things must have really changed. It was a very, very quiet ship.  I guess when school is out it gets more like your experience.

[cruisingguy007]

2 hours ago, sailingwithfriends said:

We sailed this 5 day cruise on the Radiance in March. Things must have really changed. It was a very, very quiet ship.  I guess when school is out it gets more like your experience.

 

Indeed, younger demographic with kids, when school is in the demographic skews much older and the 4 days are calmer than the 3 day, those don't really have a season and are pretty consistent booze cruises. 

[EarloftheSeas]

Jan,  check out Cucina del Capitano on embarkation day for lunch.  I and one other group of 3 were the only ones there, when I cruised in late June.  Upstairs from the buffet.

Edited July 30, 2022 by EarloftheSeas
added timeframe for my cruise.

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, EarloftheSeas said:

Jan,  check out Cucina del Capitano on embarkation day for lunch.  I and one other group of 3 were the only ones there, when I cruised in late June.  Upstairs from the buffet.

I will thanks for the tip!! What time did you get up there??

Our first time on Carnival in 20 years..we are going with Daughter and her husband, Stu and I, daughters ex husband and wife, grandaughter , grandson and great grandaughter 10 years old..very excited..We usually cruise on much smaller ships so this will be an experience..

Jancruz1

Edited July 30, 2022 by Jancruz
Forgot a question

[EarloftheSeas]

The timestamp on my pasta lunch pic from there says 11:46am!!  I got on the ship early and that was my second stop (after the red frog rum bar....hehehe.) 🙂

 

I hope you have an amazing cruise!!  In my book, there's nothing like a big family cruise.  So nice to have dinner together each night.  Enjoy!! 🙂

 

 

[shdixon]

Short cruises normally have a younger crowd. They are also cheaper so you will see a variety of people on there. Some who behave like they've never been any place before

[CruizinSusan70]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:30 PM, cruisingguy007 said:

 

I concur with your assessment, however, I would not consider Fogo de Chão to be upscale. It's about as upscale as Sizzler lol.  

Sizzler, which has been out of my area for about 35 years or more had entrees that topped out at about 8 bucks.  Fogo de Chao is about 60+ pp and I never saw valet parking at Sizzler back in the day.  Sizzler was comparable to Bonanza and Ponderosa.  I personally would choose Fogo over anything that Carnival offers and that includes their steakhouse or Rudi's Seagrill.

[Californian]

On 7/28/2022 at 6:14 PM, Jancruz said:

Best place to eat if I dont like buffets..??

Jancruz1

On Embarkation Day, you could also try the Pig and Anchor for lunch.  Pig & Anchor is only available on embarkation day and sea day and it's seating outside.  If it's open, Cucina del Capitano is indoors and free at lunch time.