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

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Well, 2024 is a long way off, that said, unless something dynamic changes in the interim, there is no way in Hades a cruise line will visit any Russian port.

And you wonder why they still list it. Do they really think that people do not know what is going on with Russia?

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I believe NCL has St Petersburg on their itinerary in2024.  It surprised me to see it, but it was there when I looked a few weeks ago.  We’ve been twice and it was a most memorable port.  So glad we saw it then because I don’t believe I would go there again.

I feel sorry for the guides in St. Petersburg who have now lost their livelihood.

 

And it was in St. Petersburg that the first protests were of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. It is a shame that the common folk suffer for the sins of the politicians. JMHO.

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Does Carnival have enrichment lectures/speakers/tour guides on their Euro cruises?  

Nope, nothing of the sort. They don't offer anything about any of the European ports. No printouts, no information on the CCTV, nothing on the app, literally no information whatsoever. It was that way all 31 days I was on the Pride. Royal, Celebrity, NCL, MSC, Princess all provide information. That's the issue I have with Carnival in Europe. When you attend the Ports of Call shows they don't talk about the Ports at all but what are the remaining tours that are available for sale. I wasted 90 mins attending that show. 

[maryann2]

12 hours ago, luv2trvlnow said:

I did look at Celebrity for the B2B.  We do get to go to Ephesus on the Pride, but not Istanbul.  But I don't think being in Istanbul for the afternoon one day  and the morning the next is all that great.  It would cost us just over $10,000 for a deluxe inside cabin for those 2 cruises.  We are paying $4658 for the 2 cruises on the Pride for a balcony.  That is a savings of over $5300.  It just seems to good to pass up the Pride for that price difference. 

 

Try Costa or MSC for Istanbul.

Honestly sailing in and out of Istanbul is beautiful as of course is sailing in and out of Venice. 

I'm glad that I was able to see St Petersburg before this conflict.

My first visit to Istanbul was in 1973 on a Black Sea cruise. Also visited Odessa Yalta and Sochi. That ship sailed from Constanza, Rumania. It was amazing.

Our Russian visas at that time were on a slip of paper inside our passports. If it was stamped in our passport we would not have been allowed to enter the USA.

[sunonfire]

Did you look at Costa Cruises? I watched a Costa Mediterranean cruise on the Smithsonian Channel last night. It was impressive.

[maryann2]

8 minutes ago, sunonfire said:

Did you look at Costa Cruises? I watched a Costa Mediterranean cruise on the Smithsonian Channel last night. It was impressive.

I love Costa. Have sailed many times with them.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I feel sorry for the guides in St. Petersburg who have now lost their livelihood.

 

And it was in St. Petersburg that the first protests were of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. It is a shame that the common folk suffer for the sins of the politicians. JMHO.

I remember our two tour guides so well. Delightful young women who taught us so much.  I hope they are okay.

[jimbo5544]

4 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Does Carnival have enrichment lectures/speakers/tour guides on their Euro cruises?  

No

 

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, maryann2 said:

Try Costa or MSC for Istanbul.

 

Princess and Holland sometimes.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

They don't offer anything about any of the European ports. It was that way all 31 days I was on the Pride. Royal, Celebrity, NCL, MSC, Princess all provide information. That's the issue I have with Carnival in Europe. 

👍👍👍

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, sunonfire said:

Did you look at Costa Cruises? I watched a Costa Mediterranean cruise on the Smithsonian Channel last night. It was impressive.

They are part of Carnival Corporation that does Europe right, based in Italy.  Similar to P&O based in the UK and Aida based in Germany.

[LMaxwell]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

No

 

I think that may be part of the reason for OP's post. 

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

I think that may be part of the reason for OP's post. 

I really ahve no idea but was answering the question.  I have dome 5 star cruises to the med area and we did not have anything like that.

[kwokpot]

2 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I really ahve no idea but was answering the question.  I have dome 5 star cruises to the med area and we did not have anything like that.

Celebrity and Princess both bring on lecturers to talk about what guests will be seeing. Princess is famous for their Alaska cruises for having a Naturalist aboard discussing the wildlife and icebergs that one will be seeing on your cruise.   

[jimbo5544]

Just now, kwokpot said:

Celebrity and Princess both bring on lecturers to talk about what guests will be seeing. Princess is famous for their Alaska cruises for having a Naturalist aboard discussing the wildlife and icebergs that one will be seeing on your cruise.   

 

Just now, kwokpot said:

Celebrity and Princess both bring on lecturers to talk about what guests will be seeing. Princess is famous for their Alaska cruises for having a Naturalist aboard discussing the wildlife and icebergs that one will be seeing on your cruise.   

Do not have a dog in this fight, was just giving facts from my cruises.  The 5 start  cruise line I traveled on was Azamara.

 

ALl cruise line have naturists in Canada, or at least used to.

[kwokpot]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

ALl cruise line have naturists in Canada, or at least used to.

So you're saying Carnival had and/or has a Naturalist on board their Alaska cruises? 

[BlerkOne]

1 minute ago, kwokpot said:

Celebrity and Princess both bring on lecturers to talk about what guests will be seeing. Princess is famous for their Alaska cruises for having a Naturalist aboard discussing the wildlife and icebergs that one will be seeing on your cruise.   

Carnival has a naturalist aboard for Alaska cruises. In fact they use one that sometimes does Celebrity.

[jimbo5544]

3 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

So you're saying Carnival had and/or has a Naturalist on board their Alaska cruises? 

Ummmmm YES.  100% certain of it.  

[BlerkOne]

3 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

So you're saying Carnival had and/or has a Naturalist on board their Alaska cruises? 

I will say it. At least on every Carnival Alaska cruise I've been on (several) and another one planned.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I remember our two tour guides so well. Delightful young women who taught us so much.  I hope they are okay.

Our tour guide was also memorable and wonderful. She confided in us that she had gone through all she needed to open her own company, which she did this next year, SPB tours.

[luv2trvlnow]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

I think that may be part of the reason for OP's post. 

OP here. Yes.  That is part of the reason for my post.  I was interested in why some people say other cruise lines do Europe better.  Information provided by experts can add to your experience.  So this is one way other lines do Europe better.  Then one has to decide if that added experience is worth the price difference.

 

I too enjoyed the information provided by the Naturalist on our Alaskan Princess cruise.

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, luv2trvlnow said:

OP here. Yes.  That is part of the reason for my post.  I was interested in why some people say other cruise lines do Europe better.  Information provided by experts can add to your experience.  So this is one way other lines do Europe better.  Then one has to decide if that added experience is worth the price difference.

 

I too enjoyed the information provided by the Naturalist on our Alaskan Princess cruise.

Understand the question.  There maybe lines that do that, I can tell you two who do not.  Carnival adn Azamara

[kwokpot]

26 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Understand the question.  There maybe lines that do that, I can tell you two who do not.  Carnival adn Azamara

I'm following the Celebrity Summit's current journey from NJ to Iceland and Greenland. Today, Day two, they had a lecturer speak about the Vikings. Here's a perfect example of a cruise line bringing on a lecturer on a longer cruise that discusses some of the history of the places the cruise is going to visit. 

 

 

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I'm following the Celebrity Summit's current journey from NJ to Iceland and Greenland. Today, Day two, they had a lecturer speak about the Vikings. Here's a perfect example of a cruise line bringing on a lecturer on a longer cruise that discusses some of the history of the places the cruise is going to visit. 

 

 

Do not doubt it, was just confirming our experiences

[LMaxwell]

8 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I'm following the Celebrity Summit's current journey from NJ to Iceland and Greenland. Today, Day two, they had a lecturer speak about the Vikings. Here's a perfect example of a cruise line bringing on a lecturer on a longer cruise that discusses some of the history of the places the cruise is going to visit. 

 

 

Yes that would add a lot to me experience.  Frankly, I'd even enjoy that in the caribbean but I understand why it's not something you find on resort lines or those itineraries.  For a Euro cruise that's port intensive I think the ships themselves would be less important and I'd focus on experience.  Probably somewhere HAL/Princess are stronger.  And Celebrity.  Premium lines will bring the more Premium experience.  I sort of view Carnival as a bit of an oddity for Euro trips; like when I see Costa doing a season out of Florida.  Not a knock against either, but I think the overall experience is better served on other lines.