Which cruise line for Europe? Carnival or ?????

[BlerkOne]

Carnival Pride in Dover today(?)

 

Doesn't look like a rust bucket.

 

[luv2trvlnow]

6 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Have you checked with what Royal offers and how the price compares?

They don't have cruises that go to the same ports.  If I find a cruise for some of the ports, the other ports are at a different time of year, like months apart, or from a different home port.  They don't have any longer cruises so it would have to be a back to back of 6 and/or 7 day cruises.  Just doesn't work.  Their only cruise to Dubrovnik next year is in April and we already have a month long trip planned for April. Didn't really check the prices since I couldn't put together a combination of cruises I liked.  I first find the cruises and then check the prices.

[KmomChicago]

On 7/30/2022 at 12:50 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

The Enchanted Princess does a 21 day cruise out of Athens visiting many of the same ports with no duplication and only five at sea days, leaving on September 23.  Princess also has their EZAir program which provides round trip air at a reduced rate and also provides the flexibility to not having to pay until final payment.  Next year the Enchanted will be 3 years old versus the 20+ years that the Pride has been around.  Many don't care about the ship, while others factor it into their decision.  I personally would want my first cruise across the pond to go off without a hitch, unlike what Eli_6 went through on the Pride this week.

 

I have not read the whole thread yet, but a big part of @Eli_6 initial difficulty had to do with the traffic issues at the port of Dover which did NOT start them off on a good foot.  It is hard to relax and enjoy your vacation when the logistics of just getting on to and on the ship are difficult to nightmarish. 

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

So, the Pride would not be your first choice, which correlates to exactly what I said.  You wish to book a larger ship with more amenities, but you choose the Pride because Carnival is a value line in Europe since they have ZERO marketing presence and they are the cheapest option on many sailings.

 

The OP has already made up their mind and they just came here to get validation.  I personally couldn't care one way or another which cruise line they choose, I'm just giving my opinion that I think it's better to choose a line that is an expert in the area you're visiting or that at least has a few more bells and whistles than what is on a 20+ year old ship in the Pride.  Many think of it as a floating Motel 6 to get them from port A to port B and if that is how you think, more power to you.  I just think differently.  Enjoy your cruise next May on the Pride.

 

Duly noted. You've made your opinion clear as well as your opinion of Carnival as a Motel 6 that in your opinion is not good enough for what you want in your opinion and that people who are of the opinion that Carnival is great, good, okay for the money, or the only thing they can afford, need to be repeatedly reminded of your opinion that there are other cruise lines that are better, in your opinion, because said people could only possibly choose Carnival if they wear rose colored glasses or believe Carnival can do no wrong. Certainly they don't choose Carnival because the actual choice is: take a cruise they can afford or don't cruise at all.  And of course you don't care what they do, which is why you are here stating your negative and judgmental opinion of Carnival here on the Carnival forum with people who like Carnival so we can all hear your opinions against Carnival here on the Carnival forum. 

 

But I am sure I have missed some details about your opinion so please feel free to clarify with more details about your opinions. I won't see them, but you should definitely post them anyway, here on the Carnival forum, and definitely explain repeatedly how your opinion differs from most of the other opinions here. 

 

Have a lovely and blessed and opinionated day and week and rest of your summer. 

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival Pride in Dover today(?)

 

Doesn't look like a rust bucket.

 

and she didn't sink at the dock, because she's moving

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9223954

 

 

[DONIC]

On 7/30/2022 at 12:34 PM, CruizinSusan70 said:

The ship is the destination for those that cruise the Caribbean all of the time just like it could be for someone that lives in Europe that has seen the ports over there multiple times. This was mentioned by someone who missed out on Greenland and was relegated to going to Norway instead.

If you're cruising in Europe for the first time obviously the ports are going to be more important but at the same time, you're on the ship more than you're in port so the ship you choose is indeed important. 

Carnival as usual is the price leader most of the time but since they only have a single ship in Europe there are other lines that provide more variety and choice.  If you wear rose colored glasses and think that Carnival does no wrong, choose the Pride. 

Did RCCL Brillance in May.  Loved everything about it even though I am platinum with Carnival.  Went for the ports

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, luv2trvlnow said:

I am the OP.  The only reason I asked this was because CruizinSusan70 said other lines do Europe better than Carnival.  So far I don't see why she says that.  Most of the talk is about the ship.  I guess that is how they do it better.  If price was not a consideration than sure the other lines would be my first choice.  But I just can't see paying $4600 more for Princess (21 day cruise) or $5300+ for a back to back on Celebrity Beyond and the Celebrity would be in an inside cabin.  The bells and whistles are nice but not thousands of $$$$ nice.   I would still need to pay for excursions on those lines.  They are not included. 

 

I was just trying to find out if another line would provide something more than a fancier, newer ship.  If so, I would be willing to switch.  We almost always choose a cruise fare that is refundable.

 

She told me to enjoy my cruise.  It is my dime.  Actually it is $1000's of dollars.  

If money is an issue, then obviously Princess or Celebrity are going to be more expensive because they are both elevated lines compared to Carnival.  

On this side of the pond, RCI and NCL are Carnivals major competition.  In Europe, it would also include MSC.  You have to deal with announcements in different languages and the cruise is European skewed, but many of their ships are newer than the 20+ year old Pride. MSC, with the Seaview, Seashore or World Europa have three ships that would blow the doors off of the Pride.  This is a Carnival thread and many have never sailed on MSC, but I can tell you this,  MSC has a much larger presence on this side of the pond than Carnival has over there.  Enjoy your cruise.  Hopefully it goes off without a hitch.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

 

Duly noted. You've made your opinion clear as well as your opinion of Carnival as a Motel 6 that in your opinion is not good enough for what you want in your opinion and that people who are of the opinion that Carnival is great, good, okay for the money, or the only thing they can afford, need to be repeatedly reminded of your opinion that there are other cruise lines that are better, in your opinion, because said people could only possibly choose Carnival if they wear rose colored glasses or believe Carnival can do no wrong. Certainly they don't choose Carnival because the actual choice is: take a cruise they can afford or don't cruise at all.  And of course you don't care what they do, which is why you are here stating your negative and judgmental opinion of Carnival here on the Carnival forum with people who like Carnival so we can all hear your opinions against Carnival here on the Carnival forum. 

 

But I am sure I have missed some details about your opinion so please feel free to clarify with more details about your opinions. I won't see them, but you should definitely post them anyway, here on the Carnival forum, and definitely explain repeatedly how your opinion differs from most of the other opinions here. 

 

Have a lovely and blessed and opinionated day and week and rest of your summer. 

Wow...the Motel 6 comment was in reference to those who stated that they chose their ship as a floating motel just to get from port to port. Don't know how you could possibly infer that I said that Carnival as a whole was Motel 6.  

I've cruised on Carnival 22 times over the past 35+ years and have another 7 booked on Excel Class.  So I am far from anti Carnival.  Of course I expected to get ripped on the Carnival boards for stating that it's my opinion to cruise on a different line when in Europe.  I took the blinders off years ago and others on this board have not.  It has enabled me to enjoy multiple cruises on other lines.  I wish that others would take the blinders off as well so they can enjoy their precious vacation time on other lines.

[BlerkOne]

MSC has a total of what, 20 cruise ships scattered about? Carnival Cruise Line by itself has more than that. Carnival Corp has over 90 including several European brands.

 

MSC entered the cruise biz in 1988. The company itself in 1970. Princess has been around since the mid 60s, and Holland America for almost 150 years.

 

MSC would like to be the largest cruise line in Europe by 2027. We'll see if they can fill all those ships.

[BlerkOne]

For someone to remove blinders, they must first be wearing them. I don't automatically assume any who disagree with me are blind. 

 

That would be extremely arrogant. I did mention extremely, didn't I?

 

If it walks like a duck, it must be anti-Carnival.

[CruizinSusan70]

2 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

MSC has a total of what, 20 cruise ships scattered about? Carnival Cruise Line by itself has more than that. Carnival Corp has over 90 including several European brands.

 

MSC entered the cruise biz in 1988. The company itself in 1970. Princess has been around since the mid 60s, and Holland America for almost 150 years.

 

MSC would like to be the largest cruise line in Europe by 2027. We'll see if they can fill all those ships.

You can't compare Carnival Corp with MSC.  You compare a cruise line with a cruise line, not a cruise corporation with an individual cruise line.  MSC is a single cruise line that dominates Europe and is starting to gain ground in North America, but they would be fourth after NCL.  CCL, on the other hand is comparable with RCI on this side of the pond but as you know has zero marketing presence in Europe and they send the occasional ship or maybe two over there.  MSC has a larger presence in North America than Carnival has in Europe.  

MSC also has the financial resources to have six ships in their pipeline, while Carnival has two.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

If it walks like a duck, it must be anti-Carnival.

22 cruises on Carnival and 7 more booked is not anti Carnival at all.  I never said that you wore blinders Blerk since you have sailed on other lines, but there are many on this board and even in this thread that have put all of their eggs in the Carnival basket.  It's their prerogative but at the same time there is a whole new world outside of just cruising on Carnival.

[BlerkOne]

4 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

22 cruises on Carnival and 7 more booked is not anti Carnival at all.  I never said that you wore blinders Blerk since you have sailed on other lines, but there are many on this board and even in this thread that have put all of their eggs in the Carnival basket.  It's their prerogative but at the same time there is a whole new world outside of just cruising on Carnival.

Your words speak louder than your cruise count. Much like post counts, cruise counts are largely irrelevant. 

 

Do you routinely change doctors just because? Or do you find one that suits you? 

 

Many of us know the grass isn't greener. We are happy.

[luv2trvlnow]

52 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

If money is an issue, then obviously Princess or Celebrity are going to be more expensive because they are both elevated lines compared to Carnival.  

On this side of the pond, RCI and NCL are Carnivals major competition.  In Europe, it would also include MSC.  You have to deal with announcements in different languages and the cruise is European skewed, but many of their ships are newer than the 20+ year old Pride. MSC, with the Seaview, Seashore or World Europa have three ships that would blow the doors off of the Pride.  This is a Carnival thread and many have never sailed on MSC, but I can tell you this,  MSC has a much larger presence on this side of the pond than Carnival has over there.  Enjoy your cruise.  Hopefully it goes off without a hitch.

Well MSC doesn't have any cruises listed in Europe past April of next year.  And what they have until then doesn't go to the ports we want to go to.  Like I said I'm cruising for the ports not the ship.  For the Caribbean you have many choices of newer ships on all the cruise lines.  And most go to the same places.  This is not the case for our cruises next year.  The cruise lines with similar ports and days cost way more.  I am not crusing to Europe just to be in Europe.  I want certain ports.  I have been to Europe on land trips so I am looking for a specfic itinerary. 

 

And yes money is a concern.  I think it is for most people.  I am happy that it isn't for you.  I would not enjoy a cruise if I paid 4 to 5 thousand dollars more just to be on a newer ship.  The old Pride will work for this old 70 and 74 year old couple.

[CruizinSusan70]

32 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Your words speak louder than your cruise count. Much like post counts, cruise counts are largely irrelevant. 

 

Do you routinely change doctors just because? Or do you find one that suits you? 

 

Many of us know the grass isn't greener. We are happy.

Cruise counts are certainly relevant when someone accuses you of being anti Carnival.  And we both know that 100% of your past cruises have not all been on Carnival.  So don't give me the grass isn't greener nonsense.

[CruizinSusan70]

10 minutes ago, luv2trvlnow said:

Well MSC doesn't have any cruises listed in Europe past April of next year.  And what they have until then doesn't go to the ports we want to go to.  Like I said I'm cruising for the ports not the ship.  For the Caribbean you have many choices of newer ships on all the cruise lines.  And most go to the same places.  This is not the case for our cruises next year.  The cruise lines with similar ports and days cost way more.  I am not crusing to Europe just to be in Europe.  I want certain ports.  I have been to Europe on land trips so I am looking for a specfic itinerary. 

 

And yes money is a concern.  I think it is for most people.  I am happy that it isn't for you.  I would not enjoy a cruise if I paid 4 to 5 thousand dollars more just to be on a newer ship.  The old Pride will work for this old 70 and 74 year old couple.

MSC has about 9 or 10 ships sailing in Europe next summer.  If you're looking for a specific itinerary and the Pride satisfies it, great.  

[BlerkOne]

7 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Cruise counts are certainly relevant when someone accuses you of being anti Carnival.  And we both know that 100% of your past cruises have not all been on Carnival.  So don't give me the grass isn't greener nonsense.

I know 100% of my future cruises aren't on Carnival, but it isn't because of ship envy. Mainly objective reasons like itinerary. For meeting simple cruising requirements, Carnival checks all the boxes at affordable prices. And my wallet stays greener.

 

If someone is constantly bashing Carnival, they are anti-Carnival in my book 

[travelplus]

My Parents and I are doing the 9 day British Isles out of Dover on the Pride. We are using the ship as our transportation, some meals and entertrianment. Instead of renting a car or hours on a bus or taking two trains to the destination we are using the ship as our hotel. 

 

We got an extended baclony and I personally love the small ships having saild on Royal Caribbena's Serenade as my first ship.   My Parents and I are Diamond on Royal and I took a 8 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Panorama in a Blacony and loved it.

 

We first booked a Oceanview and then got an upgrade offer for $ 100 for the first two passengers for an Extended Balcony.  Then the price came down and  we moved from Deck 5 to Deck 7 with cabins above and below near the  midship stairs/lifts and got $400 in OBC so I applied it to two excursions, 

 

We do not need all the bells and whistels just a Balcony, room service, daily cleaning , good MDR and Steakhouse.  We have two sea days which is what I want in an itinerary to do the Sea Day Brunch or Dr. Seuss Breakfast.

 

Point is I plan to go on Celebrity on our next cruise but this itinerary was the one we wanted.   We are full vaccinated and boosted and just did the Verifly and will book our PCR test three days before.

 

I like that Carnival requires those to be vaccinated and boosted and tested. while I wish the testing goes away at some point right now I think it still needs to be done.

 

Also Carnival has great comedy which I loved on the Panorama.  The Pride is such a beautiful ship and I love classic ships. I do not want loud partiers even on my Panorma Cruise it was calm.

 

I would never take a 3-4 day party cruise!

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

 

If someone is constantly bashing Carnival, they are anti-Carnival in my book 

The ONLY thing I have ever bashed Carnival about is being a follower instead of a leader.  Complaining about this on a thread or two is far from constant bashing.  At least I see things in shades of gray instead of those that see things as black and white.

[TheSeagoer]

2 hours ago, travelplus said:

My Parents and I are doing the 9 day British Isles out of Dover on the Pride. We are using the ship as our transportation, some meals and entertrianment. Instead of renting a car or hours on a bus or taking two trains to the destination we are using the ship as our hotel. 

 

We got an extended baclony and I personally love the small ships having saild on Royal Caribbena's Serenade as my first ship.   My Parents and I are Diamond on Royal and I took a 8 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Panorama in a Blacony and loved it.

 

We first booked a Oceanview and then got an upgrade offer for $ 100 for the first two passengers for an Extended Balcony.  Then the price came down and  we moved from Deck 5 to Deck 7 with cabins above and below near the  midship stairs/lifts and got $400 in OBC so I applied it to two excursions, 

 

We do not need all the bells and whistels just a Balcony, room service, daily cleaning , good MDR and Steakhouse.  We have two sea days which is what I want in an itinerary to do the Sea Day Brunch or Dr. Seuss Breakfast.

 

Point is I plan to go on Celebrity on our next cruise but this itinerary was the one we wanted.   We are full vaccinated and boosted and just did the Verifly and will book our PCR test three days before.

 

I like that Carnival requires those to be vaccinated and boosted and tested. while I wish the testing goes away at some point right now I think it still needs to be done.

 

Also Carnival has great comedy which I loved on the Panorama.  The Pride is such a beautiful ship and I love classic ships. I do not want loud partiers even on my Panorma Cruise it was calm.

 

I would never take a 3-4 day party cruise!

Do you require those very items in your everyday life,?

[bftcruiser]

My DH and I are doing our first Med cruise this October and although we've been loyal Carnival cruisers, we booked this one on Celebrity. They were/are having a great sale and our fare includes a balcony room, drinks, tips, wi-fi, a $400 OBC , four excursions through the ship, and airfare. We paid just over $7500 for all of it. This is our 40th anniversary trip so we splurged more than we normally would have.

[Amyracecar]

We're booked on the 8th October Itinerary, flying over to Rome from the UK. As with the OP, we booked based on the itinerary, as it's great to be able to see Ephasus, Athens, Rome, Pompeii, Olympia and others from just one cruise. From my own experience, European stops involve more walking than almost anywhere in the world because there is so much history in one place (if you're into that sort of thing). Other than sea days, when we get back to the ship you're often too tired to do very much so the ship itself is less of a concern than if we're in other locations. That being said, we had a lovely cruise on the Legend so a sister ship will bring back some fond memories. Plus it's due a dry dock (I believe?) before we go, so perhaps some of the cosmetic defects might be improved. 

[luv2trvlnow]

26 minutes ago, Amyracecar said:

We're booked on the 8th October Itinerary, flying over to Rome from the UK. As with the OP, we booked based on the itinerary, as it's great to be able to see Ephasus, Athens, Rome, Pompeii, Olympia and others from just one cruise. From my own experience, European stops involve more walking than almost anywhere in the world because there is so much history in one place (if you're into that sort of thing). Other than sea days, when we get back to the ship you're often too tired to do very much so the ship itself is less of a concern than if we're in other locations. That being said, we had a lovely cruise on the Legend so a sister ship will bring back some fond memories. Plus it's due a dry dock (I believe?) before we go, so perhaps some of the cosmetic defects might be improved. 

Hello fellow cruiser.  I felt the same way about the itinerary.  So many places we want to see and the B2B offered a few more interesting stops.   Hope we have a chance to meet when onboard.

[jsglow]

15 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival Pride in Dover today(?)

 

Doesn't look like a rust bucket.

 

See that Clam Shell on the Serenity @BlerkOne?  No, no, the one next to it.  There you go; that's it.  That one is MINE. Don't forget!

[Deathloks]

16 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival Pride in Dover today(?)

 

Doesn't look like a rust bucket.

 

I know you are having bit of a fun with that claim.  We were seriously thinking of booking on the Pride for 2023.  Regardless of the ports/tenders problems and personal comments some cruisers are making we have cruised on older ships in the past with absolutely a lot of fun.

 

We know of at least one couple making it a 52-day cruise on the Pride this year, thanks to the fact the itinerary has been set up almost perfectly (in other words, you don't get to see all the same ports over and over again this summer).  However, next year things are set up differently.  It's very sad.

 

To be honest, I don't mind at all when people complain about a thing or another one.  I find it usually helps me know what to expect.  Like:  "Oh...it's a rust bucket" and me getting on the ship: "Oh, there is not so much rust in here, just a little bit".  Fully knowing it's a 20-years old ship.

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Deathloks